Ernakulam refers to the eastern, mainland portion of the city of
Kochi in central
Kerala,
India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the
Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala. The
Kerala High Court, the Office of the
Corporation of Cochin and the
Cochin Stock Exchange are situated here. The Ernakulam part of Kochi city just comprises the postal pin codes 682011,682016,682018,682031 and 682035. The Ernakulam Junction or South station, Ernakulam Town or North Station and Ernakulam Terminus(now defunct) railway stations of the Indian Railways lies in Ernakulam. Initially, Ernakulam was the headquarters of the
Ernakulam District but was later shifted to
Kakkanad. Ernakulam was once the capital of the
Kingdom of Cochin. It is located towards north-west of the state capital
Thiruvananthapuram.