Eloor: How an Island in the Periyar Became an Industrial Town

Ashraf Gents Hostel

Key facts

Eloor is an island of 14.21 km² formed between two distributaries of the Periyar, about 13 km north of central Kochi, according to Wikipedia and Eloor Municipality.
Eloor Municipality says St. Joseph’s Hospital, which it calls Kerala’s first private hospital, opened in 1886; Wikipedia’s Manjummel entry gives 1887.
FACT was incorporated in 1943 and began producing ammonium sulphate at Udyogamandal, Eloor in 1947, according to Wikipedia.
Indian Rare Earths’ first unit, the Rare Earths Division at Udyogamandal on the Periyar, became operational in 1952 to process monazite.
Eloor’s population was 30,092 in the 2001 census and 31,468 in 2011; the municipality now has 31 wards.

The Aluva Manappuram Siva temple with its tiled roof on the sandy riverbank. Photo: Vis M / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

An island made by the river

The Periyar splits as it nears the sea, and Eloor is the land caught between two of its arms. Wikipedia and Eloor Municipality give the island’s area as 14.21 km², about 13 km north of central Kochi. Aluva and Kalamassery lie to the east and south and North Paravur to the west. The municipality’s history names the Eloor Moopans as the traditional landlords and records revolts over land reform at Kottakkunnu, without dates.

Before roads, the river was the route out. Wikipedia’s Manjummel entry says farm produce from this side was taken to Ernakulam by boat. The ferry era also survives in street and parish names. The municipality lists St. Antony’s Church on Eloor Ferry Road and St. Joseph’s Church at Eloor Ferry. We found no dated source for when the ferries started or stopped, or for when the bridges that replaced them were built, so we give none.

A hospital and a monastery

The earliest dated institutions are religious and medical. The Carmelite monastery at Manjummel, on the island’s northern side, was inaugurated on 16 April 1874 (see our Manjummel history). St. Joseph’s Hospital followed. Eloor Municipality calls it Kerala’s first private hospital and dates it to 1886, while Wikipedia’s Manjummel entry calls it the first mission hospital in Kerala and gives 1887. The sources disagree, so we give both.

Udyogamandal: the factories arrive

The change came with Travancore’s push to industrialise. FACT (Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore) was incorporated in 1943 under the Maharaja of Travancore. In 1947 it began making ammonium sulphate at Udyogamandal, Eloor, at first using wood as the raw material for ammonia, according to Wikipedia. The name *Udyogamandal* means roughly “industrial zone”. Indian Rare Earths, founded on 18 August 1950, opened its first unit, the Rare Earths Division, at Udyogamandal on the Periyar in 1952 to process monazite. FACT became a Kerala public-sector enterprise in 1960 and came under the Government of India in 1962. A caprolactam plant was commissioned at Udyogamandal in 1990.

Other units followed, including Travancore-Cochin Chemicals and Hindustan Insecticides. Their histories are on separate pages: Travancore Cochin Chemicals, Hindustan Insecticides and Udyogamandal.

Timeline

Date	What happened	Source
16 April 1874	Carmelite monastery inaugurated at Manjummel	Wikipedia: Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Manjummel
1886 or 1887	St. Joseph’s Hospital opens (sources differ)	Eloor Municipality (1886); Wikipedia: Manjummel (1887)
1943	FACT incorporated	Wikipedia: FACT
1947	FACT begins ammonium sulphate production at Udyogamandal	Wikipedia: FACT
18 August 1950	Indian Rare Earths Ltd founded	Wikipedia: Indian Rare Earths
1952	IREL’s Rare Earths Division at Udyogamandal becomes operational	Wikipedia: Indian Rare Earths
1960 / 1962	FACT becomes a state PSU (1960), then comes under the Government of India (1962)	Wikipedia: FACT
1990	Caprolactam plant commissioned at Udyogamandal	Wikipedia: FACT
2001 / 2011	Census population 30,092 (2001) and 31,468 (2011)	Wikipedia: Eloor; Eloor Municipality

From farm island to factory town

The census figures show how built-up the island had become by the 2000s. Wikipedia records 30,092 people in 2001, with average literacy of 84%, and 31,468 in 2011. The municipality now has 31 wards. Its list of institutions reads like a record of the industrial era: FACT Public School, FACT Udyogamandal School, FACT Eastern UP School, an ESI Hospital at Pathalam and the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology. These sit alongside much older parishes, mosques and temples such as the Manjummel Sree Krishna Swamy temple, which the municipality describes as ancient.

The Periyar crossings at Pathalam and Manjummel tie the island to Kalamassery, and the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge also controls salt water in the dry months. Our Manjummel and Pathalam guide describes these crossings today. Their construction dates are among the gaps we could not fill.

The cost of industry

Industry brought jobs, housing colonies and schools such as FACT’s, but also decades of concern about the Periyar. Fish kills, discoloured water and court cases have recurred. The official findings are collected in our Eloor pollution timeline and the May 2024 fish kill. The low-lying island was also badly hit in the August 2018 floods.

Why this history matters near the NAD signal

Many people who work in the Eloor and Udyogamandal plants live on the Kalamassery side and cross the river each day. Ashraf Gents Hostel, a boys’ hostel and PG at Ashraf house, NAD Road, Kalamassery, houses working men as well as students. Its rate is indicative, about ₹2,000–3,000 per head per month and negotiable, so confirm it on the call. For today’s Eloor, see our Eloor guide. For the wider story, see the Kalamassery history archive.

Frequently asked questions

Is Eloor really an island?

Yes. Wikipedia and Eloor Municipality describe it as an island of 14.21 km² formed between two distributaries of the Periyar.

When did industry come to Eloor?

FACT was incorporated in 1943 and began production at Udyogamandal in 1947. Indian Rare Earths’ unit there became operational in 1952.

When did St. Joseph’s Hospital open?

Eloor Municipality says 1886 and Wikipedia’s Manjummel entry says 1887. The sources disagree.

Was there a ferry to Eloor?

Street and parish names such as Eloor Ferry Road suggest so, and produce once went to Ernakulam by boat. We found no dated source for the ferry’s start or end.

Sources

Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed 8 October 2026. How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.

Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Eloor: How an Island in the Periyar Became an Industrial Town.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/eloor-island-history/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.