| Marine Drive
Also called as Shanmugham Road, Marine Drive is a long gracefully
curving road along the buttressed seacoast of Kochi City.
The view of the backwaters and the harbor from here is really
breathtaking.
The Walkway here, along the edge of the backwaters starting
from behind the Children's Park to the end of the Shanmugham
Road, has become popular with both locals and tourists. The
140-metre walkway is paved with black-dotted, red-carpet ultra
tiles. Cast-ironed, wooden benches, weather-proof seating
on ash grey tiles and the breeze blowing in, provide recreational
relaxation. Film music filters through the speakers fixed
at the Renewable Energy Park, in the walkway area behind the
Park. Now there are two beautiful bridges along the walkway.
At the other end of the walkway, a number of country boats
and motor boats are parked which are available for rides in
the backwaters.
At night, twinkling lights of ships anchored at the harbor
is beautiful. There are a number of buildings along the Marine
Drive which are good examples of modern architecture like
Asoka Apartments, Taj Residency, etc. The famous shopping
centers GCDA complex and the Pioneer Towers at the Marine
Drive houses many showrooms and restaurants. The surrounding
area of the marine drive has become a favorite location for
shooting sequences for movies.
Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry
This imposing structure was built in 1568 when the Jews settled
in Mattancherry, after their expulsion from the Rahabi. They
built a clock tower and paved the floor of the synagogue with
18th century hand painted willow pattern tiles brought from
China. Its most important relics are the impressive copper
plates recording King Bhaskara Ravi Varma's 4th century decree
that guaranteed the Jewish settlers domain over Cranganore
(Kodungalore) as well as the Hebrew inscriptions on stone
slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament etc. The Synagogue
itself is elaborately decorated with crystal chandeliers and
carved wood with blue and white ceramic tiles. Located in
Jew town, Mattancherry, the synagogue is open from 10 am to
12 noon; 3 pm to 5pm and closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
Dutch Palace, Mattancherry
Built by the Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century,
this palace was taken over in 1663 by the Dutch, who added
some improvements before presenting it to the Rajas of Cochin.
The rajas also made more improvements. The palace is notable
for some of the best mythological murals in India, particularly
in the bed chambers. In that room one can see the entire story
of Ramayana on the walls. The palace also houses Dutch maps
of Old Kochi, royal palanquins, coronation robes of former
maharajas of Kochi and displays an example of traditional
Kerala flooring, which looks like polished black marble but
is actually a mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal,
lime, plant juices and egg whites. It is situated at Palace
Road, Mattancherry. Open to Tourists - Saturday to Thursday
from 10 am - 5 pm, Closed on Fridays and National holidays.
Chinese fishing nets, Fort Kochi Beach
Chinese traders from the court of Kublai Khan are believed
to have introduced these huge cantilevered fishing nets in
the late14th century. The nets are built of teak wood and
bamboo poles. They can best be seen at sunset, on the north
end of the promontory, a few metres from Fort Kochi, or from
a boat tour of the harbour. Vasco da Gama square just behind
the nets is an idle place to sit and savour the delicious
seafood freshly caught in the nets, catered by the stalls
here.
The Bishops House
Built by the Portuguese in A.D.1506 as residence of the Portuguese
governor, Bishop house is the oldest Catholic Dioceses in
India located near the Parade ground, Fort Kochi. A prominent
heritage of Fort Kochi, it is characterised by large arches
in Gothic Style and has circular garden path winding up to
the main entrance. The building was acquired by Dome Jos Gomes
Ferreira, the 27th Bishop of the Diocese of Cochin whose jurisdiction
extended over Burma, Malaya and Ceylon in addition to India.
Inside the Bishop's house there is a parlour room with large
walls. These walls are painted in bright colours-telling the
arrival of Portuguese, the origin of Christianity in Kerala
and the establishment of the Diocese. The Indo Portuguese
Museum within the palace compound has some historically significant
invaluable collections. There is also the dinning area, known
as Dr. Mario Sorais Hall, senate hall, teak staircase, large
attics, collection of Portuguese maps, small collection of
antiques and the other historic materials preserved here.
