Fort Kochi, once a seaside fishing village on the Western coast of India was ruled by the Zomorins, the Rajah of Kochi. This seaside village has come a long way since then having been ruled over by the Portuguese, Dutch and British for over 400 years. In the process it earned the sobriquet of 'Little Lisbon' for the Portuguese, 'Mini England' for the British and 'Homely Holland' for its Dutch rulers. The heritage city today commands respect among the discerning travelers keen to enjoy a relaxing getaway from the hustle bustle of the today's world. Fort Kochi or Cochin is a charming small island town which has retained its unique architectural heritage and the natives protects its glorious past with vengeance. Kochi 's journey has been quite eventful - from having the distinction of being the first European colony in India; city which had a prosperous Jewish community and a strong Syrian Christian population; and a city which was sacked by Father and son duo of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the great South Indian rulers. The town was used by the Arabs, and Chinese traders for sourcing pepper, cinnamon, cardamom. cloves, sandal wood, etc from Kochi region. Extensive interaction between the Arab traders, the local zomorins shaped the culture and heritage of the region including the town of Cochin.The town is dotted with centuries Portuguese, Dutch and British bungalows, mansions, godowns, churches, synagogues, and halls which had fallen into desuetude now resurrected through renovation, rebuilding and enhanced by the suave owners and businessmen by converting these into heritage hotels, boutiques and spas. The Fort Kochi waterfront and its adjoining streets are dotted with these living mansions which even today continue to enchant visitors and promise one of its kind of experience of living in homes which have been witness to the Portuguese, Dutch and English cultures and Arab influence. Kochi's colonial past still survives in its mansions and street names.
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| Chinese Fishing Nets and fishermen |
Our abode for 3 nights Tower House, a Neemrana property has quite an amazing colonial past. It is a 17th century twin house with scallop wall and looks like a ship. The sheer joy of stay at Tower House Bungalow (Formerly Peirce Leslie Bungalow) at stone throw distance from the famed Chinese fishing nests is a journey into the history of spice trade of this port city and an introduction to the good life lived by the foreign traders in the last 4 centuries. The generous arched doors welcomes one to step in to the another world where time stretches, pauses to watch the sun set and move over so lightly towards dawn. The welcome area displays multi-religious art and antiques in honor of its Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Christian ancestry. The thick wall, teak stairs leading to the first polished floor covered entirely in fine teak that have with-stood the vagaries of nature and the general wear and tear looks steady enough to last few more centuries. The large salon on the first floor with high vaulted ceiling is designed to provide generous circulation of air which helps in keeping the place cool even in summer months. Long veranda opens in the inner courtyard and overlooks the green lawn and an inviting cozy swimming pool is ideal for enjoying a favourite book over a cup of tea. The rooms are in various sizes and named after its colonial masters - Noronha, Wayermah, Mateu, Souza, Mascarenhas , Mossel, Pacheco, Cunes and Menezes. Most of the rooms have large four poster beds, and windows that have views of the trees or the sea depending on where they are located.
The furniture here is an eclectic mix - rosewood, teak and ebony period furniture blends with cane and rattan pieces and informal sofas and settee. Light pours in through the windows, skylights and the vastness of the indoor spaces makes for an unforgettable experience. Tower House takes you back in time, moods and memories woven together create a fabric that is strong but sits ever so lightly.
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| Tower House, view of the inner courtyard |
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| Tower House, as seen from the piazza |
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| Mateu Suite |
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| Noronha Suite |
As we step out of the mansion we are on the charming Princess Street, clean road with freshly painted mansions and welcoming antique shops looked very inviting, but we walked along past the park with huge old trees that covers the entire promenade. One has to be careful while walking under these trees for we witnessed large branches breaking off and falling underneath when strong wind blew. Walk past the Fort Kochi bus stand. One can catch ferry to the Vypen Island from the ferry located across from the bus stand. Brunton Boartyard another landmark mansion hotel stands by the water next to the ferry. The waterfront side is lined with old mansions, warehouses and native houses some converted into boutique hotels and some serving as government establishments.
Soon, we are on Calvathy Road, with old Calvathy mosque on the right. The area has mix of muslim and Hindu population and their culture is on full display here. Further down is Calvathy ferry convenient for ferry to Wellingdon island and Ernakulam. Post the Canal we are on the Bazaar Road, the spice hub of Kochi. The area is know for spice trade with enormous warehouses and shops stocked with the finest kerala spices - exotic fragrance of fresh cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger and pepper engulfing the atmosphere in a heady aroma. Traders do brisk business here, deals are stuck and spices transported to far off lands. The street right up to the Jew Town Road is full of these enormous warehouses and trading shops with spices spilling over all around.
