Kerala Tourism - Ernakulam

Ernakulam (Kochi colonial name Cochin) is the commercial hub of Kerala. The commercial capital and the most cosmopolitan city of Kerala, Kochi, in ernakulam, is also known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea.Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala.With one of the finest natural barbours in the world, this was once a manor centre of commerce and trace with the british, arabs, chinese, portuguese, dutch etc.











Cochin is a small town. But, Cochin has outgrown its original bounds and is now the general name given to much of the region adjoining the original town, which now includes Cochin, Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam and many other nearby towns and villages. Ernakulam is also the name of a town - the administrative capital of Ernakulam district.










¤ Tourist Attractions of Ernakulam

* Fort Kochi
A leisurely walk through the city is the best way to discover historic for Kochi. An obscure fishing village that became the first european township In india, kochi has an eventful and colourful history. The town was shaped by the cultural influences, the dutch and later the british. The result of these cultural influences are seen in the many examples of indo european architecture that still exist here.

* Chinese Fishing Nets ( Cheenavala)
They are distinctly unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here.Erected here between 1350 and 1450 ad by Traders from the court of kublai khan, these nets are st up on teak wood and bamboo poles. The best place to watch the nets being lowered into the sea and catch being brought in is the vasco da gama square, a narrow promenade that runs along the beach.

* St. Francis Church
It is the oldest church built by Europeans in India.This was initially built of timber and later reconstructed in stone masonry. It was restored in 1779 by the protestant dutch, converted To an anglican church by the british in 1795 and is at present governed by the church of south india. Vasco da gama was buried here in 1524 before his Remains were moved to Lisbon, portugal. The Church covers the site of St. Bartholomews, a wooden structure built by the five frairs who accompanied Albuquerque to Cochin in 1503. The Portuguese Viceroy Almedia was permitted by the Cochin Raja in AD 1506 to reconstruct the building in stone masonary. The medicant order of Franciscane raised the present building and dedicated it to St. Anthony.

* Fort Kochi beach
A stroll along the beach, particularly at sunset with the chinese fishing nets and sailing ships in the background, is an ever memorable experience. Many European style bungalows can be seen along the shoreline. The coastal stretch has loads of small stalls, which make on demand mouth-watering traditional cuisines using freshly caught fish.

* Willingdon Island
This is a man made island surrounded by beautiful backwaters and is named after Lord Willingdon, a former british viceroy of india. The island is the site of the city’s best hotels and trading centres, the port trust and the headquarters of the southern naval command.

* Veega Land
Veega Land is South India’s largest amusement park situated 14kms from Cochin. Kids and adults alike can enjoy the fun and activities. The park includes a range of attractions including mini castles, water theme park, ferris wheel, rides, slides, shows and fountains.

* Hill Palace
It was built by the Raja of Kochi in the 19th century , this palace served as the seat of the Raja of the Kochi province. The palace has been converted into a museum displaying a fine collection of articles showing the wealth and splendour of the Rajas of Kochi, including the thone and the crown. The musuem also houses a large collection of archaeological findings. Hill Palace is located 16km east of Cochin in Tripunithura, a satellite town of Cochin.

* Santa Cruz Basilica
The original church was built by the Portuguese in 1505 and named as a cathedral in 1558. The British colonists destroyed the cathedral in 1795. The current structure was built in 1905 and raised to the status of a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984. This is located at Fort Kochi.

* Jewish Synagogue
This was Constructed in 1568, this is the oldest synagogue in the common wealth. Destroyed in a shelling during the portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two years later by the dutch. It is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here.

* Vasco House
Vasco da Gama is believed to have lived here.Vasco house, located on Rose Street, is believed to be one of the oldest Portuguese houses in India. This house features European glass paned windows and verandahs.

* Bolghatty Island
This island is famous for its palace of the same name. The bolghatty palace Was built in 1744 the dutch and later taken over by the british. Today it is a hotel run by the kerala tourism , with a small golf course, and the panoramic views of the port and the harbour, makes it an attractive picnic spot and special honeymoon cottages.Frequent boat service is available from the mainland. One of the attractions is the mini golf course in the Palace grounds. There are several vantage points for lovely views of the harbour and the sea.

* Palliport (Pallipuram) Fort
It is the oldest surviving European fort in India, built by the Portuguese in 1503. Its situated in Pallipuram on Vypeen island.

* Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace)
Built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi, the palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. On display here are beauriful murals depicting scenes from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and some of the Puranic Hindu legends. The palace also houses dutch maps of old kochi, royal palanquins, coronation robes of former maharajas of kochi. The Palace is a two tiered quadrangular building consisting of long spacious halls with a central courtyard enshining the Royal deity, Palayannur Bhagavati. Two more temples are situated on either side of the Palace dedicated to Lord Krishna & Lord Siva respectively. The ground floor known as the Ladies Chamber is connected by a staircase from kanithalam room.

* Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Mangalavanam is a protected bird sanctuary situated right in the heart of Kochi city. It is the home of many exotic and rare varieties of migratory and resident birds. Mangalavanam is located right next to the High Court of Kerala.

* Museum of Kerala History
The museum, located on Kalamassery, has on display spectacular audio-visual exhibits depicting the history and culture of Kerala along with many life size statues of many famous personalities and several paintings depicting Kerala history.

* Koder House
Koder House was built in 1808 by Samuel S Koder of The Cochin Electric Company. It is a building with its red coloured brick-like façade representing the transition from the colonial to the Indo-European period. Unique features of the building includes floor tiles in chess board pattern, wood carved furniture and a wooden bridge running parallel over Rose lane onto a separate structure across the street.

* Parikshith Thampuran Museum
This Rajas of Cochin used to conduct their durbars in this impressive building located within the Durbar Hall grounds. It was later converted to a museum which has a treasure trove of archaeological findings and relics including old coins, sculptures, oil paintings and murals. The building has been taken over by the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy and now houses the Gallery of Contemporary Art. All the exhibits of the museum have been moved to the Hill Palace museum.

* Marine Drive
Marine Drive is considered to be one of the most beautiful parts of the city. It is also called as Shanmugham Road. The marine walk is the main hangout for the local populace as the view of the backwaters and the harbour from here is excellent. At night the lights from the various ships anchored at the harbour is just breathtaking. There are various buildings along the Marine Drive which are good examples of modem architecture with the notable one being Asoka Apartments on the southern end of the Marine Drive with a huge Namaste, the traditional greeting. The GCDA complex at the Marine Drive houses many of the important showrooms and eating joints.

* Cherai Beach
This lovely beach ideal for swimming is located on the north end of Vypeen island, one of the many small islands just off the mainland. The beach is lined by gorgeous coconut groves and paddy fields. Vypeen can be reached by land or by boat.