Kerala - Tourism - Kochi @ whatisindia.com

KOCHI
Kochi, known as the Queen of Arabian Sea, tucked in the beauty of coconut palms and endless blue waters is one of the important towns in south India, with a natural harbor. It is the commercial hub of Kerala. Kochi is a dynamic city with soaring land prices and rapidly industrializing suburbs.

A trading port since Roman times, it lies on the main trade route between Europe and China. The town has three main parts- Fort Kochi, Willingdon Island and Ernakulam. Fort Kochi (Fort Cochin) occupies the South promontory on the sea ward side of the Bay. In 1920, Willingdon Island was created by dredging the bay to increase the depth of the entrance to the harbour. Across the causeway from Willingdon Island is Ernakulam. The Bolghatty Island, a long narrow peninsula, is situated at the opposite side of Ernakulam jetty. The Vypeen island is another peninsula situated beyond the Bolghatty island. Being situated very close to the sea, Kochi has a moderate climate. Best time to visit Kochi is December to May.

How to get there
Air: Cochin is connected by Indian Airlines to Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Goa, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram.
Rail: Cochin/Ernakulam is connected by rail to all the major cities in India.
Road: Cochin is connected with Alleppey 64 km, Bangalore 565 km, Kanniyakumari 309 km, Kodaikanal 444 km, Chennai (Madras) 694 km, Madurai 324 km, Thekkady 190 km and Thiruvananthapuram 223 km.

Marine Drive
Also called as Shanmugham Road, Marine Drive is a long gracefully curving road along the buttressed seacoast of Kochi City. The view of the backwaters and the harbor from here is really breathtaking.

The Walkway here, along the edge of the backwaters starting from behind the Children's Park to the end of the Shanmugham Road, has become popular with both locals and tourists. The 140-metre walkway is paved with black-dotted, red-carpet ultra tiles. Cast-ironed, wooden benches, weather-proof seating on ash grey tiles and the breeze blowing in, provide recreational relaxation. Film music filters through the speakers fixed at the Renewable Energy Park, in the walkway area behind the Park. Now there are two beautiful rainbow bridges along the walkway. At the other end of the walkway, a number of country boats and motor boats are parked which are available for rides in the backwaters.

At night, twinkling lights of ships anchored at the harbor is beautiful. There are a number of buildings along the Marine Drive which are good examples of modern architecture like Asoka Apartments, Taj Residency, etc. The famous shopping centres GCDA complex and the Pioneer Towers at the Marine Drive houses many showrooms and restaurants. The surrounding area of the marine drive has become a favorite location for shooting sequences for movies.

Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry
This imposing structure was built in 1568 when the Jews settled in Mattancherry, after their expulsion from the Rahabi. They built a clock tower and paved the floor of the synagogue with 18th century hand painted willow pattern tiles brought from China. Its most important relics are the impressive copper plates recording King Bhaskara Ravi Varma's 4th century decree that guaranteed the Jewish settlers domain over Cranganore (Kodungalore) as well as the Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament etc. The Synagogue itself is elaborately decorated with crystal chandeliers and carved wood with blue and white ceramic tiles. Located in Jew town, Mattancherry, the synagogue is open from 10 am to 12 noon; 3 pm to 5pm and closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

Dutch Place, Mattancherry
Built by the Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century, this palace was taken over in 1663 by the Dutch, who added some improvements before presenting it to the Rajas of Cochin. The rajas also made more improvements. The palace is notable for some of the best mythological murals in India, particularly in the bed chambers. In that room one can see the entire story of Ramayana on the walls. The palace also houses Dutch maps of Old Kochi, royal palanquins, coronation robes of former maharajas of Kochi and displays an example of traditional Kerala flooring, which looks like polished black marble but is actually a mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg whites. It is situated at Palace Road, Mattancherry. Open to Tourists - Saturday to Thursday from 10 am - 5 pm, Closed on Fridays and National holidays.

Chinese fishing nets, Fort Kochi Beach
Chinese traders from the court of Kublai Khan are believed to have introduced these huge cantilevered fishing nets in the late14th century. The nets are built of teak wood and bamboo poles. They can best be seen at sunset, on the north end of the promontory, a few metres from Fort Kochi, or from a boat tour of the harbour. Vasco da Gama square just behind the nets is an idle place to sit and savor the delicious seafood freshly caught in the nets, catered by the stalls here.

