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St.Francis church,Fort Cochin
Old records of the Church can been seen here. The most important one is the "Doop Book" of the Dutch Baptisal register maintained till 1804. Some old cadjan leaf manuscripts preserved in the church give information about the life of the Portuguese and Dutch settlers here. Grave stones from the graves of Vasco DA Gama and Portuguese and Dutch are embedded on the walls of Church. Brass tablets in memory of many Europeans especially the English are also embedded on the walls. Dutch palace, Mattancherry The Dutch palace or Mattancherry palace was originally built by the Portuguese and presented to the Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma in 1555. It was later taken over by the Dutch who improved it through extensions and repairs in 1663. Since then it came to be called the Dutch Palace though at no time did the Protugese nor the Dutch stayed there. Today it is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas. The double storied quadrangular building surrounds a central courtyard containing a Hindu Temple. In the centre is the coronation hall where the Cochin Rajas held their ceremonious coronation. On display here are the dresses, turbans, weapons and palanquins from that era. The hilight of the palace is the 17th century mural paintings of mythological figures and scenes from Ramayana in the tradition of Hindu temple art. The floor of the palace reveals the unique traditional Kerala technique of achieving a polished black surface by combining egg white, coconut shell, charcoal and lime and accomplishment worth admiring. Jewish Synagogue, Mattancherry
The Synagogue is open from 10 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 5 pm on all days except Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The boasts of Rabbi gives visitors a full account of the synagogue and the history of the Jews in Kerala. Although this ancient community of Cochin has new dwindled to Hebrew language remain in Jew Town. Santa Cruz Basilica Church This Roman Catholic church is situated near the St.Francis church and is worth a visit.It is a specimen of portugese architecture built in 1503. ‘Frescoes'and mural paintings decorate the ceiling and interior parts of the church. The gothic architecture and the lofty spires gives it a unique grandeur. Bolghatty Island
Cochin Port ![]() Willington Island Connected to the mainland by road-cum-railway Venduruthy Bridge,Willington Island is named after the former Viceroy of India, Lord Willington..It is a manmade Island created from the materials dredged while deepening Cochin Port.Willington Island sites some of the district's best hotels,Trading and industrial offices.Besides the airport,ship building yard,wharf,the Southern Naval Command Head Quarters,the customs house and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industries,the government of India Tourist Information office is situated here. Many offices, branches of national and international banks, travel agencies, souvenir shops warehouses can also be found here. Gundu Island It is the smallest island around Cochin with an area of only 5 acres. There is a coir factory here where coir is made into rope manually and carpets are manufactured by looms by hand. Siva Temple, Ernakulam This temple is situated in the centre of the town close to the Cochin Cultural Centre, very near the Durbar Hall Ground. The presiding deity is Lord Siva and the annual festival in the temple is conducted for 8 days during the month of January. Kalady Kalady is the birth place of Adi Shankaracharya the great Indian Philosopher who lived in the 8th century is 45 Kms from Cochin. It is situated on the banks of river Periyar and there are two shrines in memory of Sree Shankaracharya. One dedicated to him as Dakshina Moorthi and the other to the Goddess Sharada. Adi Sankara's Shrined in Kalady are open to all pilgrims irrespective of Religion and caste. The spot were Adi Shankara's Mother was cremated is called Brindavan. Nearby is an old Krishna Temple, the family temple of Shankaracharya. Another Temple known as Sri Ramakrishna International Temple was built in 1976 with the hope that it would ultimately become a temple for all religions and an abode of peace. Chinese Fishing Nets
