![]() The Christian influence in Kochi or Cochin was quite strong. A number of churches built by the European still stand today. ![]() The Church of Santa Cruz was also constructed by the Portuguese in 1505. It was named a Cathedral in 1558. The British later destroyed this Cathedral and the Church as it stands today was built in 1905. It was raised to the Status of a Basilica by pope John Paul II in 1984. The Pallipuram fort at Vypeen, the oldest surviving European in India, was built by the Portuguese in 1503. Legend has it that the fort was captured by the Dutch in 1661. However the History of Cochin states that it was sold to the state of Travancore in 1789. The various western influences that have shaped Kochi are evident here in the architecture, decoration and materials used which are symbolic of a different era of life. The Catholic Church at Pallipuram is an important pilgrimage site and attracts a lot of tourists. ![]() Amongst the historical edifices there is the Mattencherry or Dutch Palace. It was originally built by the Portuguese in the mid 1500. It was later renovated by the Dutch in 1663. It was presented as a token to the Cochin Rajah in lieu of greater trading privileges. The palace basically comprises of a two storey building set around a quadrangle. There is a shrine of Goddess Bhagavati contained in the Courtyard. The main hall on the first floor was the Coronation Hall of the Rajahs. The adjacent Halls and bed chambers are adorned with exquisite seventeenth century murals depicting scenes from the Hindu epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The palace is today a museum with rare collection of murals and royal artefacts. The central Durbar Hall, where coronation ceremonies were once held, is today a portrait gallery of Kochi rulers; it also displays textiles. There is an interesting exhibition of court dress and other artefacts from the palace. ![]() The Jewish quarter is located at the end of the long main street in Mattencherry.There are two synagogues here-one belongs to the black Jews and the other to the white Jews. The Black Jews arrived in India much earlier in 567 BC whereas the White Jews arrived later. The synagogue of the White Jews, built in 1568, is the oldest in the Commonwealth. It is located near the Dutch Palace ion Mattencherry. The building was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662 but reinstated by the Dutch. Also known as the Paradesi Synagogue, it has a floor of white, willow-pattern Chinese tiles brought from Canton in the mid-18th century by Ezekiel Rahabi, who was also responsible for the clock tower above. Among the possessions are the Great Scrolls of the Old Testament and copper plates recording the grant of privileges by King Ravi Varman (962-1020) to the Jewish merchant Joseph Rabban. The narrow lanes around the synagogue are crammed with Dutch-style residences. These are now used as antique shops. The largest archaeological museum in Kerala is the Hill Palace. It is located near Tripunithura and was constructed in 1865 as the administrative office of the Kochi Rajahs. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings spread across 54 acres, built in te traditional architectural style of Kerala. Within the complex are an archaeological Museum, Deer Park, a Pre-historic Park, a Heritage Museum and a children's museum. The surrounding land is full of rare medicinal plants. The museum displays the splendour and wealth of the Rajahs of Kochi including the throne and the crown. There is also a large collection of archaeological findings. The mix of cultures and religion here have resulted in the construction of a number of beautiful monuments which are a must see in Kochi. |