Willingdon Island, which is part of the city of Kochi in Kerala, is the largest man-made island in India. The island was created from the sand dug out while deepening Kochi port. It was built around a previously existing but tiny Natural Island.
Willingdon Island was named after 1st Earl of Willingdon, the Viceroy of India at the time, who was instrumental in implementing this island project. The main engineer who spearheaded this project, however, was Robert Bristow.
Willingdon Island is surrounded by beautiful backwaters. It is the site of the city’s best hotels and trading centres, the Port Trust, and the headquarters of the southern naval command.
During its short colonial tenure, Willingdon Island handled almost one million tonnes of freight, and by the year 1960, the traffic had almost doubled. It is a major artificial port in India, and serves as an important landmark of Kochi.
Willingdon Island serves as a link between the city, and some other seaports of the world.