About Cochin

In Cochin or Kochi, dawn is not often a thing of breathtaking beauty, but just a careless smear of tinted light where sea and sky unite. Daybreak is full of indeterminate promise. A slow lividness at the mist-obscured harbor mouth meets the swelling untamed surge of the ocean. Cargo-laden barges and vallams or country boats move, ponderously slow, over the sprawling vastness of the Vembanad Kayal, Kerala’s largest lake that spreads full bosomed and silver gray in the sultry sun.


Place to See
Cherai (Beach) This lovely beach bordering Vypeen island is ideal for swimming. Dolphins are occasionally seen here. A typical Kerala village with paddy fields and coconut groves nearby is an added attraction of this beach. Vypeen island (21 km from the city) is a major centre for commerce. The island which is connected to the main land by a bridge is more easily accessible by boat. The ferry ride over the backwaters takes just 30 minutes.

Koder House
Koder House, this magnificent building is a supreme example of the transition from colonial to Indo-European architecture. Features like verandah seats at the entrance, floor tiles set in a chess board pattern, red coloured brick like facade, carved wood furniture and a wooden bridge connecting to a separate structure across the street are all unique to this bungalow.

Dutch Palace
The Dutch palace at Mattancherry was actually built by the Portuguese and presented to the Cochin Raja in AD 1555. The palace acquired its present name in 1663 when the Dutch carried out some extensions and repairs in it. The main attractions of the palace lie in its wall murals that depict the scenes from the Ramayana.

Backwaters of Cochin
More popular as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi is a cluster of islands on the vast expanse of the Vembanad Lake. Some of these picturesque islands are Bolgatty, Vypeen, Gundu and Vallarpadam. The lake opens out into the Arabian Sea here to form one of the finest natural harbours in the world. It is this natural advantage that has made Lochi a fascinating blend of the cultures and influences of explorers and traders who visited this wealthy land. Boat cruises from Kochi harbor to Willingdon Island, Mattancherry Place, the Jewish Synagogue, Fort Kochi and Bolgatty Island. Sunset cruise. 3 hour backwater village cruises which include visits to coir villages and coconut plantations.

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.

The Jewish Synagogue
At the heart of what is locally called the Jew Town lies the synagogue of the white Jews near Mattancherry palace. The synagogue is now a fascinating mixture of shops, warehouses and spice auction rooms. The Great Scrolls of the Old Testament and the Copper Plates recording the grants of privilege made by the Cochin rulers to the Jewish community are displayed here.

Santa Cruz Basilica
The Santa Cruz Basilica was built by the Portuguese and was later elevated to a Cathedral by the Pope Paul IV in 1558. It escaped the destruction by the Dutch conqueror in 1663 but was later demolished by the British when they took over Cochin in 1795. There was no church on the site for almost 100 years until Bishop Dom Gomez Vereira commissioned a new building in 1887. It was consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica by the Pope John Paul II in 1984.

How to Reach
Air : Cochin Airport is linked by direct services of Indian airlines and East-West Airlines to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa, Bangalore and Trivandrum.

Rail : Cochin is well connected to several important destinations. Bus services-both government and private-are available to Alleppey, Quilon, Trivandrum, Thekkady, Munnar, Palaghat, Calicut, Bangalore.

Road : Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town Station are connected to most important cities.