Cochin Boat Rides The highlight of Cochin is a boat ride through all the islands. The city face a broad expense of backwaters studded with palm-flanged islets. Mangalavanam This mangrove forest is a small bird sanctuary ,located in the heart of the town behind the High Court of Kerala,attracts a large number of tourists. Pallippuram Fort Pallippuram fort was built by the Portuguese in 1503. It is one of the oldest existing European monuments in India. The Dutch captured the fort in 1661 and sold it to the State of Travancore in 1789. This fort is situated in the northern extremity of the Vypeen Island at Pallipuram. The catholic church at Pallipuram is an important pilgrim centre of the Christians. Vypeen light house The biggest Island, situated between the sea and the backwaters of Cochin. It is 24 km long and 2 1/2 km wide. There is a light house at Ochanthuruthu which is open to tourists from 3 pm to 5 pm. The Island can be reached only by water transport provided by boat services and Junkar. There are bus services on the Island. Malayattoor Church 53 km. from Cochin, 8km. From Kalady. Situated on a small hillock, it attracts thousands of devotees who undertake a trip to the shrine to participate in the annual festival, Malayattoor Perunnal (March/April) St.Thomas is believed to have prayed at this shrine. Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary Though recently established Thattekkad is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in South India. A boat cruise from Bhoothathankettu to Thattekkad is an unforgettable experience through the evergreen forests nesting migratory and indigenous birds. The birds commonly seen here are Malabar Grey horn bill, Great Indian horn bill, Grey jungle fowl, Heron egret, Parakeet and numerous other rare species. Thattekad is also accessible from Kothamangalam (20 km). For further details, contact Divisional forest Officer, Kodanad P.O. Kodanad. Kodanad Kodanad lies on the southern bank of Periyar amongst the scenic beauty of the high ranges. It is 45 kms. to the north east of Cochin city and 12 kms. to the east of Perumbavoor town. It was one of the largest elephant capturing centres of South India. In 1977 the elephant capturing came to an end, but the elephant kraal and training centre are still there intact. Now there are six elephants in the Kodanad elephant camp out of which three are available for riding by tourists. These three elephants have been specially trained for safari and provided with saddle carefully designed to make the riding comfortable. Elders as well as kids can enjoy riding them without any hassles. It is an experience you just can't afford to miss. By crossing the Periyar you can reach the famous Malayattoor Church. It won't tale more than five minutes by a country boat. There is also a mini zoo at Kodanad sheltering wild animals which have become unfit for survival in the forest. KAKKOOR KALAVAYAL The traditional harvest festival of farmers in Kakkoor 40 km off south to Kochi stands apart by its unique style and dravidian culture . MuseumsThe Parikshith Thampuran Museum It is an archeological museum adjacent to the Shiva temple in Darbar Hall Road, Ernakulam. This museum features collections of the 19th century paintings , Pre-historic monuments , Old coins in a numismatic gallery,Scriptures in stone & Plaster of paris, Copies of mural paintings etc & the collection from the Cochin royal family. In the earlier days the museum was the Durbar Hall of Kochi Rajas where guests were welcomed, and where official ceremonies and meetings were held.Now under the State Archaeological Department, it has been named after Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran, the Family's last ruler. The Hill Palace Museum
Paintings, carvings, etchings are displayed in the museum which is located on the Ekm-Chottanikara route.Also on show are other trappings of royalty like majestic beds ,weapons and samples of epigraphy. Museum of Kerala History, Edapally Important scenes of Kerala history are portrayed through through Sculptures. Greeting the visitor outside is a statue of Parasurama ,the mythological safe who is said to have created Kerala. The other places worth visiting are Alwaye, situated 20km north of Ernakulam on the banks of river Periyar, Chottanikara Bhagavathy temple which is an important pilgrim place for Hindus Kalady,.Malayattoor which is located on the slopes of the Western ghats & is an important Christian pilgrim centre, Bhoothathankettu,Thattekad Bird Sanctuary etc. Kathakali See India Foundation is located at Kalathiparambu Road, near the Ernakulam Junction Railway station. The daily show begins at 6.45 p.m. The Cochin Cultural Centre is situated on Manikath Road, behind Medical Trust Hospital. The daily show begins at 7 p.m. Art Kerala, the third one is situated at Kannanthodathulane, Valanjambalam. Kerala Kathakali Centre functions at Fort Cochin near the Chinese Fishing Nets. Ticket Charge at all the centres is Rs. 50 per person. Kalaripayattu Centres
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