Cochin@Keralatourismonline

Ernakulam

Cochin, 'The Queen of the Arabian sea' is set in the midst of an island studded harbour, which has a modern bustling town on the main land, Ernakulam. Cochin is a name elected in golden letters in the annals of history. There is a commercial hub for merchants dealing in cashew nuts, coir, seafood, timber, tea, coffee, rubber and spices (the commodity that gave Kerala its sobriquet designation as "The Spice Coast"). A Jewish community with roots going back to 1000 AD and a 16th century synagogue , a place built by the Portuguese and given to the Raja of Cochin which was later renovated by the Dutch. Ernakulam District can well emerge as the greatest tourist destination for both Indian and international travellers.

Comprising of mainland Kochi consist of mainland Ernakulam;the islands of Willingdon,bolgatty and Gundu in the harbour; Fort cochin and Mattancherry on the peninsula;and Vypeen island, north of Fortkochi.

PROFILE
Area	87.341 Sq.Kms
Climate	It is a warm tropical climate. Monsoons from June to October.
Location	Latitude, 9 degree 15 E, The city lies between 'Tripunithura, the seat of the eastwhile royalty to its southeast and the Kalamassery industrial belt to its north. To the west lies is the Arabian sea.
Religion	Hindus form the major comrnunity, followed by Christians and Muslims. Cochin has also a small population of Jains, Jews.
Language	Malayalam is the official language of the State of Kerala. English is widely used in business circles
Altitude	Sea level.
Time Zone	(Indian standard Time + 5.30 hours GMT).

TOURIST SPOTS
Dutch Palace	It was built by the Portuguese and presented to the Rajah of Kochi in 1555A.D.The palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. Hence called the Dutch Palace.On display are beautiful murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranic legends connected with Shiva, Vishnu,Krishna,Kumara and Durga.
Jewish Synagogue	Mattancherry has an ancient Jewish Synagogue, where the visitors can see the form of worship as in the days of prophets. A Jewish colony, which has its beginning in the pre-christian times, flourished here. It was built in 1568 but was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662 and rebuilt in 1664. The main items of interest inside the Synagogue are the Great Scrolls of the Testament, the Copper Plates on which the grants of privileges made by the rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles.
Fort Kochi	It has two major attractions. One is the St.Francis Church built originally by the Portuguese in 1510. It is believed to be the first church built by the Europeans in India. It is a link in the European colonial history of India. The body of Vasco da Gama lies buried here, the place being marked by a tombstone.
Kochi Museum	The Museum housed in Durbar Hall - an enormous building constructed in traditional style. It contains collections of 19th century oil paintings, old coins and Mughal paintings.
Willingdon Island	Named after Lord Willingdon, a British Viceroy to India, this man-made island is surrounded by beautiful backwaters and is the site of the city's best hotels, customs and training centres, the Port Trust and the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command.
Bolghatty Palace	On Bolghatty Island is the Bolghatty Palace built by the Dutch in 1744 which later became a British residency. Today it is a hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation with a small golf course and small honeymoon cottages looking out to the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi.
Hill Palace Museum	About 10 kms. from Kochi is the Hill Palace, the erstwhile official residence of Kochi royal family, built in 1865. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style of Kerala and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with a deer park, and facilities for horse riding.
The Marine Drive	The boating centre, and a better place to spend your leisure.
Mangalavanam	Bird Sanctuary, near the High Court.
Kerala Historical Museum	Located at Edappally, about 6 kms away from City. Major incidents and turning points in the history of Kerala has been described trough sculptures.