Around the World in 106 Days with

Ray & Claire!!

Part 14 - Cochin

Kochi was formed in 1967 with the merger of islands and peninsulas and growth in trade and commercialisation has led to the rise of Kochi as one of the major cities on the west coast of India, with a population of around

564,000

When the Portuguese (and later the British) arrived in this area, the name Cochin was used, but the city reverted to its name, Kochi, in

1996. (It is, however still widely referred to as Cochin today)

Since the beginning, Arabian and Chinese traders sourced spices, especially pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and sandal wood from the Kochi

region and the cultivation and trade of these valuable goods shaped the history of the region

Cochin gained significant influence in world trading routes and the City began to grow and soon developed into a major trading point, dealing in

pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves

....so much so, that Cochin is now the commercial and industrial capital of the Kerala state and the centre for spice export. It is the second most important city on the west coast, after Mumbai

Willingdon (on the left hand side of this map) is a man-made island and where the Port is located. The island was created in 1933 by sand

dredged while deepening the backwaters for the Cochin Port - under the direction of Sir Robert Bristow a British Harbour Engineer

A few years ago, the Airport and Railway Terminus used to

be on this island.

Today, these have moved elsewhere and

now, as well as the being the main Port for

the import of timber

it is also the headquarters of the

Southern Naval Command

Cochin imports

huge quantities of timber

for building projects

and other works

The main street for shopping is the Mahatma Ghandi (or MG) Road where you will find many shops selling everything from cheap designer fakes to

antiques - although what we know as Antiques and what they call antiques may be two very different things

...so now it must be time for a short shopping stopover for you know who in Jews Street so named because it leads to the Synagogue)!

“I hope you brought your credit card with you Raymond?”

“No problem – I recognised the need before we left the ship”

The Pardesi Synagogue (Pardesi actually means

‘foreigner’ as it was used by a mixture of people)

The most visible part of the Synagogue is the 18th century clock

tower, which along with other parts of the four-building complex underwent

repair work back in the late 1990s

The first migration of

Jews to Kerala is

thought to have taken

place around the 6th

century BC and the

Synagogue was

originally built in 1568 but partially destroyed by

the Portuguese

in 1662It was rebuilt two years later when the

Dutch took Cochin, and inside you will find an ornate gold pulpit and Belgian

chandeliers, as well as giant scrolls of the Old Testament and a floor paved with 1,100 hand painted blue and white

Chinese tiles, each one different to the other

The Palace (similar to the Synagogue) built by the Portuguese in the mid 16th century. In 1663, it was taken over by the Dutch who carried out

some renovations and changed the name to the Dutch Palace

The Pepper Exchange is surrounded by old shops that have housed spice and textile traders continually for centuries and is still where all

trading is completed in the global trade of black pepper

Kochi was originally a fishing village in the Kingdom of Kochi before colonial times. This area was granted to the Portuguese in 1503 by the Rajah of Kochi who gave them permission to build a fort near the waterfront to protect their commercial interests

Historic Fort Cochin is at the very northern tip of the Mattan-Cherry Peninsula and has streets lined with merchant houses, warehouses and

open courtyards, built by the Portuguese, Dutch and British

The 282-year-old Dutch Cemetery in Fort Kochi is the oldest European Cemetery in India. It was consecrated in 1724 and has over 100 tombs

The Parade Ground is where both the British and the Dutch used to perform their military parades – today it doubles as a splendid cricket

pitch

Facing the ground is the VOC gate. It’s a large wooden gate dating from 1740 with the Dutch East India Company logo on it

St Francis Church (which is believed to be India’s oldest European Church) dates back to 1503 and was built by Portuguese Franciscan Friars

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese Explorer and he was the commander of the first ships to sail from Europe to India. He contracted Malaria not long after arriving in Goa for his third time in to India and died in Cochin on Christmas Eve in 1524. He

was said to live in Rose Street (close to Tower Road)and today, the 500 year old house is now

heritage bed and breakfast accommodation

Hill Bungalow (Kunal)A fine piece of colonial architecture which was home to the Managers of

the National Bank of India during British rule, but today it belongs to Thakur & Company, who trade in

the tea business

David Hall is another one, built in 1695 by the Dutch East India Company and named after David Koder who later lived there

For getting around Cochin, there is a choice

of either

taxis or Tuk

Tuks.

- and of course you

don’t actually pay them until the end of the trip!!With the Tuk Tuks it

is always best you haggle a price before getting into one

Or you could use another form of local transport of

course

Such as joining Roy on the coach

...or perhaps one of the four –footed variety

Clever camera work getting the elephant’s head onto the other side of the picture don't you think?!

You can catch a ferry to Vpyeen Island where you will find Cherai Beach said to be one of Cochin’s best kept secrets with a stretch of white sand

lined with coconut groves and paddy fields

Mattan-Cherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and later renovated by the Dutch

Inside are well preserved Hindu Murals which depict scenes from the Ramay-ana, Mahab-harata and

Puranic legends in intricate detail

There is also a portrait gallery of maharajas from 1864, an

impressive collection of hand carried carriages (Palanquins),

bejewelled outfits and beautifully carved ceilings in

every room

Lining the shore of Fort Cochin are the large Chinese fishing nets which are operated by a system of weights and levers

They are believed to have been introduced by traders from the Chinese court of the Ruler Kublai Khan and is how local fishermen earn

their living, through fishing with these massive nets

These pre-colonial Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront stretch along the coast by Fort Cochin and Vypeen Island and are distinctly unique to

Cochin.

..and of course, there

are more shopping

opportunities - especially for essential

item's!!

...like a new hat for the Memsahib

We made a short stop at Brunton’s Boatyard for refreshments, before we boarded a boat for a journey into Cochin Harbour

“I wonder what this rope is for?”

“You will never make a proper “Punka-Wallah Raymond”!!

.....and now time to “Buckle up and enjoy the ride”

once more