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Cochin is the most charming city in Kerala but long before tourism it became the first port of call for Arabs, Chinese and, finally, European sea merchants, who sailed for barter into what came to be known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea." Lured by the promise of pepper, the Portuguese under Vasco da Gama arrived in 1500, and the Franciscan friars who accompanied the explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral established a church and set about converting the locals. In 1663, Cochin fell to the Dutch, and then to the British in 1795. Each of these foreign influences left their mark, resulting in a distinctly Indo-European culture, most evident in the architecture.
Today, Cochin comprises distinct areas - the historic districts of Mattancherry and Fort Cochin, and modern Ernakulam, between which are the islands, well connected to the mainland by bridges.
Fort Cochin, the oldest European settlement in India, retains an old-world charm. Its battlements no longer stand, but the combination of Portuguese, Dutch, Jewish, British, and local influences is evident in the tiled, steep-roofed bungalows that line its quaint streets, and it's home to the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth.
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Chinese Fishing Nets.
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Said to have been introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, these cantilevered nets, set up on teak and bamboo poles, are physical remnants of Fort Cochin's ancient trade with the Far East. Fishermen work the nets all day long, lowering them into the water and then hauling them up using a remarkably efficient pulley system. The best place to watch them at work is from Vasco da Gama Square or from a boat at sunset. Nearby, the Indo-European Bastion Bungalow (now the official residence of the Sub Collector) dates back to 1667; built on the site of the old Dutch Fort's Stromberg Bastion, it is believed to stand above a network of secret tunnels.
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Mattancherry Palace
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Also known as the Dutch Palace, this large two-story 16th-century building was actually built by the Portuguese, who gave it to the Raja of Cochin as thanks for trading rights and favors granted to them. When the Dutch claimed Cochin in 1663, they took control of the palace and gave it a makeover. Part of it is open to visitors, and displays include a collection of coronation robes, palanquins, and royal family portraits, but the real reason to visit is to view the bedroom chamber, where vibrant murals, executed in vivid red, green, and yellow ocher, are truly exquisite. These are among the first examples of a school of painting specific to Kerala.
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Paradesi Synagogue
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Cochin's first Jewish settlers arrived from Yemen and Babylon as early as A.D. 52; this -the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth - was originally built 1,500 years later. Set in a corner of Jew Town and rather hemmed in by other buildings, with only the 18th-century clock tower visible from the outside. Its most interesting feature is the beautiful blue-and-white Cantonese ceramic floor tiles - each individual tile hand-painted, so no two are alike. Above, glorious Belgian chandeliers dangle from the ceiling. At one end of the hall, old Torah scrolls are kept behind the gilded doors of the holy tabernacle.
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Santa Cruz Basilica
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Pope Paul IV elevated this Portuguese church to a cathedral in 1558, but the original building was destroyed by the British in 1795. A new building was commissioned on the same site in 1887; it was declared a basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II. The basilica's interiors are worth a look, especially the caryatids and exquisite stained glass. If the basilica is closed, ask the priest, who lives in the same complex, if he will open it for you.
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St. Francis Church
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India's earliest European church was originally constructed in wood, but this was replaced by a stone structure in 1546. It was also originally Roman Catholic, but under the British it became Anglican. Vasco da Gama was originally buried here when he died in Cochin on Christmas Eve, 1524; although his body was later moved to Lisbon, he is still memorialized here with a tombstone. Having passed through the hands of Franciscan friars, Dutch Protestants, and Anglicans, the presiding Church of South India continues to hold its services here every morning at 8am.
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Kathakali & Kalaripayattu
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Kathakali & Kalaripayattu are Kerala's colorful art forms. Kathakali performance style delves into the world of demons, deities, soldiers, sages, and satyrs, taken from Indian epics such as the Mahabharata. Combining various theatrical and performance elements, it is said to have developed during the 16th century under the auspices of the Raja of Kottaraka, and today the best Kathakali school is in Kalamandalam, founded by a poet named Vallathol Narayan Menon in 1930. Traditionally, Kathakali performances are held for entire nights, often as part of festival events. In Cochin, however, a number of Kathakali groups stage short extracts of the longer pieces specifically for tourists.
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