Cochin

Kochi is the most important city in Kerala. It is the second most important city (after Mumbai) on the western coast of India .

Kochi is known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea and the Queen of the Adriatic. It is also referred to as the Gateway of South India.

Over the centuries , the princely state of Kochi came under numerous empires. The original local rulers were dominated by the Portugese, Dutch , British and even the Zamorin of Kozhikode (Calicut). Around 1530 AD , under the Portugese, Kochi grew into a prosperous town. The ruler of Kochi gave the Portugese, permission to build a fort at Kochi called 'Manuel Kotta' - which is the first European fort in Kochi .

The Dutch invasion began around 1653 and by 1663 they emerged victorious over the Portugese. The Dutch then built Fort Williams here .

The Dutch were defeated by the great ruler of Mysore - Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. But at last, when the whole nation lost to the British regime , Kochi too became a part of the British colony in 1814. The magificient forts built here were destroyed by the British.

Under the supervision of Sir Robert Bristow, Kochi was developed into a major harbour and the Willingdon Island was created. Willingdon Island now accommodates the Cochin Port, Airport and the Head Quarters of Southern Naval Command apart from a host of other trading and commercial organisations .

After India became independent in 1947, the state of Kerala was formed by the unification of provinces Kochi, Malabar and Travancore in 1956. The Corporation of Kochi was formed in 1967 by the merger of the towns - Fort Kochi, Mattanchery , Ernakulam and many nearby villages.

At present, Kochi is one of the most important industrial, trading and commercial centre of South India

Bolghatty Palace

This Dutch palace is situated on the Bolghatty island. At present it is being used as hotel. The island has a fine golf course and the panoramic view makes it an attractive picnic spot. Frequent boat service is available from the mainland.

Chinese Fishing Nets

The chinese fishing nets found here are the only ones of its kind in India. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here.


Dutch Palace

The Dutch Palace was originally built by the Portugese. Later, in 17th century, the Dutch modified it and presented to the Raja of Kochi. Coronation of many Rajas of Kochi were held here. The place has a fine collection of mural paintings depicting the scenes from the Hindu epics Mahabharatha and Ramayana.

Fort Kochi beach

A stroll along the beach, particularly at sunset with the chinese fishing nets and sailing ships in the background, is a fine experience. Many European style bungalows can be seen along the shoreline.

Hill Palace
Built in the 19th century by Raja of Kochi, the Kochi province was ruled from here. The palace has been converted into a museum displaying a fine collection of articles used by the Rajas of Kochi apart from many archaeological findings.

Jewish Synagogue

The synagogue ,magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers ,was built in 1568. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here. It is located near the Dutch Palace.

Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Believe it or not this bird sanctuary is situated right in the heart of Kochi city. It is the home of many exotic and rare varieties of migratory birds.

Museum of Kerala History
The museum has on display life size statues of many famous personalities and several paintings depicting Kerala History.

Palliport (Pallipuram) Fort
It is the oldest European fort built in India.

Parikshith Thampuram Museum
The museum is situated near the famous Siva Temple, Ernakulam. It houses a treasure of archaeological findings and relics including old coins, sculptures, oil paintings and murals.

St. Francis Church

It is the oldest church built by European in India.On his 3rd visit to Kerala, Vasco da Gama, the Portugese trader who reached India from Europe by sea, fell ill and died in Kochi. He was buried in the St. Francis Church. Later his remains were taken back to Portugal. In spite of that the exact place where he was buried has been marked out inside the church .

Miscellaneous
The backwaters separating Ernakulam from Fort Kochi and Mattanchery are dotted with many small and big islands. A ride through the backwaters is an unforgettable experience.
The Cochin Shipyard, Cochin Refineries, Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore, Hindustan Machine Tools, Indian Rare Earths,etc and other large and medium scale industries make Kochi a very important industrial area.
TheSee India Foundation arranges daily Kathakali performance. Kathakali is a fascinating traditional Kerala danceform.
Click to see a picture of Kathakali dancers in action . Note the dress and the make up .

How to get to Cochin
Kochi is well connected by air, rail, road and waterways to all major cities within and outside Kerala.

By Air
Cochin/ Kochi (Airport Code: COK) has a domestic airport with flights to Agatti, Bangalore, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Madras and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum - the capital of Kerala). The Cochin International Airport is under construction and is in the finishing stages. Currently, there are regular international flights to the Gulf. Flights to other destinations will start soon. Other international airports nearby includes Mumbai, Madras, Bangalore and Trivandrum.

By Rail
Kochi and Ernakulam are connected to the rest of India by an extensive network of rails.There are three important railway stations here namely Cochin Harbour Terminus, Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town . Many important trains start from here and many others pass through these stations.

By Road
Three important National Highways(NH) pass through/start from Kochi, apart from many state roads. NH 47 from Kanyakumari to Salem pass right through the heart of Kochi while NH 17 to Mumbai and NH 49 to Madurai(in Tamil Nadu) starts from Kochi. Private and public transport services are available to/from all major cities of South India from here

By Sea
Kochi has a magnificent all weather natural port. Regular boat service to places like Kottayam and Alleppey are available through the scenic backwaters of Kerala.