On the Bazaar Road further down is The Anchor House a hotel by the waterfront famed for its multicuisine waterfront restaurant-cum-coffee shop with variety of dishes and a view to behold.
Past the Mattencherry police station lies the Mattencherry Palace or Dutch Palace as it is called. This place was built by the Portuguese in 1557 and gifted to the Raja of Kochi. It is a simple and unpretentious structure housing rich heritage of Cochin's glorious past. Built around a quadrangular structure in the traditional Kerala Nalukettu style of architecture with a courtyard in the middle. A small temple of Pazhayannur Bhagavati', the protective goddess of the Cochin royal family stands in the courtyard. Sections display musical instruments, local handicrafts, murals art, royal robes and weaponry in wooden galleries which are covered under beautifully carved wooden ceilings. The glory of the palace rests on the large number of murals, executed in the best traditions of Hindu temple art, which are religious, decorative and stylised. The murals have been painted in rich warm colours in tempera technique. The king's bedchamber or Palliyara, on the southwest corner of the Palace, is noteworthy with its low wooden ceiling and 300 sq ft of wall surface covered with 40 odd paintings depicting various stories from Ramayana. The paintings are believed to have been created by Veera Kerala Verma. The palace is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Friday being the weekly closure day. Fee. Rs. 2/- photography is not allowed inside the palace.
Past Mattencherry Palace, the hustle and bustle of a tourist enclave starts and spills over to the Jew Town Road. The Keralite Jews once virtually occupied all houses here in Jew Town, now these residences lie vacant and shut as most of the Jew traders have migrated to Israel leaving behind their residences which wear a forlorn look. The antique and curio shops and spice souks on Market Road, however, continue to thrive.This stretch of road about 1 kms long is the hub of shops and warehouses selling antiques and enormous varpu (copper vessels). Both sides of the streets have shops cramped and filled with antiques (and antique looking) crafts, furniture, wooden idols, wooden spice holders, old clocks, wooden fairies, copper trunks and vessels, bells and figurines, prints and photographs. This is perhaps the antique paradise of India! Do not get fooled by the tiny entrance to the shops, for you will be drawn into the carnivorous back rooms with never-ending stock of antique goodies, which you would be tempted to buy.
The best place to shop for the antiques here is Crafters Antique Shop, owned by the John and Sunny Malayil, enterprising Syrian christian family, Crafters has an amazing ccollection of antiques and not so old, curios, handicrafts, souvenirs and memorabilia in wood, metal and porcelain from all across India. Rare antiques like Hindu and Christian religious artifacts, stone sculptures, old brass-embedded wooden jewel boxes, Kerala’s celebrated traditional uruli (vessel), Chinese jars, ceramics, clocks, glass bottles and jars in myriad colors and shapes, classic furniture including old wooden doors, pillars and frames, and murals. They are also credited with crafting world's largest Varpu (vessel) which is on display in one of their outlets near the Police Museum on Jew Street.
We stopped for a cool and refreshing meal at the Cafe Crafters. This cute little cafe on the first floor of Crafters, the antique shop overlooking the tri-section leading towards Pardesi synagogue is a fun place as one can sit in the balcony overlooking the street and savor fluffy signature appam with kerala stew.
One can also witness fierce trade bidding at the nearby Cochin Oil Exchange functioning since 1935. The lane by the exchange leads to the 400 years old Pardesi Synagogue, the last of the seven synagogues that once graced this street and the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth. Its interior holds curved brass columns, an intricately carved teak ark, Belgian crystal chandeliers and Torah crowns of solid gold set with gems. The floor has hand-painted porcelain tiles from Canton, each tile has a different pattern. The synagogue also houses two copper plates with details of rights granted to the Jews during the reign of Bhaskara Ravi Varman in the 10th century. One end of the synagogue has 45 feet tall clock tower with four clock dials. Once there were dials with numerals in Hebrew, Latin, Malayalam and Arabic. Now, replaced only with Hebrew and Latin dials - perhaps a symbol of the intolerant times that we live in!
Synagogue is open to all between 10 am to noon and 3 to 5 pm. Entry is through ticket priced at Rs. 2/- Closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Photography inside the synagogue is not allowed.
