The commercial capital of Kerala and the most cosmopolitan of the state’s cities, Cochin has long been eulogized in tourist literature as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. That simple hackneyed phrase does little justice to the city’s charms which go beyond its stunningly different beauty and long-standing maritime importance.

                 Strategically located on the east-west sea route, Cochin is Kerala’s major port, boasting of one of the finest natural harbours in the world which forms the hub around which the city revolves a fact the world’s sea trade seems to have known for long.

              Centuries ago, traders and seafarers from foreign lands like Persia and the rest of the Middle East, China, Britain, Portugal and Holland called at Cochin to trade in pepper, seafood, rubber and coir. Much of their different cultures and traditions have worn off on the city so that today’s Cochin is a fascinating blend of these alien influences. This fact is tangibly evident in the city’s well-known landmarks the Chinese fishing nets in the backwaters, Jew Town and the Jewish synagogue in Mattancherry, St. Francis Church and the Dutch Palace in Fort Cochin. All these are suffused over the fabric of Kerala’s culture and heritage, providing a tapestry of rich contrasts and surprising similarities.

                 Most of the city’s commercial centers and shops are located in the mainland, the town called Ernakulam which also lends its name to the district. The backwaters extend east and south of the harbour and in them can be found tiny islands formed naturally over long periods by alluvial deposits from the rivers. Among these are Vypeen, Ramanathuruth, Vallarpadam, Bolghatty and Gundu. Other important parts are Mattancherry, Williingdon Island and Fort Cochin.

                Fort Cochin is the site of the St. Francis Church which was built in 1510 by five Portuguese priests who arrived with Albuquerque. This church, said to be the oldest European church built in India, was the original burial site for Vasco da Gama in 1524 (Fourteen years later his mortal remains were exhumed and sent to Lisbon, Portugal). Later the church was successively taken over by the Dutch in 1633, the British (when it became the Anglican Church) and, finally, the Church of South India. Telling this hoary history are gravestones inside the church as well as an 18th century register of marriages and baptisms.

              Also in Fort Cochin is the Santa Cruz Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church close to the St. Francis Church, also built by the Portuguese. It is said to have suffered severe damage when the British fought with the Dutch to take control of Cochin. Its attractions include some beautiful paintings and a decorative ceiling.

                At Mattancherry is the Dutch Palace or Mattancherry Palace, originally built by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. It was presented to the Raja of Cochin in 1555 and was later taken over by the Dutch who improved it through extensions and repairs in 1663. Since then it has come to be called the ‘Dutch Palace’, though, at no time did the Portuguese or the Dutch actually stay there !

             Today it is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas. IN the centre of the palace is the Coronation Hall where the Cochin Rajas held their coronations. On display here are the dresses, turbans, palanquins and weapons from that era. In the adjacent rooms are 17th century murals of mythological figures like Shiva, Vishnu and Krishna as well as scenes from the Ramayana, in the tradition of Hindu temple art.

                The floor of the palace reveals the unique traditional Kerala technique of achieving a polished black surface by combining eggwhite, coconut shell, charcoal and lime.

                 Also at Mattancherry is the Jewish Synagogue built in 1568 A.D. by the prosperous Jewish trading community whose links with Kerala begin in Kodungalloor (Cranganore) in the north of the state. This is the oldest synagogue in India. It was partially destroyed in the war of 1662 and was rebuilt by the Dutch. In the mid-18th century the clock tower was added and the floors paved with exquisite hand-painted blue willow tiles from China. Two hundred years old, no two tiles are alike.

                    The interior offers more beautiful surprises: a Belgian chandelier, the great scrolls of the Old Testament, and the copper plates on which were recorded the grants of privilege made by the Cochin rulers to the Jewish community in the 4th century. There are also five finely wrought gold and silver crowns gifted to the synagogue by various patrons.

                     The rabbi will normally give visitors a full account of the synagogue and the history of the Jews in Kerala. Although this ancient community of Cochin has now dwindled to a few families, strong elements of their culture and tradition as well as the Hebrew language remain in Jew Town, which is what the area surrounding the Mattancherry Synagogue has come to be called. The by-lanes that wind around Jew Town offer charming sights of houses built in Dutch, Portuguese and British styles.

                    A narrow stretch of an island easily accessible from the mainland, Bolghatty Island is the site of the Bolghatty Palace built by the Dutch in 1744. Later it became the seat of the British Resident of Cochin. Today it is a hotel run by the KTDC. The grounds have a small golf course and several vantage points for lovely views of the harbour and the sea.

               Another of Cochin’s famous islands is Willingdon Island, named after Lord Willingdon, the British Viceroy of India. It is a man-made island created from the material dredged while deepening the Cochin port. Situated between Ernakulam and Mattancherry and separated by the backwaters, Willingdon Island is an important part of Cochin. It sites some of the city’s best hotels as well as the Government of India Tourist Office, the Southern Naval Command Headquarters, the Cochin Port Trust, the airport and the customs house. Also on the island are the offices of several major trading and industrial houses as well as the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

                 The entrance to the Cochin harbour is dotted by the Chinese Fishing Nets, called cheena vala in Malayalam. There are large nets which hang from bamboo or teak posts and are still used by local fishermen in Fort Cochin to catch fish attracted by the lights suspended above the nets. Silhouetted against the sunset, they present a spectacular sight of Cochin’s waterfront.

                    With an area of 5 acres, Gundu Island is the smallest island around Cochin. The only building in it is a coir factory run by a co-operative society. Here can be observed the process of manufacture of coir from coconut fibre, with weavers making colourfully designed doormats and floor coverings.

