| Kochi
consists of mainland Ernakulam; the island of Willingdon, Bolgatty
and Gundu in the harbour; Fort Cochin and Mattancherry on the
southern peninsula; and Vypeen Island, north of Fort Cochin.
All these areas are linked by fery; bridges also link Ernakulam to
Willingdon Island and the Fort Cochin/Mattancherry peninsula.
Ernakulam is where you'll find banks, the main train station, the
bus stand and the Tourist Reception Center.
Almost all the
historical sites are in Fort Cochin or Mattancherry, a more tranquil
setting than Ernakulam. Two of the top hotels are on
Willingdon Island. The airport (domestic and international) is
30 km north-east of Kochi at Nedumbassery.
In Ernakulam
there's a State Bank of India on Shanmugham Road and a very
efficient Thomas Cook office on M G Road. HDFC and ANZ
Grindlays have ATMs at the southern end of M G Road. HDFC also
has another ATM at Palarivattom Junction, just off the NH47 about
1.2km east of Ernakulam Town Station.
Fort Cochin
Said to be India's
oldest European-built church, St Francis Church, was constructed in
1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars who accompanied the expedition
led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral.
The original wooden
structure was rebuilt in stone around the mid-16th century; the
earliest Portuguese inscription in the church is dated 1562.
The Protestant Dutch captured Kochi in 1663 and restored the church
in 1779. After the occupation of Kochi by the British in 1795,
it became an Anglican church and is presently being used by the
Church of South India.
Having died in
Cochin in 1524, Vasco da Gama was buried here for 14 years before
his remains were taken to Lisbon. His tombstone can be seen in
the church. Rope operated Pankhas or fans, are one of this
church's unusual features.
The large and
impressive Catholic Santa Cruz Basilica, dates from 1902, and has a
fantastic pastel-colored interior.
The Indo-Portuguese
Museum at the Bishop's House preserves the heritage of one of
India's earliest Catholic communities, including vestments, statues,
silver processional crosses and altar pieces from the Cochin
diocese. This handsome new museum was set up with the help of
the Gulbenkian Foundation of Portugal. It's open 10am to 6pm
daily except Monday. Entry is Rs. 10 for Indians and Rs. 25
for Foreigners.
Strung out along
the tip of Fort Cochin, the fixed, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets
were introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan.
Called cheena vala in Malayam, you can also see them along
many backwaters. They're mainly used at high tide, requiring
at least four men to operate their system of counterweights.
The Dutch Cemetery
was consecrated in 1724 and contain many European graves.
Mattancherry
Palace
Built by the
Portuguese in 1555, Mattancherry Palace was presented to the raja of
Cochin, Veera Kerala Verma (1537-61), as a gesture of goodwill (and
probably as a means of securing trading privileges).
The Dutch renovated
the palace in 1663, hence it alternative name, the Dutch
Palace. The two-storey building surrounds a courtyard
containing a Hindu temple.
The central hall on
the 1st floor was the coronation hall of the rajas. The
astonishing murals, depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata
and Puranic legends, are one of the wonders of India. The
ladies' bedchamber downstairs features a cheerful Krishna using his
six hands and two feet to engage in foreplay with eight happy
milkmaids.
The palace is open
10am to 5pm Saturday to Thursday; entry is Rs. 2. Photography
is prohibited.
Ernakulam
The Parishath
Thampuram Museum contains 19th-century oil paintings, old coins,
sculptures and paintings, but apart from some interesting temple
models, it's nothing special. Housed in a traditional Keralan
builing on Durbar Hall Road, it's open 10am to 12.30pm and 2 to
4.30pm. It's open from Tuesday to Sunday and entry is free.
Vypeen Island
Ferries shuttle
across the narrow strait from Fort Cochin to Vypeen Island.
They are miles of surf beaches, but bathers would feel most
comfortable at Cherai Beach, 5 km from the ferry, where there are a
couple of basic cafes and guesthouses. A rickshaw will cost
around Rs. 25. Vypeen Island also boasts a lighthouse at
Ochanthuruth (open 3 to 5 daily), good beaches and the
early-16th-century Pallipuram Fort (open Thursday).
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