Apart from the antiquated synagogue what caught my eyes here is almost extinct Jewish
community in Kochi - only few families survive here, Yaheh Hallegua, the ticket seller at synagogue is the last female Jew of child-bearing age here. And when their population would become extinct in Fort Kochi, we would be reminded of this enterprising community that had migrated to India several centuries ago from Iraq, through their legacy of the synagogue, the street called Jew Town, and also perhaps the exquisite embroidery work that the surviving Jewish families promote from the houses lining the lane by the synagogue. Fine embroidery is crafted on kerala cotton napkins, table-wears and towels. These are crafted by families who have been trained by the Jewish families. These crafts are painstakingly created and are much in demand with boutique hotels and foreigners. I was told they participate in Christmas Mela at foreign embassies in New Delhi every year. Their small houses painted in green and white with Star of David and Jewish symbols on windows and name plate in Hebrew on the door perhaps remind the Jewish community here of their glorious days!
community in Kochi - only few families survive here, Yaheh Hallegua, the ticket seller at synagogue is the last female Jew of child-bearing age here. And when their population would become extinct in Fort Kochi, we would be reminded of this enterprising community that had migrated to India several centuries ago from Iraq, through their legacy of the synagogue, the street called Jew Town, and also perhaps the exquisite embroidery work that the surviving Jewish families promote from the houses lining the lane by the synagogue. Fine embroidery is crafted on kerala cotton napkins, table-wears and towels. These are crafted by families who have been trained by the Jewish families. These crafts are painstakingly created and are much in demand with boutique hotels and foreigners. I was told they participate in Christmas Mela at foreign embassies in New Delhi every year. Their small houses painted in green and white with Star of David and Jewish symbols on windows and name plate in Hebrew on the door perhaps remind the Jewish community here of their glorious days!
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| Embroidered napkins and towels displayed in the Jewish shop opposite the synagogue |
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| Jew Street. The crossroads |
The street ahead leads to few large spice shops and the Jewish Cemetery. We decided to turn back and return to Fort Kochi for that is where all the elegant colonial mansions of Kochi still shine gloriously. Auto-rickshaw is a good option to return quickly to Fort Kochi as theses are quite handy in negotiating the back streets.
Fort Kochi Walk
Our walk of Fort Kochi begins starts from Tower House on Tower Road, the hotel faces the thick canopied piazza which extends right to the seashore where several fresh fish stalls witness buzz around the day more so in the morning and afternoon when the natives descend here for their daily fix of fresh fish at some very down to earth price. Boutique hotels and restaurants also pick up their stock of fish and crab from here.
Fort Kochi is a maze of small streets and alleys all displaying their colonial names proudly through the street signage - Rose Street, Burgher Street, Peter Celli Street, Princess Street, Residale Street, Santa Cruz Road, Parade Road, Napier Street, Lilly Street and Beach Road. In fact, it would not be off the mark if we say that the colonial Fort Kochi is primarily closeted on these streets beyond which the place is distinctly like any other small town in Kerala. These lanes and bylanes displays strong colonial influence in the build architecture and merchandise sold and the cafes and restaurants caters mostly to the travelers.
As we step out from Tower House and turn right towards Princess Street the mansion next door is boutique Old Harbour Hotel, set around a square courtyard, an old mansion restructured to provide modern upper crust facilities in the medieval surroundings. The hotel looks inviting and deserves more elaborate mention in later post. While we are still there, the next door Koder House demands attraction. The heritage boutique hotel once owned by the Jewish Koder family. The three storied hotel was actually built by the Koders to accommodate families of their three sons. It is believed to have been structured and gabled in Europe and shipped to Cochin. Its windows are said to be made of imported Belgium glass. The red brick facade with wooden arch on the top looks inviting. The intersection of Tower Road and Princess Street has rows of private residences brightly painted each has its own idiosyncratic signage, name plate or even a warning sign which would certainly elicit a broad smile from even a sober soul.
On Princess Street, colonial buildings with their peeling walls and window sills laden with flowerpots look very inviting. Down the street are mansions and residences converted into hotels or cafes and shops lined on both sides. Kochi Books is a landmark bookstore with wide range of books and periodicals. One can browse at leisurely pace and once satiated one can saunter down on to Peter Celli Street where the amazing Cafe Teapot awaits with its cheery mustard facade. This is one landmark cafe that I would love to go back again and again and would not get bored. The decor is simple yet classic and truly a tea house, since the interior displays hundreds of tea pots and cups from all corners of the world displayed on all four walls and even hanging from the ceiling are pots all around. One can place oneself on the ground floor or climb up the stairs for a machan-like upper seating area. The tables are recycled tea chests and one massive table has an old tea-tree for the table base. Their tea collection and chocolate pie are great any time of the day. For lunch we simply loved the Kerala Mustard Fish, a simple curry served with rice or appam.
