I was a happy traveler to
visit Kochi the queen of Arab Sagar, before devastating floods of Kerala
in nearly 100 years.This flood has destroyed the ever
lasting beauty of Kochi brewed by the hands of history, It is a world of its
own, retaining the specimens of a bygone era and still proud of those days.
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Chinese Fishing Nets--Kochi
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This Travelogue is dedicated to a magical dreaming colonizing history, charming and
tranquilizing beaches of Kochi, offering a breathtaking view and natural beauty
mixed with its pristine water and tranquil ambiance.
Kochi the “Queen of Arab
Sagar”, the coastal city of Kerala is witnessing something that has never
happened before in the history of Kerala. Submerged homes,
marooned people, messages pleading for rescue, the stories of old, young and
ailing persons, struggling to stay alive are shocking and gruesome beyond
belief.
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Women selling in Local Market in Fort Kochi
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It
is very interesting to know that: Kochi was born in
1341, when a flood created a natural safe port that swiftly replaced Muziris
(Kodungallur, 50km north) as the chief harbor on the Malabar coastline.
Colonization of India was started from Kochi. Portugal was first
to establish its base in Kochi, followed by the Dutch and English. From time
immemorial, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have left
indelible marks on the cheek of history.
Fort is name of old Kochi. So when visiting Kochi, it
must be clear that actually your are going to see the old Kochi town.
The nearest Railway station to Kochi is Ernakulam. So let us start from Ernakulam which is the mainland part of Kochi city and well connected to the
rest of Kerala and India.
We boarded a ferry towards Fort Kochi for
just Rs.10.00 (to and fro). It was a 30 mt journey. Surprised to get something
this cheap. After a slow and yet comforting ride, we reached Fort Kochi.
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Ferry Station of Kochi
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(1)- ST. Francis church:
(Where The Portuguese
explorer, Vasco da Gama was buried.)
ST. Francis Church is the erstwhile resting place of Vasco-da-Gama.The
Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama who
opened up the sea route to India, died in Kochi in 1524
when he was on his third visit to India. His body was originally buried in this
church, but after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon.
The first church built by Europeans
in India is in Fort Kochi? Christianity was already prevalent in the region. It
was efforts of St. Thomas, who arrived in 52 AD. The Locals he
converted had followed their religion for centuries before the
Portuguese arrived, bringing their own brand of Christianity.
(2)-Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
It is a catholic church. Located close
to St. Francis Church. This church was built originally by the Portuguese and
elevated to a Cathedral by Pope IV. The foundation stone of the Santa
Cruz church was laid on 3 May 1505, the feast day of the Invention of the Holy
Cross; hence the magnificent edifice when completed was named Santa Cruz.
When Dutch
conquered over the Portuguese in Kochi in 1663, they destroyed many Catholic
Churches but spared this Cathedral. When British took over Cochin they
demolished it. It then took over 100 years to build a new building at the same
site in 1887. Pope John Paul II proclaimed it a Basilica in 1984.
There are frescoes and paintings
covering almost every inch of the cathedral, from the altar to the pillars, and
walls to the ceiling. The art here is the work of Antonio Moscheni, a
Jesuit brother and painter. He passed away just four days before the
consecration of the church!
(3) Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace)
In the heart of
Jew Town, Mattancherry Palace is now a small but interesting
museum. The Mattancherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in 1545 AD,
for Veera Kerala Verma, the then King of Kochi, as compensation for plundering
a temple in the vicinity. They even built a shrine to the goddess
Bhagavathy, his family deity
It is also
known as the Dutch Palace after it was renovated by the Dutch
in 1663 and the wooden palace has some interesting exhibits that help bring to
life the multicultural history of Cochin but the most impressive is the
intricate and well preserved Hindu murals depicting the famous epic of the
Ramayana.(4)The Jewish Synagogue, Fort Kochi
It is believed that Jews first came
to Kerala to trade in spices and ivory during King Solomon’s reign.Jewish Synagogue, situated at one end
of the Jew Street, is at
short walk
from Mattancherry bus stand or from the boat jetty. Jews fleeing the
Spanish inquisition in the early 16th century also reached Kochi, followed by
immigrants from Baghdad, Yemen and other parts of the Middle East.
