Kerala
Travel Guide
Cochin Tourism
A leisurely walk through the city
is the best way to discover historic Fort Kochi. An obscure fishing village that
became the first European township in India, Kochi has an eventful and colourful
history. Its reputation as a seafaring commercial town was such that Nicolas Conti,
an Italian traveller of the Middle Ages remarked: If China is where you make your
money, then Kochi surely is the place to spend it. The town was shaped by the
Portuguese, the Dutch and later the British. The result of these cultural influences
are seen in the many examples of Indo European architecture that still exist here.
Cochin
Places To SeeChinese Fishing Nets/Vasco da Gama Square :
These
huge cantilevered fishing nets are the legacy of one of the first visitors to
the Malabar Coast. Erected here between 1350 and 1450 AD by traders from the court
of Kublai Khan, these nets are set up on teak wood and bamboo poles. The best
place to watch the nets being lowered into the sea and catch being brought in
is the Vasco da Gama Square, a narrow promenade that runs along the beach. The
Square is an ideal place to idle, with stalls serving fresh delicious seafood,
tender coconut etc.
Pierce Leslie Bungalow:
This charming mansion
was the office of Pierce Leslie & Co., coffee merchants, founded in 1862.
A representative of the Fort Kochi colonial bungalow, this building reflects Portuguese,
Dutch and local influences. Characteristic features are wood panels that form
the roof of the ground floor, arched doorways, carved doors and sprawling rooms.
Waterfront verandahs are an added attraction.
Old Harbour House:
This
elegant old bungalow built in 1808 is in the possession of Carrit Moran &
Co., renowned tea brokers, who now use it as their residence. The house was once
a boat club.
Koder House:
This magnificent building constructed
by Samuel S. Koder of The Cochin Electric Company in 1808 is a supreme example
of the transition from colonial to Indo-European architecture. Features like verandah
seats at the entrance, floor tiles set in a chess board pattern, red coloured
brick like facade, carved wood furniture and a wooden bridge connecting to a separate
structure across the street are all unique to this bungalow.
Delta
Study:
Once a warehouse, this heritage bungalow built in 1808, houses
a high school today.
St. Francis Church:
Built in 1503 by Portuguese
Franciscan friars, this is India’s oldest European church. This was initially
built of timber and later reconstructed in stone masonry. It was restored in 1779
by the Protestant Dutch, converted to an Anglican church by the British in 1795
and is at present governed by the Church of South India. Vasco da Gama was buried
here in 1524 before his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal. The tombstone
still remains.
Santa Cruz Basilica:
This historic church was
built by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. In
1795 it fell into the hands of the British when they took over Kochi, and was
demolished. About a hundred years later Bishop Dom Gomez Ferreira commissioned
a new building at the same site in 1887. The church was proclaimed a Basilica
in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.
Loafer’s Corner/Princess Street:
One of the earliest streets to be constructed in Fort Kochi, Princess
Street with its European style residences still retains its old world charm. The
best view of this quaint street can be had from Loafer’s Corner, the traditional
meeting place and hangout of the jovial funloving people of the area.
Vasco
House:
Believed to have been the residence of Vasco da Gama, this is one
of the oldest Portuguese residences in Fort Kochi. Built in the early sixteenth
century, Vasco House sports the typical European glass paned windows and balcony
cum verandahs characteristic of the times.
VOC Gate:
The large
wooden gate facing the Parade Ground, with the monogram (VOC) of the once mighty
Dutch East India Company carved on it, was built in 1740. Parade Ground: The four
acre Parade Ground was where once the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British colonists
conducted their military parades and drills. The buildings around the ground housed
their defence establishments. Today, the largest open ground in Fort Kochi, the
Parade Ground is a sports arena.
The United Club:
Once upon
a time one of the four elite clubs of the British in Kochi, the United Club today
serves two roles - as class room for the nearby St. Francis Primary School by
day and as card room for the current members by evening. Until 1907, the building
housed the offices of the Fort Kochi Municipality. The Bishop’s House: Built
in 1506 as the residence of the Portuguese Governor, the Bishop’s House stands
on a little hillock near the Parade Ground. The facade of the House is characterised
by large Gothic arches, and has a circular garden path winding up to the main
entrance. The building was acquired by Dom Jos Gomes Ferreira, the 27th Bishop
of the Diocese of Kochi whose jurisdiction extended over Burma, Malaya and Ceylon,
in addition to India.