The Cochin Club
Formerly known as the English Club, this club stretches majestically
between the Fort Cochin Commandant's house and the ancient
Governor's residence. The club with its high roofs and arch
styled windows is housed in a beautifully landscaped park
and has an impressive library and a collection of sporting
trophies. In the early19th century when the club was established
by the British, admission was restricted to them and men only.
Today its rules are more liberal and the membership of 250
includes women as well.
Bastion Bungalow
Bastion Bungalow is an architectural splendor, which was
built in 1667 in the Indo - European style. It was constructed
on what has been considered the Dutch Stromberg Bastion. This
building blends beautifully into the circular structure of
the bastion. It has a tiled roof and a typical first floor
verandah in wood along its front portion. Noticeable mainly
because of its Dutch style architecture and built into the
ramparts of a massive fortification wall, it immediately arouses
the curiosity of the passer-by. A name plaque on one side
of the wall announces that it is the Sub-Collector's residence.
It had a brush with glamour when it was hired out to a Hollywood
film unit, 'Cotton Mary', which is a Merchant-Ivory production.
Bastion Bungalow is located at the end of Church Road in Fort
Kochi and it has been declared a protected monument by the
State Archaeology Department.
Koder House
Constructed by 1808 by Jewish patriarch Samuel Koder of the
Cochin Electric Company, this magnificent building is an example
of the hybrid Indo-European style that developed in Cochin.
Unique features of the Koder house are verandah seats at the
entrance, interior floor tiles set in a chessboard pattern,
red coloured brick like facade, a collection of wood carved
furniture and a quaint wooden bridge running over Rose Lane
onto a separate structure across the street are all unique
to this house. Now this house is occupied by the family of
Mr. Satu Koder, regarded as the patriarch of Cochin's ancient
Jewish community.
Thakur House
One of the many historical landmarks of Fort Kochi, Thakur
House was earlier known as Kunal or Hill Bungalow. It was
built on the site of the sea facing Gelderland Bastion, (one
of the seven bastions of the old Dutch fort) in the late 1700s.
With graceful lines reflecting the leisurely lifestyle of
the colonial era, it exudes a quiet grandeur. Nestled amidst
neatly manicured lawns, Thakur House is isolated from the
noise and bustle of the nearby Chinese Fishing Nets and Fort
Kochi bus stop. Thakur House sports several trademarks of
Dutch architecture, with its wooden floors, spacious rooms
and large bay windows. Sparkling crystal and earthen pottery
adorn tables and shelves, and ancient glass lamps hang from
the rafters. It is an art-lover's paradise, for several paintings,
decorates the walls of the rooms. But, the most beautiful
scenery of all lies right outside the window - the Arabian
Sea stretching away to the horizon. There have been instances
when it served maritime operations and military defense purposes
against invaders. Hence the secret tunnels that lie beneath
the house. Today, the Bungalow belongs to Ram Bahadur Thakur
and Company, the renowned tea-trading firm.
Fort Immanuel
The fort built in 1503 was symbolic of the strategic alliance
between the Maharaja of Cochin and the Ruler of Portugal.
By 1806, the Dutch, and later the British, had destroyed most
of the fort walls and its bastions. The remains of this bastion
of the Portuguese in Cochin can bee seen along the beach.
Pierce Leslie Bungalow
Founded in 1862, this elegant colonial mansion was the office
of the coffee merchants, the Pierce Leslie and Company. The
structure is a blend of Portuguese, Dutch and the native building
style. The mansion has arched doorways, wood panels on the
roof of the ground floor, carved doors, sprawling rooms and
waterfront verandahs.
The Dutch Cemetery
The Dutch Cemetery is a mute, yet sublimely eloquent, testimony
to the period of once thriving European community at Fort
Cochin. The cemetery which is mostly in ruins was consecrated
in 1724. It is now managed by the Church of South India. Watch
Video
Vasco House
Built in the sixteenth century, Vasco House is believed to
have been the residence of Vasco Da Gama, the first European
to reach the Kerala shores. It is one of the oldest Portuguese
residences in Fort Cochin. The straight lines of the balcony-cum-verandah
with a series of typical European glass-paned windows are
characteristics of the European era in Cochin.
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