From the archive record
Sea waves hitting the shores of Kollam beach in the Indian state of Kerala. Kollam Beach also known as Mahatma Gandhi Beach, is a beach at Kollam city in the Indian state of Kerala. The beach also features an park of international standard, the Mahatma Gandhi Park, which was inaugurated on 1 January 1961 by the then Vice President of India, Zakir Hussain. Kollam beach is one among the few beaches in Kerala with a lifeguard outpost. Lifeguards were stationed at the beach from 2005. Currently, Kovalam, Varkala and Kollam are the only beaches in south Kerala with lifeguard outposts. Kollam Port is one of the oldest and most important ports for the international cashew trade on the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea. As of 2010, Kollam Port was the second largest port in Kerala after Cochin Port