Fort Immanuel:
This bastion of the Portuguese
in Kochi was a symbol of the strategic alliance between the Maharajah of Kochi
and the Monarch of Portugal, after whom it was named. Built in 1503, the fort
was reinforced in 1538. By 1806 the Dutch, and later the British, had destroyed
most of the fort walls and its bastions. Today, remains of this once imposing
structure can be seen along the beach.
The Dutch Cemetery:
The
tomb stones here are the most authentic record of the hundreds of Europeans who
left their homeland on a mission to expand their colonial empires and changed
the course of history of this land. The cemetery was consecrated in 1724 and is
today managed by the Church of South India.
Thakur House:
This
graceful building holds within itself a reflection of the colonial era. The Bungalow
was built on the site of the Gelderland Bastion, one of the seven bastions of
the old Dutch fort. Earlier known as Kunal or Hill Bungalow, it was home to the
managers of the National Bank of India during the British reign. Today, the Bungalow
belongs to Ram Bahadur Thakur and Company, the renowned tea trading firm.
David
Hall:
Though built around 1695 by the Dutch East India Company, David
Hall gets its name from one of its later occupants, David Koder, a Jewish businessman.
The Hall was originally associated with Hendrik Adriaan van Reed tot Drakestein,
renowned Dutch commander better known for his Hortus Malabaricus, a pioneering
compilation of the flora of the Malabar Coast.
The Cochin Club:
The
club, with its impressive library and collection of sporting trophies, is housed
in a beautifully landscaped park. In the early 1900s, when the club had just become
operational, admission was restricted to the British and to men only. Today, though
the club retains its traditional English ambience, its rules are more liberal
and the membership of 250 includes women as well. Strangely enough, alcohol is
not served on the premises.
Bastion Bungalow:
Built in the
Indo-European style way back in 1667, the Bungalow gets its name from its location
on the site of the Stromberg Bastion of the old Dutch fort. The building blends
beautifully into the circular structure of the bastion, has a tiled roof and a
typical first floor verandah in wood along its front portion. Though it has been
said that a network of secret tunnels runs beneath the bungalow, none have been
found. Today, the Bungalow is the official residence of the Sub Collector.
Mattancherry
Palace (Dutch Palace) (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs. Closed on Fridays):
Built
by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi, the
palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. On display here are beautiful murals
depicting scenes from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and some of the Puranic
Hindu legends. The palace also houses Dutch maps of old Kochi, royal palanquins,
coronation robes of former maharajas of Kochi as well as period furniture.
Synagogue
(Open 1000 - 1200 hrs; 1500 -1700 hrs. Closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays):
Constructed in 1568, this is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth.
Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two
years later by the Dutch. Known for mid 18th century hand painted, willow patterned
floor tiles from Canton in China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone
slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament, ancient scripts on copper plates etc.
Jew Town:
The area around the Synagogue is a centre of spice
trade and curio shops.
Cherai Beach:
This lovely beach bordering
Vypeen island is ideal for swimming. Dolphins are occasionally seen here. A typical
Kerala village with paddy fields and coconut groves nearby is an added attraction.
Bolghatty Island:
This island is famous for its palace of the
same name. The Bolghatty Palace was built in 1744 by the Dutch and later taken
over by the British. Today it is a hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development
Corporation, with a small golf course and special honeymoon cottages.
Willingdon
Island:
Named after Lord Willingdon, a former British Viceroy of India,
this man-made island is surrounded by beautiful backwaters. The island is the
site of the city's best hotels and trading centres, the Port Trust and the headquarters
of the southern naval command.
The Hill Palace Museum, Thripunithura
(Open 0900 -1230 hrs; 1400 - 1630 hrs. Closed on Mondays):
10 km from
Kochi, Hill Palace, the official residence of the erstwhile Kochi royal family,
was built in 1865. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional
architectural style of Kerala and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with
a deer park and facilities for horse riding. A full-fledged ethno-archaeological
museum and Kerala's first ever heritage museum are the main attractions. Displayed
inside the thirteen galleries are oil paintings, 19th century paintings, murals,
sculptures in stone and plaster of Paris, manuscripts, inscriptions and coins
belonging to the royal family.
Parikshith Thampuran Museum:
This
museum houses a collection of coins, bronzes, copies of murals and megalithic
relics of Kerala.
