Famed for its natural harbour,
one of the finest in the world,
Cochin has earned the sobriquet
"Queen of the Arabian Sea."
Cochin is one of India's most interesting
cities. Here you can see the oldest
church in India. The ancient temples,
churches and synagogues in this
district are of special interest
to the archaeologists and historians.
From tome immemorial, Arabs, Chinese,
Dutch, British and Portuguese sea
fares followed the sea route to
Cochin and left their impressions
on the town. A Jewish community
with roots going back to 1000 AD,
a 16th Century synagogue, and a
palace built by the Portuguese and
given to the Raja of Cochin which
was later renovated by the Dutch
are part of Cochin. Cochin port
is one of the largest in India.
All the islands i.e. Willington,
Bolghatty, Gundu, Fort Cochin and
Vyppin are connected by Ferry. Bridges
are road connect Ernakulam with
Willington Island are the Fort Cochin
/ Mattencherry. The Portuguese Fort
is situated on the northern end
of Vyppin Island at Pallipuram.
You can see the Chinese fishing
nets in Fort Cochin. Cochin Airport
is Just 4 kms. from the Railway
Station.
Dutch palace, Mattancherry
: The Dutch palace or Mattancherry
palace was originally built by the
Portuguese and presented to the
Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma
in 1555. It was later taken over
by the Dutch who improved it through
extensions and repairs in 1663.
Since then it came to be called
the Dutch Palace though at no time
did the Portuguese nor the Dutch
stayed there. Today it is a portrait
gallery of the Cochin Rajas. The
double storied quadrangular building
surrounds a central courtyard containing
a Hindu Temple. In the centre is
the coronation hall where the Cochin
Rajas held their ceremonious coronation.
On display here are the dresses,
turbans, weapons and palanquins
from that era. The highlight of
the palace is the 17th century mural
paintings of mythological figures
and scenes from Ramayana in the
tradition of Hindu temple art. The
floor of the palace reveals the
unique traditional Kerala technique
of achieving a polished black surface
by combining egg white, coconut
shell, charcoal and lime and accomplishment
worth admiring Timings: 10 am to
5 pm. Closed of Fridays and National
Holidays.
Jewish Synagogue, Mattancherry
: The Synagogue at Mattancherry
built in 1568, The Great Scrolls
of the Old Testament, the Copper
Plates on which the grants of privilege
made by the Cochin rulers were recorded
and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted
tiles are of interest, is the oldest
Synagogue in the Common Wealth Countries.
It was partially destroyed in the
war of 1662, but was rebuilt by
Dutch. In the mid 18th century the
clock tower was added. Its floors
are paved with exquisite had painted
blue-willow tiles imported from
China. Of these no two tiles are
alike. The great scrolls of the
old testament the copper plates
in which the grands of privilege
made by the Cochin Rules were recorded
and the exquisite Chinese and Painted
Tiles are of great interest. The
Synagogue is open from 10 am to
12 noon and 3 pm to 5 pm on all
days except Saturdays and Jewish
holidays. The boasts of Rabbi gives
visitors a full account of the synagogue
and the history of the Jews in Kerala.
Although this ancient community
of Cochin has new dwindled to Hebrew
language remain in Jew Town.
St. Francis Church, Fort
Cochin : Reputed to the
the oldest church in India built
by the Europeans (The Protestant
church was built originally by the
Portuguese in AD 1510 and is believed
to be the first church built by
Europeans in India). It is situated
in Fort Cochin 10 km. away from
style and renamed St. Francis of
Assisi Church. Vasco Da Gama the
Governor of Portuguese territories
in India was buried in here before
his mortal remains were taken to
Portugal, fourteen years after his
death. But the original tablet still
remains here. Old records of the
Church can been seen here. The most
important one is the "Doop
Book" of the Dutch Baptismal
register maintained till 1804. Some
old cadjan leaf manuscripts preserved
in the church give information about
the life of the Portuguese and Dutch
settlers here. Grave stones from
the graves of Vasco Da Gama and
Portuguese and Dutch are embedded
on the walls of Church. Brass tablets
in memory of many Europeans especially
the English are also embedded on
the walls.
Santa Cruz Basilica Church
: This Roman Catholic church
is situated near the St. Francis
church and is worth a visit. It
is a specimen of Portuguese architecture
built in 1503. ‘Frescoes’
and mural paintings decorate the
ceiling and interior parts of the
church. The gothic architecture
and the lofty spires gives it a
unique grandeur
Bolghatty Island :
Bolghatty palace built by the Dutch
in 1744. Later it became the seat
of the British Resident of Cochin.
Today it is a hotel run by K.T.D.C.
The grounds have a small golf course
& several vantage points for
lovely views of the harbour &
the sea.
Willington Island :
Connected to the mainland by road-cum-railway
Venduruthy Bridge, Willington Island
is named after the former Viceroy
of India, Lord Willington. It is
a manmade Island created from the
materials dredged while deepening
Cochin Port. Willington Island sites
some of the district’s best
hotels, Trading and industrial offices.
Besides the airport, ship building
yard, wharf, the Southern Naval
Command Head Quarters, the customs
house and the Cochin Chamber of
Commerce and Industries, the government
of India Tourist Information office
is situated here. Many offices,
branches of national and international
banks, travel agencies, souvenir
shops warehouses can also be found
here.
Gundu Island :
It is the smallest island around
Cochin with an area of only 5 acres.
There is a coir factory here where
coir is made into rope manually
and carpets are manufactured by
looms by hand.
Siva Temple, Ernakulam
: This temple is situated
in the centre of the town close
to the Cochin Cultural Centre, very
near the Durbar Hall Ground. The
presiding deity is Lord Siva and
the annual festival in the temple
is conducted for 8 days during the
month of January.
