architecture in cochin

7/25/2019 ARCHITECTURE IN COCHIN

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Mattancherry Palace

Mattancherry Palace situated at Palace Road,

Mattancherry, Kochi.

It was built by the Portuguese and presented to VeeraKerala Varma (1537-65), Raja of Kochi, in 1555 AD.

The Dutch carried out some extensions and

renovations in the palace in 1663, and thereafter it was

popularly called Dutch Palace.


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The palace is a quadrangular structure built in Nlukettu style, thetraditional Kerala style of architecture, with a courtyard in the middle.In the courtyard there stands a small temple dedicated to'Pazhayannur Bhagavati', the protective goddess of the Kochi royalfamily. There are two more temples on either side of the Palace, one

dedicated to Lord Krishna and the other to Lord Siva. Certainelements of architecture, as for example the nature of its arches andthe proportion of its chambers are indicative of European influence inbasic Nluketttu style.

Plan Of The Palace

The Dining Hall has carved woodenornate ceiling decorated with a series

of brass cups. The palace alsocontains rare examples of traditionalKerala flooring, which looks likepolished black marble but is actually amixture of burned coconut shells,charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg

whites.


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GLORY OF THE PALACE

Murals

The king's bedchamber or Palliyara, to

the left of the entrance and occupying

the southwest corner of the Palace, isnoteworthy with its low wooden ceiling

and 300 sq ft (28 m2) of wall surface

covered with about 48 paintings. These

illustrate the Ramayana, from the

beginning of the sacrifice of Dasaratha

to Sita's return from captivity in Lanka.The paintings in this section are the

earliest in the palace, dating back to the

16th century.

The last five scenes are from the 'Krishna

Lila' where in a cheerful God Krishna using

his six hands and two feet to engage in

foreplay with eight happy milkmaids.[2]

The paintings are attributed to the artisticbent of mind of Veera Kerala Verma.


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The Jewish Community Of Cochin

The jews of the area are divided into three groups,white jews,black jews andmeshuchrarim.

The black jews have separate synagogues from the whites.

The third group were manumitted slaves and their offspring were attached to eitherof the communities.

Two waves of jewish immigration converged on cochin in the early decades of the16thcentury.

Jews came from cranganore(shinkhali) and secondly jews and new christians camefrom spain and portugal.

In 1502-1663 under the portuguese rule the rajah of cochin welcomed the new

jewish immigrants and allotted them lands to build their homes and synagogueswithin the proximity of the palace in mattencheri now known as jew town andgranted them religious and cultural autonomy.


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Paradesi Synagogue

The Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest

synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations,

located in Kochi, Kerala, in South India. The

synagogue is located in the quarter of OldCochin known as Jew Town, and is the only

one of the seven synagogues in the area still in

use.It was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people

or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom ofCochin. The synagogue was historically used by

"White Jews", a mixture of Jews from Cranganore,

the Middle East, and European exiles.


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Synagogues

The eclectic buildings of the synagogue complex are dominated by

an imposing 18th-century clock tower, which has faces with Roman,

Hebrew, and Malayalam numerals. It is thought that a face with

Arabic numerals also adorned the clock, but no evidence of itremains.

Cochin synagogues are unique in the world in that they feature two

bimahs. The primary one can be found within the sanctuary's main

level where men have always sat. The second, used during holidays

and special events, is found on the gallery level adjacent to thespace dedicated for women's seating.


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Found within all Indian synagogues is a central bimah (platform

where the religious service is led), a Sephardic Jewish tradition.Other features of Indian synagogues are free-standing wooden

benches, a profusion of hanging glass and metal oil lanterns, large

shuttered windows with clerestories, a chair for the circumscion

ceremony and one for the prophet Elijah, and separate seating areas

for men and women.


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The Paradesi Synagogue has

the Scrolls of the Law,several gold crowns receivedas gifts, many Belgian glasschandeliers, and a brass-railed pulpit. It houses thecopper plates of privileges

given to Joseph Rabban, theearliest known Cochin Jew,dating from the 10th century,written in Tamil on the twoplates, by the ruler of theMalabar Coast. The floor of the

synagogue is composed ofhundreds of Chinese, 18thcentury, hand-painted porcelaintiles, all of which are unique.

There is also an oriental rug, agift from Haile Selassie, thelast Ethiopian Emperor.Themost visible part of the

synagogue is the 18th centuryclocktower, which, along withother parts of the complex,underwent repair work between1998 and 1999.


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Hebrew inscription at the

Mattancherry synagogue A tablet from the earlier

synagogue in Kochangadi inKochi (built in 1344) is placedon the outerwall of the

Paradesi synagogue. Theinscription states that thestructure was built in the year5105 (in the Hebrew Calendar)as an abode for the spirit of

God.


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Christianity

Christianity took root on the Malabar coast (now Kerala) in the first

century AD around the seven churches that St. Thomas established

there. Christian faith has since flourished across the land, coexisting

with other religions. Now 11 of the 23 dioceses in India are in Kerala.The lure of spices attracted traders from the Middle East

and Europe to the many trading ports

Calicut, Cranganore, Cochin, Alleppey and Quilon

- long before the time of Christ. And it was on a trading vessel plying

between Alexandria and the Malabar coast thatSt. Thomas the Apostle arrived in Cranganore in 52 AD.