Madhavan Nayar Foundation (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs;
Closed on Mondays):
Just 8 km from Ernakulam, at Edappally, the Foundation
houses the Museum of Kerala History and its Makers. The museum showcases historical
episodes from the neolithic to the modern era through life size figures. Light
'n sound shows are regularly organised with commentaries in English and Malayalam.
There is also a gallery of paintings and sculptures, displaying over 200 original
works by contemporary Indian artists. The Centre for Visual Arts has a collection
of the authentic reproduction of selected world masters and larger-than-life mural
reproductions of Indian art.
Vamanamoorthy Temple:
Inscriptions
from the 10th to the 13th century are found in this temple in Thrikakkara, near
Ernakulam.
Santhanagopala-Krishnaswamy Temple:
he original foundation
of this temple was laid in 947 AD according to the inscriptions found here.
Excursion
in CochinKaladi (35 km):
The birthplace of Adi Sankaracharya,
the great Advaita philosopher of the 8th century, Kaladi is 10 km from Aluva.
Temples dedicated to Sri Sankara, Sarada Devi, Sri Krishna and Sri Ramakrishna
add to the sanctity of the destination. A place called Crocodile Ghat is where
Sri Sankara took his vows of renunciation. According to legends, a crocodile caught
hold of him and refused to release him until Sankara's mother Aryamba permitted
him to accept Sanyas (renunciation).
Kodanad (30 km from Kottayam town):
Situated in the high ranges on the southern bank of the Periyar, Kodanad
is one of the largest elephant training centres in south India. Elephants specially
trained for safari are provided with saddles for riding. There is also a mini
zoo for wild animals here.
Chendamangalam (42 km from Ernakulam town):
This is a rare geographical combination of three rivers, seven inlets,
hillocks and vast expanses of green plains. The Paliam Palace, abode of the Paliath
Achans, hereditary Prime Ministers to the erstwhile Maharajas of Kochi, represents
the architectural splendour of Kerala. The Palace houses a collection of historic
documents and relics. The hillocks at Kottayil Kovilakom presents the unusual
sight of a temple, a church, a mosque and the remains of a Jewish synagogue, all
situated next to each other. Also interesting is a visit to the remains of the
Vypeenkotta Seminary built in the 16th century by the Portuguese.
Malayatoor
(47 km from Kochi):
Malayatoor is famous for the catholic church on the
609 m high Malayatoor hill (dedicated to St. Thomas). Thousands of devotees undertake
the pilgrimage to the shrine to participate in the annual festival - Malayatoor
Perunnal (March/April). St. Thomas is believed to have prayed at this shrine.
Bhoothathankettu
(50 km north east of Ernakulam town):
A picturesque haven situated in
a vast virgin forest, this mythologically popular picnic spot lies close to the
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Thattekkadu. Two of the main irrigation projects of
Ernakulam district - the Periyar Valley Irrigation Project and the Idamalayar
Irrigation Project - are also located nearby. Trekking through the enchanting
wilderness to the old Bhoothathankettu holds promises of excitement to adventure
lovers.
Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary (20 km from Kothamangalam on the
Kochi - Munnar route):
This sanctuary, nestled in evergreen forests, was
discovered by the renowned ornithologist of India, Dr. Salim Ali and is named
after him. The sanctuary is notable for indigenous birds like the Malabar grey-hornbill,
the woodpecker, rose-ringed and blue-winged parakeet etc. Rare birds like the
Ceylon frog-moth and the Rose-billed roller are also seen here. Diverse migrant
species home in here during season. Wildlife can also be sighted often.
Athirapally
waterfalls (80 km)
Guruvayoor (108 km):
Sree Krishna Temple
(non Hindus are not allowed)
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (192 km)
Munnar
(130 km):
Hill station, tea plantations
Kumarakom (92 km):
Lake
Resort, backwater cruises.
Lakshadweep Islands :
Lakshadweep,
a Union Territory of India, is a group of 36 islands, located in the Arabian Sea,
about 300 km off Kochi. Of these islands, Androt, Amini, Agatti, Bitra, Chetlat,
Kadamat, Kalpeni, Kavaratti and Minicoy are inhabited. The main occupation of
the islanders is fishing. The languages spoken are Malayalam and Mahl. Tourists
are permitted to enter through package tours offered by SPORTS.
