Cochin Places To See
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.
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.
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:
he original foundation of this temple was laid in 947 AD according to the inscriptions
found here.
Cochin Travel Guide
Places To See
in Cochin || Excursion
in Cochin
Alleppey
Travel Guide || Cochin
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Travel Guide || Malappuram
Travel Guide || Palakkad
Travel Guide || Thekaddy
Travel Guide || Trichur
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Travel Guide || Wayanad
Travel Guide || Idukki
Travel Guide || Kasaragod
Travel Guide || Kollam
Travel Guide || Kannur
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