Fort Kochi
The chinese fishing nets (Cheenavala) which symbolises Kochi distinctly unique to Fort Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of Chinese emperor Kublai Khan introduced these nets here. Oddly, these nets are found only in Kochi, outside China! Many fishermen earn their livelihood by fishing using these massive nets. St Francis Church which is the oldest church built by Europeans in India. On his 3rd visit to Kerala, Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese trader who reached India from Europe by sea, died and was buried in the St. Francis Church; another landmark in this area is Vasco House where Vasco Da Gama is believed to have lived.
Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Kochi
The original church, situated in Fort Kochi, was built originally by the Portuguese in 1505 and named as a cathedral in 1558 by Pope Paul IV. The British colonists destroyed the cathedral in 1795. The current structure was built in 1887 and raised to the status of a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
Jewish Synagogue and Jew Town, Mattancherry
Jewish Synagogue The synagogue, built in 1568 and the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth, the Paradesi Synagogue. Synagogue is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers. The centre of the room has a pulpit with brass rails. The Synagogue is also famous for its carved teak ark. It contains four scrolls of the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) that have been encased in silver and gold. Two gold crowns, special gifts from the Kings of Cochin and Travancore, lie here as well. One can also view special 4th century copper plates gifted by the King of Cochin. These contain inscriptions in Malayalam describing the special privileges granted to the Jewish Community by the King. Another interesting artefact is a special oriental rug gifted to the community by the last king of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie.
Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace), Mattancherry
The Dutch Palace was originally built around 1545 C.E by the Portuguese as a present to King Veera Kerala Verma of Kochi dynasty. It came to be known as the Dutch Palace as it underwent major repairs on 17th century at the hands of the Dutch. Coronation of many Rajas of Kochi was held here. This double storied palace has a lovely collection of murals paintings depicting scenes from the Hindu epics Mahabharatha and Ramayana.
Bolghatty Palace, Bolghatty Island
Bolgatty Place originally built by Dutch traders in 1744 and it is the oldest of its kind that exists outside Holland. This has now been converting into a KTDC Star Hotel and Resort and boasts of its own golf course and honeymoon cottages. The Bolgatty Event Centre is renowned for hosting a large number of international conferences, conventions, exhibitions and wedding ceremonies. With the backwaters, Cochin Seaport, Vallarpadam Container Terminal and the Arabian Sea overlooking it, there is no better location to host such important events.
Hill Palace Museum, Tripunithura.
Located about 10 kms from Kochi, the Hill Palace Museum was the official residence of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi. Built in 1865, it is now famous for being a full-fledged Ethno-Archaeological Museum and Kerala’s first ever Heritage Museum. The museum complex itself comprises 49 buildings and is built in the traditional Kerala style of architecture. The palace complex exhibits crown and ornaments of former erstwhile royal family, paintings, sculptures in stone and marble, weapons, inscriptions, coins and has an archaeological museum, a heritage museum, a deer park, a pre-historic park and a children’s park . The weapon gallery & horse cart gallery are really amazing.
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