State
:
Kerala
Climate :
In Cochin the most dry months are between October and March. Humidity is
relatively low and the weather is pleasant. The temperature in
January-February and September-October fluctuates between 25 degree celcius
and 28 degree celcius. May and June are extremely hot, humid and wet. The
temperature goes up to 32° C, but the high humidity levels make the
season seem warmer.
Significance :
An Old Port City. Also visited for its backwaters, lagoons and fine
beaches. Also known for its Shipyard and Chinese fishing nets.
Cochin - The Queen of Arabian Sea :
Cochin, located in the southern Indian state of Kerala is one of the finest
natural harbours of the world and a major port of India. Also known as
Kochi, the city is situated on the Arabian Sea coast. Cochin is one of the
better developed cities in India and regarded as Kerala's commercial
capital. Cochin also boasts of a rich cultural heritafe in the form of
forts, palaces, museums and old churches. Other attractions include
backwaters, lagoons and fine beaches.
Famous For :
Wide Range of Outside Influence and its Ancient Spice Trading Port Cochin
or Kochi is famous for its huge variety of influences ranging from early
European settlement (the Dutch established a trading post here long before
the British started to set up similar trading enclaves) to the Chinese spice
traders. Cochin also prides in having long stretches of tea and spice
plantations and the maze of inland waterways and lakes are just mind
blowing.
Connectivity :
» By Air - There are daily flights to Kochi from
Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kozhikode and Trivandrum.
International flights also connect Kochi to destinations of South East Asia
and the Gulf. Morecver, Lakshadweep islands are connected by air only with
Cochin in India.
» By Rail - There are Express train services to
Cochin from most parts of the country.
» By Road - Cochin is well connected to the rest of
Kerala and other states of southern India by road network. Most of Kerala's
tourist destinations can be easily approached from Cochin by road transport.
Highlights
of the City :
» St. Francis Church - St. Fransis is a protestant
church originally built by the Portuguese in 1510 A.D. It is regarded as
India's oldest European church. It is worth mentionable that Vasco Da Gama
was initially buried here. But his mortal remains were taken back to
Portugal by his son later. The architecture of the church is very
impressive..
» Mattancherry Dutch Palace - This beautiful palace
was built by the Portuguese and gifted to the Raja of Cochin in 1555 AD. The
palace is regarded as a fine blend of Indo-European architecture. It is more
popularly called the Dutch palace as the Dutch had renovated the palace in
1663. The gorgeous rooms of the palace have mural paintings depicting scenes
from Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Temples on either side of
the palace dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva add a spiritual colour
to the palace.
» Jewish Synagogue - The Jewish Synagogue and an
ancient Jew town built in 1568 A.D. are places of great historical
importance in Cochin. The most distinctive feature of the Synagogue are
white willow-patterned tiles. Every tile is different from the other in some
respects. The Chinese fishing nets: The huge fishing nets along the
backwaters are the legacy of traders who belonged to the court of Kublai
Khan. The nets are built of teakwood and bamboo poles. Most tourists rush to
the backwaters only to have a glimpse of these magnificent nets.
