Kottarakara is situated 27 km east of
Kollam. Attakatha, the style of poetry used in Kathakali, was laid down by King Kerala Varma, the erstwhile ruler of Kottarakara, in the 17th century.
Kottarakara Ganapathi Temple located here is a major shrine. The town also houses a 700-year-old Church of Mar Thomas. Kottarakkara Thamburan Kathakali Museum here unravels the history of Kathakali.
Kottarakara Railway Station is on the Kollam-
Tenkasi meter gauge line. The Kerala State Transport Corporation bus station at Kottarakara is a major bus station on the
Thiruvananthapuram–
Kottayam bus route and is connected to major cities of south India.