The Bishops House
Built by the Portuguese in A.D.1506 as residence of the Portuguese governor, Bishop house is the oldest Catholic Dioceses in India located near the Parade ground, Fort Kochi. A prominent heritage of Fort Kochi, it is characterized by large arches in Gothic Style and has circular garden path winding up to the main entrance. The building was acquired by Dome Jos Gomes Ferreira, the 27th Bishop of the Diocese of Cochin whose jurisdiction extended over Burma, Malaya and Ceylon in addition to India. Inside the Bishop's house there is a parlor room with large walls. These walls are painted in bright colors-telling the arrival of Portuguese, the origin of Christianity in Kerala and the establishment of the Diocese. The Indo Portuguese Museum within the palace compound has some historically significant invaluable collections. There is also the dinning area, known as Dr. Mario Sorais Hall, senate hall, teak staircase, large attics, collection of Portuguese maps, small collection of antiques and the other historic materials preserved here.

Bastion Bungalow
Located at the end of the Church Road, Fort Kochi, the Baston Bungalow is built in 1667 in the Indo European style. It gets its name from its location on the site of the Stromsburg Bastion of the Dutch Fort. This building blends beautifully into the circular structure of the bastion, has a tiled room and a typical first floor verandah in wood along its front portion. It is believed that a network of secret tunnels run beneath the bungalow, but none have been found. At present this building is the official residence of the Sub collector.

The Cochin Club
Formerly known as the English Club, this club stretches majestically between the Fort Cochin Commandant's house and the ancient Governor's residence. The club with its high roofs and arch styled windows is housed in a beautifully landscaped park and has an impressive library and a collection of sporting trophies. In the early19th century when the club was established by the British, admission was restricted to them and men only. Today its rules are more liberal and the membership of 250 includes women as well.

Pierce Leslie Bungalow
Founded in 1862, this elegant colonial mansion was the office of the coffee merchants, the Pierce Leslie and Company. The structure is a blend of Portuguese, Dutch and the native building style. The mansion has arched doorways, wood panels on the roof of the ground floor, carved doors, sprawling rooms and waterfront verandahs.

Koder House
Constructed by 1808 by Jewish patriarch Samuel Koder of the Cochin Electric Company, this magnificent building is an example of the hybrid Indo-European style that developed in Cochin. Unique features of the Koder house are verandah seats at the entrance, interior floor tiles set in a chessboard pattern, red coloured brick like facade, a collection of wood carved furniture and a quaint wooden bridge running over Rose Lane onto a separate structure across the street are all unique to this house. Now this house is occupied by the family of Mr. Satu Koder, regarded as the patriarch of Cochin's ancient Jewish community.

Thakur House
Earlier known as Kunal or Hill Bungalow, this graceful building reflects the colonial ambience of the bygone era. It was built on the land of the sea facing Gelderland Bastion, one of the seven bastions of the old Dutch fort in the late 1700s. It was home of the managers of the National Bank of India during the British reign. The present owners of the Thakur house is the tax trading firm Ram Bahadur Thakur and Company. The building has large rooms with wooden floors and bay windows, tables and shelves adorned by sparkling crystal and earthen pottery, and ancient glass lamps hang from the roof beam. The Bungalow has a beautiful view of the Arabian Sea stretching away to the horizon.

Fort Immanuel
The fort built in 1503 was symbolic of the strategic alliance between the Maharaja of Cochin and the Ruler of Portugal. By 1806, the Dutch, and later the British, had destroyed most of the fort walls and its bastions. The remains of this bastion of the Portuguese in Cochin can bee seen along the beach.

Vasco House
Built in the sixteenth century, Vasco House is believed to have been the residence of Vasco Da Gama, the first European to reach the Kerala shores. It is one of the oldest Portuguese residences in Fort Cochin. The straight lines of the balcony-cum-verandah with a series of typical European glass-paned windows are characteristics of the European era in Cochin.

References:
http://india-tourism.com/

Home Page

Archives | Links | Search
About Us | Feedback | Guestbook