The
newcomers, called paradesis (foreigners), constructed their own synagogue
in 1568 just 30 yards from the maharajah's palace.The lane leading to
the synagogue has lots of shops selling local handicrafts, and cafés for you to
sit and relax. Just walking through the area is an interesting experience.
This orthodox
synagogue houses the sacred Torah scrolls written in goatskin and gold
crowns gifted by various kings inside the carved red and gold tabernacle. The 18th century Chinese
hand-painted blue and white tiles are a unique feature of the Synagogue. None
of these exquisite 1100 porcelain tiles are identical.
The Synagogue also has Hebrew inscriptions
dating back to the 14th century. The painting gallery at the entrance depicts
the history of Jews in Kerala from the times of King Solomon.
This orthodox
synagogue houses the sacred Torah scrolls written in goatskin and gold
crowns gifted by various kings inside the carved red and gold tabernacle. The 18th century Chinese
hand-painted blue and white tiles are a unique feature of the Synagogue. None
of these exquisite 1100 porcelain tiles are identical.
The Synagogue also has Hebrew inscriptions
dating back to the 14th century. The painting gallery at the entrance depicts
the history of Jews in Kerala from the times of King Solomon.
(5)Jew Street,Fort
Kochi
The Jew Street of Kochi, one of
the oldest Jewish communities in the world. The place tells us about the life styles and
customs of the communities that coexisted in the past.. Still having the charm
of the old people happened to live here.
These days, walking on the Jew
Street in Fort Kochi, one can still find the busy spice market, which once had
a sizable number of Jewish people engaged in spice trade. Nowadays, one would
also come across curio shops run by those from Kashmir; selling mostly wood
carvings, oil lamps, spice boxes, snake boats and books on Indian subjects.
Most of the Jewish settlers here have now left for their homeland Israel.
(6)Chinese Fishing Net
– Fort kochi
The ever lasting beauty of Kochi,
brewed by the hands of history, It is a world of its own, retaining the
specimens of a bygone era and still proud of those days. If you can smell the
past, nothing can stop you from walking through these streets.
The Chinese fishing nets are the most recognizable landmarks in
Fort Kochi, and are most visited for the fascinating sight they provide against
the setting sun. However, there is more to them, than just their appearance.
There are many stories about how these nets came to India.
The nets work on the concept of a
cantilever―a pile of rocks is tied to ropes on one end, while the other side
contains the net. A group of men raise or lower the rocks, while one walks on
the bamboo pole to balance the weight.
Itenenry
of Kochi is incomplete without a walk at promenade of Marine Drive and shopping
in Lulu Mall,the India’s largest shopping Mall.
The Marine drive in Kochi is one of the best places to spend
quality time leisurely in the city and provides an amazing view of the sea.The
promenade is with a walkway of about three kilo meters. The best thing
about Marine Drive is that it is well maintained and cleaned
properly and also has sitting arrangements for the visitors.
Beauty of this place is the backwaters, with
ships anchored at the harbor and that interests the tourists even more. The
sound of the water gently swishing away as you gaze at the skyline of Kochi is
an amazing thing to behold, and will certainly transport you to a world of your
own.
(8)Lulu Shopping Mall, Edapally
Kochi also has India’s largest shopping
mall in Edappally – Lulu Shopping Mall owned and operated by EMKE Group. For a
shopping experience in Kochi there are lots of markets but a visit to Lulu Mall
is a treat with air conditioning and 300+ food outlets, stores and
restaurants. Spanning
17 acres with a total built up area of 2.5 million square feet, the mall has
a total retail space of 1.7 million
square feet.
This is end of my Travelogue of Kochi where I was before Floods. I
walked back to home Aligarh with charm of Kochi the Queen of Arab Sagar
engraved in my memory for ever. My camera was full of such memories.The ever lasting beauty of Kochi brewed in the hands
of history, frozen in time and takes it to the rich colonial heritage.
There are innumerable heritage buildings, some dating back to the times of Vasco Da Gama, the
first Portuguese sailor to India. If you can dream the past, nothing can stop
you from walking through these streets of Kochi.
May God help Kerala in battle of
worst flood of century.Any how your believers say “Kerala is God’s own land”.
Kochi “The queen of Arab Sagar” is facing
the worst floods of century which have devastated Kerala the “God’s own land”, killing scores
of people and forcing tens of thousands into relief camps.
Written posted and photographed by Engr Maqbool
Akram.
