Kothamangalam () is a Taluk headquarters and a municipality Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala in India. It is 15 kilometres from Muvattupuzha. Kothamangalam is a small town lying at the foothills of the Western Ghats and is known as The Gateway to the High Ranges. Until the recent past, the town was also a very important trading center for spices and hill produce. Present Kothamangalam region was historically known as Malakhachira. Kothamangalam is known for its old Christian churches and its prominent educational institutions. One of the first colleges in the region is the Mar Athanasius College of Arts and Science inaugurated in 1955 by the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I during his visit to Kerala.