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There he began preaching the Gospel. His teachings were acceptednot only by those who chose to become Christians but also by thosewho chose to remain Hindus. The teachings eventually got integratedinto the beliefs and traditions of the local communities, into their

family history, into their songs and dances. St. Thomas establishedseven Christian communities or churches in Kerala. They are inCranganore, Paravur(Kottakavu), Palayoor, Kokkamangalam,Malayattoor, Niranam, Chayal (Nilackal) and Kollam (Quilon).Throughout Kerala, one can find Christian families that are proud toclaim descent from ancestors who were baptized by Apostle Thomas

The Church in Kerala had a high missionary spirit. Christians from

Malabar spread their faith as far as Maldives and Indonesia.


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The arrival of Vasco da Gama, however, marked the start of a turning

point and heralded a new struggle for the East Syrian Church.

Because the Portugese, who later established trading posts in Goa,

Daman and Diu north of Kerala, moved against the East SyrianChurch leading to tragic, ecclesiastical incidents.

Today, there are 23 dioceses in India. Eleven of them are in Kerala

with a number of priests from Kerala working in many parts of the world.

Kerala has one vocation (priest brother, sister) for every 70 Catholics.No other community in the world has so many vocations.

Most of the Syrian families have a priest, a religious guide and mentor.


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SANTA CRUZ BASILICA

ORIGINALLY BULIT BY THE POTUGESE AND THEN ELEVATED TO ACATHERDRAL BY POPE JOHN PAUL IV

ENSDOWED WITH ARCHITECTURQL AND ARTISTIC GRANDUER ANDCOLOURS OF THE GOTHIC STYLE.

THE DUTCH CONQUERED COCHIN AND DESTROYED ALL CTHOLICBULIDINGS.THEY MADE THE CATHEDRAL THEIS ARM HOUSE.

Later it fell into the hands of the British who demolished it when they tookover Kochi in 1795. One of the decorative granite pillars of the destroyedCathedral is still kept as a monument at the southeastern corner of thepresent Basilica premises.

About 100 years later, Bishop D. Joo Gomes Ferreira (1887 - 1897) whoreached Cochin took initiative to erect the Cathedral and commenced theconstruction but it was the next bishop, D. Mateus de Oliveira Xavier(1897 1908) who completed the edifice. The cathedral was consecratedon November 19, 1905 by Dom Sebastio Jos Pereira, Bishop of Damao

HISTORY


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SANTA CRUZ BASILICA

THE CHURCH HAS TWO LOFTY SPIRES

WHITE WASHED EXTERIOR AND PASTEL COLOURED INTERIORS

THE INTERIORS ARE GOTHIC WITH THE MAIN ALTAR

DECORATED BY THE FAMOUS ITALIAN PAINTER Br. Moschini.

The COLUMNS decorated with FRESCOES AND MURALS, the

seven large canvas paintings on the passion and death on the

Cross, especially the painting of the Last Supper, modelled on

the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci and the beautiful

STAINED GLASS WINDOW add to the artistic grandeur of theplace. The paintings that adorn the ceiling depict scenes from

the LIFE OF CHRIST.

ARCHITECTURAL


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St.Francis church cochin

St.francis church originally built in 1503

is the oldest european church in india and

has great historical significance.

Vasco da gama landed

in calicut in 1498.

he was followed by pedro cabral

and afonso de albuquerque.

They built a fort at kochi

within which they built a

church with a wooden structure.

The neighbourhood is now known as fort kochi. In 1506 the portuguese viceroy was allowed

by the raja of cochin to reconstruct wooden buildings in stone and masonry.


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The franciscans retained control over the churches till the dutchcaptured kochi in 1663.

while the portuguese were roman catholics

the dutch were protestants.

Hence they demolished all the churches besides this one.

They reconditioned it and converted it into a government church.

In 1804 the dutch voluntarily handed over the church

to anglican communion.

The anglicans changed the name

of the patron saint to st.francis.

The church was declaredas a proteceted monument in 1923.


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Vasco da Gama

The Portuguese explorer,Vasco da Gama, 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 gravestone of Vasco da Gama can still be seen here. It is on the

ground at the southern side.

The gravestones of other Portuguese are on the northern sidewall

and the Dutch on the southern wall.

A cenotaph in memory of the residents of Kochi who fell in the world

war one was erected in 1920.


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Interior view

Original grave of vasco da gama

the church has great historical

significance

as a mute witness

to the European colonial

struggle in the subcontinent.


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ST. GEORGES

CATHEDRAL,karinachira A prime tourist attraction of Kerala, St.

Georges Cathedral Karingachira has elegantly

decorated interiors and exteriors.

Following several renovations and

modifications, the qdush-qudshin of the churchwas constructed over the side altars in 1949,

dedicated to Holy Virgin Mary and John the

Baptist and was consecrated.

The church was named after ST

GEORGE,the patron of theedappally church.

Famous for thamukku nercha


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ST. GOERGES CATHEDRAL, EDAPPALLY

The statue of St.George

placed prominently for

worship at this church

shows the Saint mounted

on his horseback with his

spear piercing the ugly

head of the monstrous

serpent lying under the

hooves of his horse.

architecture in cochin

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