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| Cafe Teapot serves wide varieties of tea. Great for no-fuss breakfast and meal
Round the corner of Princess Street one of the earliest streets to be laid in Fort Kochi and Peter Celli Street with its European style residences still retains its old world charm. The best view of this quaint street can be had from Loafer's Corner, the traditional meeting place and hangout of the jovial locals. One can meet and engage in some wholehearted conversation with locals here.
Not too far from the Loafer's Corner near the Cafe Coffee Day are few small tailoring shops who would stitch up cool and casual kurtas, tops and pyjamas in Kerala cotton in few hours. Ideal casual clothes for the summer of Kerala.
Further down few yards at the intersection of Rose Street is Vasco Homestay. An old mansion which is believed to be the house where Vasco de Gama stayed while he was in Kochi. Vasco House has the typical European glass paned windows and balcony-cum- verandas characteristic of the 16th century. On the right corner is the famous St Francis Church, built by Portuguese in 1503. Believed to be the oldest European church in India. Vasco de Gama was originally buried here in 1524 before his remains were shipped to Lisbon. Adjacent to the St Francis Church flanked by Napier Road and Residale Street and spanning upto Parade Road is the Parade Ground spread over 4 acres, the largest open area of Fort Kochi. This was used as a Parade ground by the colonial occupants of this island. Their defense establishments operated from the mansions that surround the ground. One comes across groups of young men enjoying game of football or cricket here. Some of the finest boutique hotels are located around the Parade Ground. Further up towards Pattalam Road is Bishop House, bbuilt in 1506 as the residence of the Portuguese Governor, the Bishop’s House stands on a little hillock near Parade Ground. The facade of the house is characterized by large Gothic arches and has a circular garden path winding up to the main entrance. The building was acquired by Dome Jos Gomes Ferreira, the 27th Bishop of the Diocese of Cochin. Further up is Oceanos, a seafood and Mediterranean cuisine speciality restaurant where the fresh catch of the day is cooked exactly the way you want it to be. One can take to the small lane going past this cafe and move towards the Beach Road through the lanes well covered by thick canopy of tall trees lining the lane. We come across private residences which continues to attract attention of citizens of metropolitan cities, where box like monstrous tall structures are mushrooming in the name of modern architecture. When would the designers look inward and recreate replicas of such fine built heritage? Soon we are on the Beach Road and could hear the sea waves crashing against the boulders on the shore, the area around this part of the beach is under the Indian Navy hence can not access the beach from here and one has to walk upward towards the east to get an access to the beach. Here on the left is The Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel is situated right on the beach. Surrounded by abundant greenery on three sides and facing the Arabian sea on the other. This property has served as residence of Sir Robert Bristow, the architect of modern Kochi port in the 1920's. Further up standing majestically atop the cliff by the sea shore is Thakur House, private residence of the famous tea-trading Rai Bahadur Thakur family, thus the name Thakur House. This was built over the site where once stood the Gelderland Bastion and was originally built by the Dutch East India Company as a club and community centre for its officers. Perhaps this explains the often talked about private tunnel which leads to far off place. The polished wood floors, high ceiling ed spacious rooms and enormous bay-windows are true representations of the Dutch architecture. For film buffs, it is interesting to note that the Ismail Merchant film 'Çotton Mary' straring Great Sacchi, James Wilby and Madhur Jaffrey was shot at Thakur House. As we walk further ahead, we reach a cluster of beautiful quarters, private residences and shops around Lilly Street and Napier Street. It is a very quite part of the town with slate roofed single or double storied mansions dot both sides of the street. Literally taking one back to the much leisurely days in the colonial era. One could imagine, horses pulling the buggy carrying the Dutch, English or the Portuguese officers to one of those mansions. Fab India has opened their store on Napier Street, while Dal Roti on Lilly Street serves almost authentic North India cuisines from its high ceiling dining hall enclosed in a seemingly tiny house. The Malabar House hotel, a part of the Trinity group is round the corner from here. It is known for its upper crust luxurious ambiance, perhaps a bit too much of antiques and art and craft. However, they run an excellent multi-cuisine restaurant and equally good spa here. Few yards away towards the back yard of the Malabar House is Dutch Cemetery where rests the mortal remains of the valiant Dutch officers are army men who braved the vagaries of nature in this far-off land in the dark continent. The Durbar Hall is built on the Parade Ground Road across the ground. It served as a Durbar Hall (court house) of the Maharajah of Kochi. Built over 150 years ago, now converted into a heritage art gallery and being readied to be the focal point of The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, an international exhibition of contemporary art in Kochi. The exhibition is set to be placed in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands. Indian and international artists are expected to exhibit artworks across a variety of mediums including film, installation, painting, sculpture, new media and performance art. A cafe is also attached to the gallery. 
