Ok let me get this out in the open once and for all. What do we call our city? Cochin, Kochi or Ernakulam?
On Monday the Kerala High Court admitted a public interest litigation which contends that no area other than Cochin Corporation and those included in the Kochi Taluk should be called Cochin. The petitioner also submitted that the names Cochin & Kochi confuses people from out of state. I’ve had people from other states asking me if Kochi, Cochin & Ernakulam are three different towns/cities in Kerala and they get puzzled when they try to book their tickets to come to our fair city.
For example if you want to book a flight ticket you will find Cochin; if it’s a rail ticket you will have to select Ernakulam. A few people from our Bombay office once got down at Ernakulam and asked the ‘route to Cochin’ please! So the petitioner is asking the distinction of the name to be settled once and for all.
Me? I prefer Cochin – it sounds better and I’ve been using it longer than Kochi. As per me the main city area should remain as it is and be called Ernakulam and the old town areas from Thoppumpady onwards should be called Cochin. Personally I do not like the name Kochi.
My fellow Cochin citizens what do you think? This poll is open for a month.
