Kochi
Historic Spice Port Of Kerala; Home Of The Kochi Muziris Biennale · Kochi, Kerala
Kerala's great port, a city spread across islands and peninsulas at the mouth of Vembanad Lake, and for two thousand years a spice-trading hub that drew Arabs, Chinese, Jews, Portuguese, Dutch and British. What travellers come for is the old quarter of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, where that history is visible street by street. The Chinese fishing nets, huge cantilevered frames lowered into the water, line the shore. St Francis Church, the oldest European church in India, once held Vasco da Gama's body. The Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese for the Raja of Kochi and remodelled by the Dutch, holds some of the finest murals in Kerala. Jew Town has the Paradesi Synagogue of 1568, the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth, with a floor of Chinese tiles. Kathakali, Kerala's masked dance-drama, is performed nightly, with the make-up applied in front of the audience. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India's biggest contemporary art event, is held every two years. Kochi is also the main gateway to the backwaters and to Munnar.
River Road, Fort Kochi, Kochi, Kerala, 682001, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm before planning. Fort Kochi's streets, the nets and the waterfront are open at all times. The Mattancherry Palace usually opens from about 10 in the morning to about 5 in the afternoon and is CLOSED ON FRIDAYS. The Paradesi Synagogue usually opens mornings and mid-afternoon with a midday break, and is CLOSED ON FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS and Jewish holidays. Churches close to visitors during services. Kathakali shows run nightly, usually with make-up from about 5 pm and the performance around 6 to 7 pm. Ferries run from early morning to evening. The trap is a Friday in Mattancherry.