This review is for the travel bugs in the MS community. If you want to visit an exotic place, Cochin ranks among the top in India. Being my hometown, I feel I am well qualified to write about the place. Of course a bit of research has gone into the article and some information like when a church or palace was built, or distances in kms, etc have been collected from various sources.
Cochin (or now Kochi) is a group of islands on the Western Coast of Kerala. It goes by the sobriquet ’’Queen of the Arabian Sea’’. It is adjoined by the city of Ernakulam, which lies on the mainland.
Cochin is the commercial capital of Kerala and the most cosmopolitan of Kerala’s cities. It is a wonderful blend of various religions and cultures. From time immemorial, it has been the favourite destination of globetrotters and explorers right from the Europeans, the Arabs, the Chinese, etc. It has one of the finest natural harbours in the world. Cochin port is also one of the largest in India.
All the islands that make up Cochin are well connected by Ferry. Bridges and roads connect Ernakulam with Willingdon Island and the Fort Cochin/ Mattancherry. The Portuguese Fort is situated on the northern end of Vypeen Island at Pallipuram. The Chinese fishing nets, a method of fishing established in Cochin during the times of Kubla Khan can be seen at Fort Cochin. Cochin International Airport is also situated at Willingdon Island.
The places of interest one could visit are :
MATTANCHERRY PALACE
Situated in the island of Mattanchery, the palace is also known as Dutch Palace. It was built by the Portuguese and presented to the Raja of Kochi in 1555 AD. It acquired its present name after 1663 when the Dutch carried out extensions and repairs in the palace. It is interesting to note that at no time did the Portuguese or Dutch actually stay here. Its interiors are decorated with murals from the Ramayana and there are some lively displays of royal costumes and palanquins.
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE
Jewish Synagogue of Cochin, built in the year 1568 AD, is a very famous landmark. There is a stamp commemorating this monument which is one of the rare and costliest among the philatelic community. The Great Scrolls of the Old Testament, the copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the Kochi rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles are of interest.
ST. FRANCIS CHURCH
Situated in Fort Kochi, this grand Protestant church was originally built by the Portuguese in 1510 AD and is believed to be the oldest church built by the Europeans in India. lt is here the remains of the inveterate traveler, Vasco da Gama were initially buried and 14 years later, his mortal remains were taken to Portugal .
SANTA CRUZ BASILICA CHURCH
Situated again in Fort Kochi, this Roman Catholic Church situated close to St. Francis Church and is also worth visiting. It houses some beautiful paintings.
ST. FRANCIS ASSISI CHURCH
Situated on the mainland in Ernakulam city, St.Francis Assissi church popularly knows as Naduvileppalli and the most beautiful and old church in Ernakulam city, is the blend of Portuguese and Kerala style of architecture. The unique feature of the church is that the entire hyperbolic parabloid shell roof of the church rests only on the centre pillars on the either side.
CHINESE FISHING NETS
Seen in Fort Kochi Island, the Chinese Fishing nets line the sea-front and exhibit a mechanical method of catching fish by local fishermen. Said to have been brought from China by traders of Kubala Khan’s Court, they are used at high tide. The photograph on the description of the place in the site is that of Chinese Fishing Nets.
BOLGHATTY PALACE
Bolghatty Palace is situated in Bolghatty Island, a narrow palm-fringed Island easily accessible from the mainland of Ernakulam. The Palace was built by the Dutch in 1744. Later, it became the seat of the British Resident and today this has been converted into a hotel run by the KTDC.
WILLINGDON ISLAND
Situated between the main land Ernakulam and the old town Mattancherry and separated by the backwaters, Willingdon Island is unique in that it is a man-made island created from the material dredged while deeping the Cochin Port. The Govt. of India Tourist Office, the Southern Naval Command Headquarters, the Seaport, Naval Airport, Railway terminus, Customs House, Kochi Port Office, etc are all located in this island.
HILL PALACE MUSEUM
Hill Palace Museum is situated at Tripunithura, 12 km away from Ernakulam on the Ernakulam Chottanikkara route. Different types of sculptures, collection of rare coins, old weapons, manuscripts in ancient scripts, old paintings and collection from Kochi Royal Family are exhibited here. Tourist may also visit the Deer Park situated there. Horse riding facility is also available. The Parishith Thampuran Musueum situated at the Durbar Hall Ground together with its collection were transferred to Hill Palace Museum in 1997.
MUSEUM OF KERALA HISTORY
Situated at Edappally, 10 km on the National Highway from Ernakulam on the Alwaye route, the museum presents a great spectacle of life-size sculptures in concrete, of the makers of Kerala history, together with the background music and commentary, with glimpses of the vastness and diversity of Kerala’s history over the centuries.
M. N. F. GALLERY OF PAINTINGS & SCULPTURES
The centre for Visual Arts and Gallery Paintings & Sculptures is situated at Edappally about 10km from Ernakulam and located next to Museum of Kerala History. It houses about two hundred original paintings of recognized Indian masters, both contemporary and of the past. There is also a large collection of modern sculptures in marble, bronze, granite etc.
CHITRAM ART GALLERY
Opposite Air India, M. G. Road, Ernakulam Exhibit regularly collection of paintings.
CHOTTANIKKARA
Situated 12 kms away from Ernakulam is the famous temple of Chottanikkara which is visited by almost every devotee enroute to Sabarimala.
SUBHASH BOSE PARK / CHILDREN’S PARK / RAJENDRA MAIDAN
Situated in the heart of Ernakulam city are the most frequented places in the city, the Subhash Bose Park, Children’s Park and Rajendra Maidan. The Children’s park has two and four wheelers for children to drive inside the park on roads inside, where traffic rules have to be followed.
Other places of interest are :
MG Road area for shopping
Marine Drive
Maharajas College and ground
Durbar Hall / TDM Hall and ground
GCDA Complex for shopping
Cochin Shipyard in Thevara
Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Kadavanthara
International Cricket Ground in Kaloor
One word of caution is not to visit Cochin during monsoon (rainy season). You might get knee deep in trouble (sorry water).