Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)

Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (locally known as Kaloor International Stadium) is an international stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000 spectators.

The stadium was built in 1996 by the Government of Kerala with Greater Cochin Development Authority GCDA. The stadium hosts the home games of football (soccer) club Malabar United FC. Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium is the fourth largest stadium in India. It is also the third largest cricket stadium in India.

Originally constructed as a football stadium, it has played host to a number of international cricket and football matches. The extensive grounds of the stadium serve as venue for important exhibitions, cinema events and political rallies in the city.

The stadium is quipped with floodlights for night play. The architecture of the stadium is unique compared to other stadia in India. The Most Innovative aspect of the stadium is its unique Lighting Towers of 2 kW Floodlights which when switched on fully can provide Lighting levels for HDTV telecast.

The Structure of the tower is itself one of a kind in India. The four Lighting towers stand like the Vivaldi’s Four Season Quartet, in silent symphony during the day. The major cricket teams here include the Kerala cricket team. 

The first tournament conducted was the Nehru Cup International Football Tournament in 1997. The highest attendance of audience was recorded in this tournament for India v/s Iraq match (nearly one lakh people attended, thus overcrowding the stadium). But the highest money grosser was made in a cricket ODI match between India and Pakistan on April 2005.

The first ODI played on the ground was between India and Australia on April 1, 1998. And the last being on October 2, 2007 between India and Australia. The second ODI between India and Australia of the Future cup was played in Kochi on October 2, 2007. Australia won the match by 84 runs. The rain was thought to play spoilsport but it didn’t create any problem.

An attendance of over 85,000 is being reported though not confirmed, thus it gives a clear idea that Kochi is indeed the cricket capital of Kerala. And to support the statement the Kerala cricket association (KCA) have decided to build a new stadium exclusively for cricket, and it will come up at Edakochi in Kochi.

KCA has acquired around 24 acres (97,000 m2) of land in Kochi and the stadium will be built to include crowd of 50,000. As per KCA’s decision the stadium will come up by 2012 and thus Kochi will host day and night matches and will also become a test venue. The stadium is in the final stages of a massive renovation including a modern turf an aesthetic modern roofing. Another recent development has been a new four-lane road from the south of the stadium which has made access easier from that side.


Town:
Kochi is well connected by bus services. KSRTC connects Koch with all major cities in Kerala and with many cities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Deluxe Volvo buses are available in plenty at any time to Chennai, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Mumbai from Kochi. These buses charge about Rs 3 - Rs 4 per km.
Airport:
Airport at Kochi is Nedumbassery International airport which is about 20 km away from Kochi. Taxi charge from Nedumbassery to Kochi is about Rs 300. This airport is well connected to all airports in India and also to many cities in abroad, including gulf countries and Singapore.
Railway Station:
Ernakulam Town train station is near Kochi and distance is 9 km
District:
Ernakulam
Longitude:
9.997297
Latitude:
76.302035

Tourist Place to Visit in Ernakulam District, Kerala