Kundannoor: Tales of Vedic fires, gold pots, potholes...

IN Kochi's ever-evolving landscape, Kundannoor is more than a busy junction. It's a name that stirs up memories, theories, and more than a few laughs from those who've lived here long enough to wonder where it all began. Ask around, and the answers are as varied as the traffic on a Monday morning.

- VISWAJITH MENON

"It's quite straightforward," says Anilkumar Menon, a retired schoolteacher and long-time resident of the area. "Kunnan means small hill, and oor means place. Long before the flyovers, this area had undulating terrain. So, Kundannoor was literally 'land of little hills.'"

Not everyone agrees. "My grandmother always said it came from kunda, the fire altar used in Vedic rituals," says Meera Babu, a lecturer at a nearby college. "There used to be an old temple nearby — she believed the name had sacred roots connected to that."