Kochi - a heavenly slice of God's own country.

KERALA BELOW

 My first ever view of Kerala was from the plane window and what I saw was very green and very beautiful. Kochi airport itself is rather pretty with it’s sloping, red-tiled roof. It doesn’t seem as fancy as the one in Mumbai, but the people here make up for it by their friendly and polite manner.

 Our destination was Fort Kochi, which is about a little less than 2hrs ride from Kochi airport. Although one can reach Kochi by taking a bus or rickshaw to Ernakulum and, from there, it’s just a very cheap, short and enjoyable ferry-ride to the Fort Kochi jetty, we purchased tickets for Rs.170/- each and boarded an air-conditioned bus that took a long route before dropping us off at the very same jetty.

 Fort Kochi, at first glance, is wonderfully quaint and peaceful town. Nothing here opens before 10am and everything shuts down by 9pm, so there’s not much to do by way of nightlife. Fort Kochi, I think, is a place for anyone looking to spend a few days of tranquility enjoying the simple things of life. Fort Kochi was inhabited first by the Portuguese who were followed by the Dutch and then it passed down into the hands of the British. Thus, the town displays a beautiful blend of south Indian and European architecture. Almost all the buildings have a colonial look to them. Many have been converted into B&Bs and restaurants.

ROOM AT VASCO HOMESTAY

We were put-up at Vasco Homestay, an extremely clean, beautiful and colonial place that is said to have been the residence of Vasco da Gama himself. The rooms are very spacious with large windows and high ceilings.

Sight-Seeing

St. FRANCIS CHURCH (CSI)

In spite of being governed by three different European powers, it is the influence of the Portuguese that is most visible. The town still boasts of Vasco da Gama, who first visited Cochin in 1502. Although his remains are now in Lisbon, one can still see, in The St.Francis Church (CSI), the site that marks the place where he was buried after his death, in Fort Kochi, on Christmas Eve in the year 1524. This church, which was constructed in 1503 still has the pankhas used by the British and the entrance is paved with old gravestones. The northern sidewall is lined with Portuguese gravestones while the southern sidewall is lined with Dutch gravestones.

VASCO DA GAMA'S GRAVE

The Dutch Cemetery, a short distance away is said to be the oldest cemetery in the country.

SANTA CRUZ BASILICA

One can also visit the Santa Cruz Basilica which is a Roman Catholic church. Adjoining this is another building I was very happy to see - a Canossian Convent with the familiar statue of St.Magdelene standing on a pedestal. I guess I was happy to see it because I’ve studied in a Canossian institute myself.

  When this sleepy town wakes up from its slumber, there’s lots to do here. We walked along the promenade and stopped a-while to see the fishermen at work at the Chinese Fishing Nets. These follow the ancient pulley technique and are the only ones of its kind along the Indian coast. The fishermen work at the nets and haul in a catch by raising and lowering the nets in the water at least 15-20 times a day. Most of the fish caught here are then auctioned out along the promenade. One can purchase fresh fish and get it cooked for a sum of about Rs.100 per kg.

CHINESE FISHING NETS

We also took a rickshaw to Mantacherry and purchased an entry ticket to The Dutch Palace. It doesn’t look very palatial, if you compare it to European palaces or the palaces of North India, but a palace it is. Inside, you will find wooden floors and wooden, carved ceilings. There are intricate murals on the wall and many exhibits giving evidence of the opulence of the once royal family of Kochi.

A kilometer away from there, we then visited Jew Town, home to the Synagogue and the few Jewish families still living in Kochi. The streets here are lines with shops selling Jewish articles and also plenty of things that might interest a tourist.

KATHAKALI DANCER

One thing we did enjoy was a Kathakali and Kalaripyattu Performance at the Kerala Kathakali Centre. Kathakali is a dance form through which dancers recount tales from the Indian epics. Kalaripyattu showcases the ancient art form of Kerala, that combines grace with a variety of martial arts. We really enjoyed the performance, but didn’t volunteer when, at the end of the display, the ‘warriors’ invited members of the audience to come up and learn some techniques for tackle and defence.

Our trip was cut short due to certain unforeseen circumstances, but the little time we did spend in Kochi was truly a beautiful experience.


Pics by Misha