The four-faced clock tower at Chinnakada is the symbolic centre of Kollam town. Built in the early 20th century during British rule, it stands at the busy junction where the main commercial streets converge and has been a meeting point for locals for generations.
The clock tower marks the heart of Chinnakada, Kollam's main market district. The area around it is good for an afternoon's walk — fabric shops, spice stalls, cashew vendors, and the occasional colonial building tucked between modern facades. The cashew trade is Kollam's economic lifeblood, and the town has more cashew processing factories than anywhere else in India; walk past a factory lane in season and the smell of roasting cashews fills the street.