Kalady : Kalady
is the birth place of Adi Sankaracharaya
the great Indian Philosopher who
lived in the 8th century is 45 Kms
from Cochin. It is situated on the
banks of river Periyar and there
are two shrines in memory of Sree
Sankaracharaya. One dedicated to
him as Dakshina Moorthi and the
other to the Goddess Sharada. Adi
Sankara's Shrined in Kalady are
open to all pilgrims irrespective
of Religion and caste. The spot
were Adi Shankara's Mother was cremated
is called Vrindavan. Nearby is an
old Krishna Temple, the family temple
of Sankaracharaya. Another Temple
known as Sri Ramakrishna International
Temple was built in 1976 with the
hope that it would ultimately become
a temple for all religions and an
abode of peace.
Chinese Fishing Nets :
A legacy of the trading connections
between China and India many centuries
ago. The long rows of Chinese Nets
silhouetted against the sunset present
a spectacular sight of Cochin's
waterfront. These are large nets
which hang from bamboo or teak posts,
still to be in use by the local
fisher folk of Fort Cochin.
Cochin Boat Rides
The highlight of Cochin is a boat
ride through all the islands. The
city face a broad expense of backwaters
studded with palm-flanged islets.
Mangalavanam :
This mangrove forest is a small
bird sanctuary ,located in the heart
of the town behind the High Court
of Kerala, attracts a large number
of tourists.
Vyppin light house :
The biggest Island, situated between
the sea and the backwaters of Cochin.
It is 24 km long and 2 1/2 km wide.
There is a light house at Ochanthuruthu
which is open to tourists from 3
pm to 5 pm. The Island can be reached
only by water transport provided
by boat services and Junkar. There
are bus services on the Island.
Pallippuram Fort :
Pallippuram fort was built by the
Portuguese in 1503. It is one of
the oldest existing European monuments
in India. The Dutch captured the
fort in 1661 and sold it to the
State of Travancore in 1789. This
fort is situated in the northern
extremity of the Vyppin Island at
Pallippuram. The catholic church
at Pallippuram is an important pilgrim
centre of the Christians.
Malayattoor Church :
53 km. from Cochin, 8km. From Kalady.
Situated on a small hillock, it
attracts thousands of devotees who
undertake a trip to the shrine to
participate in the annual festival,
Malayattoor Perunnal (March/April)
St. Thomas is believed to have prayed
at this shrine.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
: Though recently established
Thattekad is one of the most important
bird sanctuaries in South India.
A boat cruise from Bhoothathankettu
to Thattekad is an unforgettable
experience through the evergreen
forests nesting migratory and indigenous
birds. The birds commonly seen here
are Malabar Grey horn bill, Great
Indian horn bill, Grey jungle fowl,
Heron egret, Parakeet and numerous
other rare species. Thattekad is
also accessible from Kothamangalam
(20 km). For further details, contact
Divisional forest Officer, Kodanadu
P.O. Kodanadu.
Museums
There are three important museums
in and around Cochin.
The Pareekshit Thampuran
Museum : It is an archeological
museum adjacent to the Shiva temple
in Durbar Hall Road,Ernakulam. This
museum features collections of the
19th century paintings , Pre-historic
monuments , Old coins in a numismatic
gallery, Scriptures in stone &
Plaster of Paris, Copies of mural
paintings etc & the collection
from the Cochin royal family.
In the earlier days the museum was
the Durbar Hall of Cochin Rajas
where guests were welcomed, and
where official ceremonies and meetings
were held. Now under the State Archaeological
Department, it has been named after
Rama Varma Pareekshit Thampuran,
the Family’s last ruler.
The Hill Palace Museum
: The largest archeological
museum of Kerala , Hill Palace Museum
is 13 Kms from Cochin. It displays
the erstwhile wealth and prosperity
of the royal family of Cochin, including
the King’s throne and crown.
Paintings, carvings, etchings are
displayed in the museum which is
located on the Ernakulam - Chottanikkara
route. Also on show are other trappings
of royalty like majestic beds ,weapons
and samples of epigraphy.
Museum of Kerala History,
Edappally : Important scenes
of Kerala history are portrayed
through through Sculptures. Greeting
the visitor outside is a statue
of Parasurama ,the mythological
safe who is said to have created
Kerala. The other places worth visiting
are Alwaye, situated 20km north
of Ernakulam on the banks of river
Periyar, Chottanikkara Bhagavathy
temple which is an important pilgrim
place for Hindus Kalady, Malayattoor
which is located on the slopes of
the Western Ghats & is an important
Christian pilgrim centre, Bhoothathankettu,
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary etc.
AlUVA : 21km.
An ideal place for swimming in the
river Periyar. The annual Sivarathri
Festival is held on the banks of
the river and is a colourful celebration.
The centre of attraction is the
Shiva Lingam on the sand bank.
Kathakali Centres :
See India Foundation is located
at Kalathiparambil Road, near the
Ernakulam Junction Railway station.
The daily show begins at 6.45 p.m.
The Cochin Cultural Centre is situated
on Manikath Road, behind Medical
Trust Hospital. The daily show begins
at 7 pm Art Kerala, the third one
is situated at Kannanthodathu lane
Valanjambalam. Kerala Kathakali
Centre functions at Fort Cochin
near the Chinese Fishing Nets. Ticket
Charge at all the centres is Rs.
50 per person.
Kalaripayattu Centres :
Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest
living tradition of martial training
and physical culture in the world.
In the present context it means
training in the traditional style
of combat. The aim of Kalaripayattu
is not only self defense and offence,
but also the strength of mind through
physical exercises.
