An important centre of the Syrian Christian community in Kerala, Kottayam is located between the palm-fringed backwaters on the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Also called the Rome of the East, the city is renowned for its churches and houses built in the colonial style. The town is also the birthplace of the state/’s publishing industry and home to a number of globally renowned newspapers and magazines. Most of India's natural rubber originates from the acres of well-kept plantations of Kottayam, also home to the Rubber Board, One of the country's primary commodities board. Kottayam, among the state's more mountainous districts, provides some of Kerala's finest natural scenes sandwiched as it is between serene palm-fringed backwaters on the west and the Western ghats on the east. The main attraction in Kottayam is Kumarakkom ideal for backwaters and the bird sanctuary.