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Destination Kochi

T. Damu

Kochi lives and breathes history. Like the expansive backwaters that once were the arteries of commercial life in this part of the country, tales of yore from shores afar are intertwined in this land.

Not everyone knows that Christianity in India sprang from the shores of Kochi. In the fifth century A.D., St. Thomas, the Apostle of Christ, is said to have set foot on Malankara near Kodungalloor, 50 km off Kochi, and spread the `Word of God' in this la nd. Kerala can take pride that the seeds of Christianity sprouted in this land well before its advent elsewhere in the world.

The Apostle is said to have founded seven churches in Kerala (some say seven-and-a-half churches, as the Saint left Kerala for the Coromandel Coast with an unfinished church under construction). These are the ones at Palayur near Chavakkad in Thrissur (a bout 100 km from Kochi), Malankara near Kodungalloor (about 60 km), Kottayal near North Parur (about 40 km), Kokkamangalam in Kollam (150 km), Niranam in Thiruvalla (about 80 km) and Nilakkel near Chayal.

However, archaeological evidence shows that the St. Francis Church in Fort Cochin built by the Portuguese was the first European church in India, which means the St. Thomas churches were truly Indian in character.

The visit of another missionary, Kana Thoma in 14th century A.D., who brought a colony of 400 Christians from Baghdad, Nineveh and Jerusalem, is also considered a milestone in the history of Christianity in Kerala. Kana Thoma or Thomas of Cana is believe d to be a descendant of Jesus Christ. Cana is believed to be the place where Jesus turned water into wine.

The Portuguese introduced the Latin church. There are also other Christian communities such as the Latin Catholics, the Syro-Malabar Catholics, the Jacobites, the Nestorians, the Anglicans and the Marthomites. Kerala today has the highest percentage of C hristians in South India.

The Portuguese connection with Kochi dates back to 1500 A.D., when on Christmas eve that year, the first Portuguese fleet under the command of Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral anchored in the port of Kochi. The first Portuguese to land in India, near Kozhiko de, was Vasco da Gama in 1498.

The Portuguese gave tremendous support to the then ruler of Kochi. After the war between the King of Kochi and the Zamorin of Malabar that lasted for about five months in 1504, the Portuguese were able to cripple the Arab interests at the South Indian po rts and bring the Malabar coast under Portugal's command.

Out of the seven settlements in Kerala, Kochi was the primary province of the Portuguese in India, even after the capture of Goa in 1510 and until the transfer of the capital to Goa in 1530. The others are Kollam (150 km from Kochi), Kodungallore (50 km) , Ponnani near Palakkad (180 km), Chale near Kozhikode (225 km), Kozhikode and Cannanore (320 km).

There are some important monuments raised by the Portuguese in Kochi. The fort built in 1503 is in Pallipuram, off Vypeen in Ernakulam, and one of the oldest European monuments in India. The Catholic Church here is an important pilgrim centre.

It is said that there used to be an underground passage from the Bishop's Palace in Mattancherry, a sleepy township in Fort Cochin, to the Pallipuram Fort, running beneath the sea. The place, called Palliport by the locals, is said to be one of the sea m ouths that enabled the Europeans' entry into Kochi in the past.

Vasco da Gama returned to Kochi in 1502 to renew the Portuguese friendship with the King of Kochi. He breathed his last in Kochi and his mortal remains were interred in the St. Francis Church at Fort Cochin on Christmas Eve of 1524. Though 14 years later his bones and ashes were taken back to Portugal, the tombstone stands in the church even today as a testimony. In 1663, the Dutch, who captured Kollam and Kochi, took possession of the church.

There is a Dutch Fort in Mattancherry, built by the Portuguese and handed over to the King of Kochi in 1555. Since the Dutch spruced it up in 1663, the Mattancherry Palace came to be known as the Dutch Palace. Strangely, neither the Dutch nor the Portugu ese stayed in this palace! There is a Franciscan college established by the Portuguese in 1546 in Kodungalloor.

Shaped by imagination

Kochi is full of enchanting islands. The Willingdon Island, with offices of big corporates and some of the finest hotels, has an interesting story. It is a reclaimed island formed by the mud scooped off a 9.14-m deep and 5-km long channel dredged to form the Kochi Harbour and the collateral digging up in the backwater area by Sir Robert Bristow, a young British engineer in the early part of the last century.

At the request of the Maharaja of Kochi at a state banquet on December 8, 1933, the island was named after the then Governor of the Madras Presidency and later the Viceroy of India, Lord Willingdon. It was his vision and enthusiasm which gave impetus to the plan to develop Kochi Harbour.

The owners of passing sea-liners had two requests to the Governor -- proper lighting for the outer channel and accommodation facility for passengers embarking there on business. The first one was taken care of in August 1934. And by March 1935, a hostel also took shape, again thanks to Sir Robert Bristow and his men. The arrival of the first Bibby Liner on March 9 that year was a joyous occasion. This hostel was later renamed Malabar Hotel. This is today the Taj Malabar -- the gateway to Kochi virtually .

A fifteen-minute drive from the island, and you are at Mattancherry. The Jews landed in Malabar in 69 A.D., settling in Kochi and its suburbs and assimilating the ways of life here while preserving their cultural identity. Proselytisation did have some i mpact. Over time, many went back. Today just a few Jewish families still reside in Kochi.

The Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry, built in 1568, is an important vestige of this religious heritage. It is an elegant monument with exquisite works of art, including Chinese hand-painted tiles, aesthetically designed gold and silver crowns -- souveni rs of love and affection presented by the kings of Kochi. It is believed to be the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. In Jew Town, as the locale is popularly known in Mattancherry, one can shop for curios and handicrafts of all hues and forms.

There are a number of palaces and temples in and around Kochi -- in Thrippunithara, 13 km off Kochi, in Mattancherry near Fort Cochin and in Aluva, 15 km from Kochi -- and they are reminders of the architectural and regal heritage of Kerala.

For a feel of life in this enchanting land, the best thing to do would be to visit Kochi.

Fact file

How to get there:

By air: Kochi is an international airport and is connected by domestic and international carriers. A new airport, about half-an-hour's drive from the city, has recently opened.

By rail: Ernakulam is the rail junction and several South-bound trains pass through the city.

Where to stay: Budget and high-end hotels are easy to find. Prior reservations are recommended during festive seasons.

When to visit: Kochi is a year-round destination.

What to buy: Bronze and coir handicrafts made in typical Kerala style are a good buy and come at reasonable prices.

Picture: The Jewish Synagogue at Kochi.