Places of Interest in Cochin
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.
Chinese 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.
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: The original foundation of this temple
was laid in 947 AD according to the inscriptions found here.
