Kerala Diaries: Kochi.

Kochi, a beautiful maritime city defined by beaches, backwaters and rich ancient past. It projects a unified mix of the colonial past and the diversity of modern India.

We reached the city past noon, in time to freshen up and board the ‘Sagara rani’, a prestigious vessel operated by Kerala Shipping Corporation offering luxurious trips in the backwaters of Kochi.

We had the pleasure of watching sunset in the west and a sparsely visible moon on the other side. We reached the shore at night, in time to have a good dinner. With lots of pictures clicked and a joyful ride of 'Sagararani' in the 'Sagar', it was a memorable experience.

The day next, we became true tourists exploring the new land with some really colorful umbrellas to protect from hot sun, coconut water right under the tree, freshly prepared banana chips to eat along the way, buying some natural spices and oils, collecting different seashells, strolling in the beaches and clicking random pictures everywhere along the beautiful promenade.


We were fortunate as the climate cooled down with monsoon rains. Summer didn't show it's real colours during our visit. :).

We were told to try out food near the beach to experience real Kerala, but then finding eateries without dry fish being on the menu was quiet a task, as I was allergic to the smell. However, hotels and restaurants offer different cuisines and food was never an issue!

Next stop on the block was Fort Kochi. As the history says and structure appears, it has ancient value to it. The Rajah of Kochi had allowed the Portuguese to accommodate in the fort as a gesture for helping him defeat nearby kingdoms. When the Dutch overthrew the Portuguese, fort was destroyed partially and rebuilt. Later, the British held the authority till Indian Independence.

The Fort has always been under the foreign control most of its existence. The influence of foreign can be seen in the fishing nets used here, believed to be Chinese fishing nets draw a special interest. These nets are the most efficient means of backwater fishing.

Another place to visit is the Dutch Palace, also called Mattancherry Palace. Located at about 10kms of the city, is one of Dutch constructions presented to then Rajah of Kochi. The influence of Indian Hindu art can be seen in the palace with mural paintings of epic Ramayana and Mahabharata. Palace has an exhibition of Rajah’s weapons, robes and other used items. There are two temples near the palace, each dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shree Krishna. We also got to visit the famous Kochi Jewish synagogue, built way back in 1567.

There are many other popular forts and museums in and near the city. All you need is time! Major shopping centers are located in MG Road, dotted with numerous shops selling a variety of things like clothes, handicrafts and jewellery. Spices, nuts, oils and other natural products can be bought here.

Guruvayur temple city is about 2 hours drive from Cochin. It's famous for Sree Krishna Temple and referred as ‘Dwarka of South India’, important places of worship for Hindus.  We visited the temple early in the morning for divine blessing of Lord Krishna and performed the puja rituals. A strict dress code exists for people who wish to enter the temple, men are not allowed to wear trouser; they have to wrap pancha/mundi around their waist and women are allowed to wear either sari/half-sari/long skirt.