Kochi, formerly known as Cochin, is a vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula, in the breathtakingly beautiful and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own Country'. Kochi, located in the district of Ernakulam, is the second largest city in the state, and is the largest urban agglomeration in Kerala. Kochi is flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Its proximity to the equator, the sea and the mountains, provides it a moderate equatorial climate.