A cluster of islands and narrow
peninsulas, Cochin or Kochi is perhaps
the second best poet on the Western
Ghats. Known as 'Queen of the Arabian
Sea', it reflects the best of all
that Kerala has to offer. A rich
past and a vibrant present, Kochi
gained the status of the business
hub of the region long back. Comprising
of mainland of Ernakulam, the islands
of Willington, Bolgatty and Gundu
in the harbor, Fort Cochin and Mattancherry
on the southern peninsula, and Vypeen
Island north of Fort Cochin, all
the parts of Kochi are well-linked
by ferries.
Being a seaport, many foreigners
came to the place and one can clearly
see the influence of Chinese, Jews,
Arabs and Europeans in its culture
and lifestyles of the natives. It
boasts of the oldest church in India,
the famous old-traditioned Chinese
fishing nets, 500-year-old Portuguese
houses, old tiled houses built in
the Chinese pagoda style, synagogues,
a Jewish community whose roots go
back to the Diaspora and mosques.
The harbor is still hale and hearty
and the main exports of the region
are pepper, seafood, rubber and
coir. However, it attracts tourists
because of its serene backwaters,
beautiful lagoons fringed by swaying
coconut palms and picturesque islands.
The older parts of Fort Cochin and
Mattanchery look more like a fusion
of medieval Portugal, Holland and
an English country village into
one and are situated on the tropical
Malabar Coast. Today, Cochin is
one of India's largest ports and
a major naval base.