                  Lying close to Gundu Island, Vypeen Island is known for the Portuguese fort at its northern end, at Pallipuram.

                     There are three important museums in and around Cochin. The Parikshith Thampuran museum is an archeological museum adjacent to the Shiva Temple on Darbar Hall Road, Ernakulam. This museum features collections of 19th century oil paintings, pre-historic monuments, old coins in a numismatic gallery, sculptures in stone and plaster of paris, copies of mural paintings etc., and the collections from the Cochin royal family.

                     The Hill Palace Museum, 13 km from Cochin, displays the erstwhile wealth and prosperity of the royal family of Cochin, including the king’s throne and crown. Also on show are other trappings of royalty like majestic beds, paintings, carvings and samples of epigraphy. Tripunithura is also well known for the nearby Chottanikkara Temple and the Tripunithura Temple.

                    Just 8 km from the heart of Ernakulam, The Museum of Kerala History and its Makers, is the best place for a quick trip down the ancient lanes of Kerala’s history. Greeting the visitor outside is a statue of Parasurama, the mythological sage who is said to have created Kerala. Important historical episodes from the neolithic age to the modern era are depicted through life-size figures.  

                    Performances of kathakali and mohiniyattam are held regularly in Ernakulam. The Ernakulam Gymnasium puts on a performance of kalaripayattu.

                   Several important festivals (‘ulsavom’ in Malayalam) can be witnessed in Cochin. In January/February is the 8-day ulsavom at the Shiva Temple, Ernakulam, featuring a grand elephant procession and performances of folk dances and music.

                     In November/December is an 8-day ulsavom celebration at Tripunithura Temple with a daily procession of 15 elephants and performances of folk dances and music.

                    In August/September is Onam, the traditional harvest festival, Kerala’s best-known, and one which is celebrated in every home. The state’s Tourism Week occurs then and in some places like Cochin, Kottayam, Aranmula and Payipad, the famous snake-boat races are held. In Tripunithura, Onam is celebrated with a grand procession known as Athachamayam.

                      Not too far from Cochin is Alwaye, which is famous for its annual night-long Shivarathri festival of prayer and festivity held around February on the banks of the river Periyar.

                      Kodungalloor (Cranganore), 32 km away, was formerly also called Muziris. This was, in ancient times, a famed sea-port on the west coast where St. Thomas is supposed to have landed in 52 A.D. It was also the capital of Cheraman Perumal, King of Kerala, whose famous palace Allal Perumkovilakam was situated near the great pagoda at Thiruvanchikulam.

                    The area where the palace stood is called the ‘Cheramanparambu’. This, along with the ancient Tiruvanchikulam Temple, the Bhagwati Temple (where the Bharani Festival is held) and the Portuguese fort are worth visiting. Also nearby is the Cheraman Mosque, believed to be the first mosque built by Muslims in India in 644 A.D. Adding to this religious amity is the fact that the Jews first settled here before moving south to Mattancherry.

                   To the south of Cochin is the town of Vaikkom famous for its Shiva Temple. This temple was where the historically important Vaikom Satyagraha, which led to the opening of temples to the Harijans, took place under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership during the independence movement.

                       On the banks of the Periyar river is Kalady. This small town, 45 km from Cochin, is a pilgrim centre and the birthplace of Adi Sankaracharya, the great 8th century Indian philosopher of Advaita Vedanta. Here are two shrines in his memory, one dedicated to him as Dakshinamurthy and the other, to the goddess Sharada, maintained by the Shringeri Mutt. The spot where Adi Sankara’s mother, Aryamba, was cremated is called Brindavan.

                      Nearby is an old Shri Krishna Temple, the family temple of Sankaracharya. Another, the Shri Ramakrishna International Temple, was built in 1976, with the hope that it would ultimately become a temple for all religions and an abode of peace.

                  Malayattur, 47 km from Cochin, is famous for the Catholic church on the 609 metre high Malayattur Hill, dedicated to St. Thomas who is believed to have prayed at this spot. The annual Malayattur Perunal festival in March/April attracts thousands of devotees.

                      Known for an ancient Shiva Temple, whose inner and outer walls feature mural paintings of great artistic skill and interiors abound with intricately carved sculptures, is Ettumanoor, 63 km from Cochin.

                  Cochin is linked by direct air services of Indian Airlines and East-West Airlines to Delhi, Mumbai, Madras, Goa, Bangalore and Trivandrum. Periodical ship services ply to Lakshadweep Islands. Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town Stations are connected by rail to most important cities. Bus services – both government and private – are available to Alleppey, Quilon, Trivandrum, Thekkady, Munnar, Palghat, Calicut, Bangalore, Mysore, Madurai, Madras, Pondicherry, Kanyakumari, Erode, Tuticorin and Velankanni.

                 For local transport there are plenty of private bus services which service Cochin and nearby towns. Taxis and autorickshaws are available. Luxury coaches and tourist taxis can be hired from the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) and private taxi operators.

Some Distances

Alleppey : 64 km

Bangalore : 565 km

Calicut : 145 km

Coimbatore : 223 km

Guruvayur : 109 km

Goa : 848 km

Kanyakumari : 309 km

Kodaikkanal : 444 km

Kottayam : 76 km

Madras : 694 km

Madurai : 324 km

Mysore : 470 km

Ooty : 132 km

Quilon : 86 km

Thekkady : 190 km

Trivandrum : 223 km

Tiruchirapalli : 476 km

Trichur : 80 km