Kochi Things to Do

A wonderful way to start your day in Fort Cochin is to take a trip to the Kathakali Centre near Santa Cruz Basillica. Between 8 and 9 a.m. each morning you can listen to a sitar and tabla recital of morning ragas

This ancient dance drama, presents stories based on the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata and the Puranas.

Dancers undergo rigorous disciplined training from about the age of 10 or 12, for at least 8 years.

By useage of fabulous make up, costumes and intricate gestures, facial expressions and eye movement, the stories are narrated, accompanied by traditional music.

Preparation of make up and dressing takes at least 2 hours, and viewing by the audience is encouraged. (bring your cameras!)

This art form nearly became extinct about 40 years ago, but has been revived by the tourist industry.

Art Kerala is one of the best places to gain an insight into Kathakali.

Please see my Kerala and Kovalam pages for a more in depth insight of All the stages of Kathakali, and photographs of this fascinating art.

A must see if you're visiting Kerala!!

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It was the first European Church established by the Europeans in India. Initially, in 1503, the Portuguese erected a wooden church dedicated to Saint Bartolomeu. Later, the Franciscan friars renovated the structure in masonry and the roof was furnished with tiles. Then the chucrh was dedicated to St. António, the patron Saint of Portugal. In 1663, the Duch converted it into a Protestant church. After 1795, under British dominion, this church was transferred to the Anglican Communion under British Government and the name was changed to St. Francis Church. In 1947, the church beacame a part of the Protestant Church of South India.
The internal chamber houses the Portuguese (northern side) and the Dutch (southern side) tombs under the grounds and walls. The world-famed Portuguese sailor and the first European to visit India, Vasco da Gama, was also entombed in the ancient church. His remains were transferred to Lisbon after 14 years of his death, but the tomb is still preserved in at the base in the southern side of the church.
In April 1923, under the Protected Monuments Act of 1904, Saint Francis Church became a protected monument. In 1920, the Cenotaph in memory of the residents of Kochi who fell in the First Great War was erected.

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This Roman Catholic church, was built by the first Portuguese viceroy, Francisco de Almeida, when he arrived in Kochi in 1505. In 1558, Pope Paul IV, raised the Santa Cruz church to the status of a Cathedral. In 1663, the Dutch conquered Kochi and destroyed all the Catholic buildings, except the Saint Francis Church and the Cathedral. The Dutch made the cathedral their arms storehouse. Later it fell into the hands of the British who demolished it when they took over Kochi in 1795. One of the decorative granite pillars of the destroyed Cathedral is still kept as a monument at the southeastern corner of the present Basilica premises.

Bishop Dom João Gomes Ferreira, in 1887, took up the initiative to rebuild this monument, but only in 1905 the new cathedral could be sanctified by Dom Sebastião José Pereira, the bishop of Dmão. In 1984, Pope John Paul II raised the status of the Cathedral to a Basilica.

Nowadays, this Basilica is the “capital church” of the diocese of Kochi and one of the eight Basilicas in India. The architecture of the monument is a blend of the Indo-European and the gothic style. The making of the pulpit and the wooden paneling of this cathedral is very impressive. Moreover, the Italian paintings dating from the time of the original foundation of the church adorning the interiors of the Santa Cruz Basilica give it a completely magnificent look.

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This monument was built by the Portuguese in 1557 as a gift to the Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma, partly as a compensation for a temple they destroyed and partly as a bribe to gain favors from the ruler. In 1663, the Dutch won over from the Portuguese and the palace was renovated.
This palace is notable for some of the best mythological murals in India, particularly in the bed chambers. In that room one can see the entire story of Ramayana on the walls. The palace also contains rare examples of traditional Kerala flooring, which looks like polished black marble but is actually a mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg whites.

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This important centre for understanding the Indo-Portuguese Christian Art heritage, which is still surviving, houses some honorable collections and is well known for its artistic and architectural marvels, which bear the mark of strong Portuguese influence. Some of these include a piece of the altar made in teak wood (16th century) from the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen, a chasuble (19th century) from Bishop's House, Fort Kochi, Processional cross, which is a combination of silver and wood (17th century) from Santa Cruz Cathedral, Fort Kochi, Indo-Portuguese Monstrance (18-19th century), from The Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen. Among the displayed items, the Coat of Arms of the Franciscans needs special mention
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has also contributed to the rich collection at this museum and these include sculptures, precious metal objects and vestments, among others from the Cathedral of Santa Cruz and other churches of the Kochi diocese.

Not far from the Chinese Fishing nets are the stalls where the catch is sold. Anyone who loves fresh, local food sold on the street shouldn't miss these! Buy your dinner at the nets and have it cooked here! A little further along are slightly more substantial hut restaurants with cafe style seating outdoors - see my restaurant tip for more details.

Have a look at the Keralan tourism video link below...

The Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue was built in 1568 and as such is the oldest one in the British Commonwealth. It is also named Paradesi, or 'foreign', as it was predominantly used by the 'White Jews', who were mainly European exiles or from the Middle East. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land gifted to the Malabari Yehuden community by the Raja of Kochi, and shares a common wall with the Palace temple; however due to the arrangement of the buildings it isn't possible to walk directly from one to the other.

The clock tower and bell were added in 1760. The interior is remarkable for the glass chandeliers, from Belgian, and the floor of the synagogue which is composed of hundreds of Chinese, 18th century, hand-painted porcelain tiles, all of which are unique. It also houses the copper plates of privileges given to Joseph Rabban, the earliest known Cochin Jew, dating from the 10th century, written in Tamil on the two plates, by the ruler of the Malabar Coast.

The entrance fee is 2 INR, and again no photography is allowed inside. See the video from Kerala tourism below.