Further down adjacent to St Francis Church is the oldest colonial mansion dating back to 1506. The Le Colonial, was home to the Portuguese Governor for almost 150 years and then was lorded over by the Dutch for another 140 years. St Francis Xavier is also said to have lived in the house which has also called the "St Francis Bungalow”. Sold to the British in 1795, it was acquired by J Thomas, the legendary tea traders. The mansion has combined colonial history of 500 years, now converted into a boutique hotel under the Neemrana fold, the mansion has not only retained its architectural heritage but also added modern amenities for its discerning guests. The hotel is adorned with many art objects, prints, paintings of Raj and the days before relieving its colonial past. It has 7 tastefully decorated rooms named after Jan Van Spall, Vasco da Gama, Major Petrie and Tipu Sultan among others.
The Chinese fishing nets known as 'Cheena vala' is said to have been introduced to Kochi by the Chinese explorer Zheng He. Though some attribute this to Kublai Khan. These are stationery nets installed by the seashore on a platform. These are cantilever structure with nets suspended over the sea. Large stones are suspended from ropes at the other end as counter weight. To operate the net a dozen odd fishermen drop the net into the sea water while one person walks along the main beam to let the net descend into the water. Once the net is under water, fishes get entangled in the net. After a certain time, the 5-6 fishermen pull out the net by pulling the ropes from the water in vigorous motion with loud chorus. Once out of the net, the fish is immediately auctioned off to the nearby fish stall owner. These nets are an object of interest for visitors and one usually ends up pulling the rope along with the fishermen (they cajole you to do so!) and once the rope is pulled and you had your share of fishing thrill, and strained arm muscles, the fisherman would ask for 'bakshish'. You help them catch the fish and also pay for it, strange!
We round-off our Fort Kochi walk with visit to the Santa Cruz Basilica, a 16th century Portuguese church standing tall on Rampart Road. The Gothic structure with tall spires has tall windows decorated with stained glass arrangements depicting scenes from the Bible. The quaint confessional boxes are worth a watch. Fort Kochi offers wide stay options, one can pick from top end heritage boutique hotels, the modern hotels operated by famous hotel groups in India as well as home stay options. For me heritage boutique hotels or even a home stay options here are more personalized. Kochi also offers wide range of food inspired by Kerala cuisine as well as the the English and French. Fort Kochi's stay options and food deserves separate posts. That and much more in the next post. |
Places to Stay
Malabar House 1/268 - 1/269 Parade Road, Near - St Francis Church, Fort Kochi Phone: 0484 2216666
Tower House 1/320, Tower Road, Fort Kochi Phone: 0484-2216960-62, Mobile: 9895693716
Old Harbour Hotel 1/328, Tower Road, Fort Kochi Phone : 0484-2218006, Mobile: 09847029000
Le Colonial 1-315, Church Road, Vasco de Gama Square, Fort Kochi. Phone: 484-2217181/2217182 Brunton Boatyard Calvetty Road, Fort Kochi Phone: 0484 2215461/ 2215465
Koder House Tower Road, Fort Kochi Phone : 0484 2218485 / 2217988
Walton's Homestay 1/39, Walton Hall, Princess Street, Fort Kochi . Phone: 0484 2215309, Mobile: 9249721935
Fort Heritage 1/283, Napier Street, Fort Kochi. Phone: 0484 2215333 / 221 5455
Old Lighthouse Bistro Beach Road, Next to INS Dronacharya, Fort Kochi. Phone: 0484 3050101 / 3050102
Grande Reseidencia 1/373 Pricess Street, Fort Kochi. Phone: 0484 2381122
Fort Castle Rose Lane, Fort Kochi. Phone: 0484 2216810 / 2216811. Mobile: 9846036977
The Old Courtyard Hotel Princess Street, Fort Kochi. Phone: 0484 2216302 / 2215035
Bolgatty Palace Mulavukadu, Bolgatty Island. Phone: 0484 2750500 / 2750600 / 2750457
Bernard Bungalow Parade Road, Fort Kochi. Phone: 0484 2216162. Mobile: 9847427999
Modern Hotels
Vivanta by Taj - Malabar Willingdon Island, Kochi. Phone: 0484 6643000 / 6643182
Trident Kochi Willingdon Island, Kochi. Phone: 0484 3081000 / 3081002T
Casino Hotel Willingdon Island, Kochi. Phone: 0484 2668421 / 3011500
Bolgatty Island Resort Mulavukadu, Bolgatty Island. Phone: 0484 2750500 / 2750600 / 2750457
Credit: Some of the photographs have been borrowed from website of Neemrana Hotels.
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