Kochi, also known as Cochin, is a historic port city in southwest India's Kerala state, with a harbor dating back to 1341. Influenced by Arab, Chinese, and European merchants, Fort Kochi showcases colonial bungalows and diverse places of worship. The city boasts iconic Chinese fishing nets and is the largest in Kerala, drawing tourists with its historical monuments and scenic getaways. Kochi offers a rich array of activities and attractions, making it a popular destination in the state
A handful of water-bound regions covered by mangrove woods, Fort Kochi can be accessed from city through roadways and water ways. In the streets of Fort Kochi one can see a mix of old houses built in the colonial periods by the Portuguese, Dutch and British.
Surrounded by the backwaters of Arabian Sea, Mattancherry is the nerve town of old historic Cochin and was the first trade hub of the present district. A historical part of India, "Jew Town" where the ancient Jews started their trading is located in the heart of Mattancheri. Main trade was on spices such as pepper and turmeric and Tea was also traded. India's oldest functioning synagogue the Paradesi Synagogue is also located at Mattacncheri.
Dutch Palace, in Mattancherry also known as The Mattancherry Palace features Kerala murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. Around 1555, this Palace was built and gifted by the Portuguese as a present to the king of Cochin and the Dutch carried out some extensions and renovations in the palace in 1663, and thereafter it was popularly called Dutch Palace. Notable for some of the best mythological murals in India, which are in the best traditions of Hindu temple art, this Palace today is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas. Painted in rich warm colours in tempera technique the murals are executed in the best traditions of Hindu temple art, which are religious, decorative and stylised. The wooden ornate ceiling of the Dining Hall is decorated with a series of brass cups and the Palace flooring is made with a mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg whites. The low wooden ceiling of the king's bedchamber or Palliyara and its 300 sq ft (28 m2) of wall surface covered with about 48 paintings which illustrate the Ramayana, is also noteworthy and dating back to the 16th century.
Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue (Fridays half day and closed on Saturdays) is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. Also referred to as the Paradesi Synagogue is located in the quarter of Old Cochin known as Jew Town adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple share a common wall with the temple. The Paradesi Synagogue has separate seating sections for men and women and the worshippers are required to enter here barefoot. It houses many Belgian glass chandeliers, the Scrolls of the Law, several gold crowns received as gifts, a brass-railed pulpit, 10th-century copper plates of privileges inscribed in Tamil by the ruler of the Malabar Coast given to Joseph Rabban, the earliest known Cochin Jew. The flooring is composed of 18th-century, hand-painted porcelain tiles, each of which is unique. On the outer wall of the synagogue was installed with a tablet from the 1344 synagogue in Kochangadi in Kochi and the inscription states that the structure was built in 5105 (in the Hebrew Calendar) as "an abode for the spirit of God."
The Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront, believed to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the early 14th century, are fishing nets that are fixed land installations for fishing and each installation is operated by a team of up to six fishermen. A very famous tourist attraction, the size and the elegant construction of these nets are photogenic and the slow rhythm of their operation is quite hypnotic.
Originally built in 1503, St. Francis Church at Fort Kochi (12 km from Niko Hotels) is the oldest European church in India and has great historical significance The Portuguese built the ‘Fort Emmanuel’ in 1503 after the Rajah (King) of Kochi gave the permission for the same and they built their settlement behind the Fort including a wooden church which was rebuilt in 1516 and today this permanenet structure known as the St.Francis Church. Vasco da Gama was originally buried in this church but later after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon. The gravestone of Vasco da Gama on the ground at the southern side can still be seen here. . Visitors are especially charmed by its gabled timber framed roof covered with tiles. The doors and windows of the church have semi-circular arches. On the northern wall, inside the church, one can see the gravestones of the Portuguese and that of the Dutch is on the southern wall. Evident to this day, history has left its imprints here and is one of the National Monuments of India.
One of the eight Basilicas in Kerala, the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica at Fort Kochi is a place of devotion as well as a center of historic significance, endowed with architectural and artistic grandeur and colours of the gothic style. The church has two lofty spires and a remarkably bright, white-washed exterior and a pastel-colored interior. The interiors of the church are mostly Gothic, with the main altar decorated by the famous Italian painter Fra Antonio Moscheni, S.J., and his disciple De Gama of Mangalore. The paintings that adorn the ceiling depict scenes from the Via Cruces of Christ. In 1984, Pope John Paul II raised the Santa Cruz Cathedral to the status of Basilica considering its antiquity, artistic dignity and historical importance.
The sombre Dutch Cemetery is among the most visited sites in Fort Kochi, famous for its imperial inhabitants, voyagers who left their homelands centuries ago to propagate and expand their own empire. The Cemetery was consecrated in 1724 and is today managed by the Church of South India and it contains some interesting stories around it. From here emanate stories that helped shaped the cultural mix of an entire coast.
The museum was established by the efforts of the late Dr. Joseph Kureethra, Bishop of Kochi, in a bid to protect and showcase the rich cultural heritage and Portuguese influence. This museum now showcases the Portuguese influences on Fort Kochi and the surrounding areas, especially, the western parts of Kochi. The museum has five main sections: Altar, Treasure, Procession, Civil Life and Cathedral. Among the pieces on display are a piece of the altar made in teak (16th century) from the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen, a chasuble (19th century) from Bishop's House, Fort Kochi, processional cross, which is a combination of silver and wood (17th century) from Santa Cruz Cathedral, Fort Kochi, Indo-Portuguese Monstrance (18-19th century), from The Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has also contributed to the collection at the Indo-Portuguese Museum and has to its credit sculptures, precious metal objects and vestments, among others from the Cathedral of Santa Cruz and other churches of the Kochi
The Durbar Hall and its grounds are in the heart of the city, near Kochi’s main railway station Ernakulam South. Built in the 1850s by the Maharaja of Cochin to host his Royal court, the Durbar Hall has had many incarnations over its 150 year history. Recent extensive renovation works by the Kochi Biennale Foundation have transformed the present Durbar Hall gallery into an international museum quality exhibition venue. Under the guidance of award winning conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, the venue is now equipped with Erco LED museum lighting, climate control and disability access-the available exhibition space has also increased substantially. Durbar Hall will be a primary venue for the Biennale.
Marine Drive is popular hangout area in the city of Cochin. It has a long walkway and facility for motor boat cruise. Broad way is just opposite to Marine Drive which is famous for street shopping.
