History of Cochin-Kochi

Though Cochin-Kochi had been an important roadstead in days gone by, it became a natural harbor only when nature decreed it so. Muziris (present-day Kodungalloor on the mouth of the Periyar River), 40 km north of Cochin-Kochi, was the center of trade with ancient Rome in the products like pepper and pearls, fine silks, cotton, muslin, honey, oil, betel, tortoise shell, cinnamon leaf, black pepper, ginger grass, and indigo.

The formation of Cochin-Kochi harbor has a violent story of which nature herself was the main character. The harbor was formed in A.D. 1341, when a great flood in the Periyar River led to an outlet in the sea. The floods had meanwhile silted up the mouth of the Muziris harbor and this rich ancient port was banished to the footnotes of history. Meanwhile, the merchants of Muziris shifted to Cochin-Kochi.

For centuries, Cochin-Kochi was the battleground of European powers for the mastery of the lucrative trade of the Indian west coast. Pepper dictated the fortunes of political powers in Cochin-Kochi. The Portuguese were the first to come in. Two years later, the adventurous mariner, the legendary Vasco da Gama himself landed in Cochin-Kochi. The Portuguese erected a fort for the protection of their factory. Fort Manuel, or Manuel Kotta, named after the King of Portugal, was the first fortress constructed by the Europeans in India.

To the Portuguese must go the credit for the extensive scientific cultivation of coconut, ginger, and pepper, backbone of Kerala's economy today. Tobacco, cashew nut, and fruit cultivation were also introduced. The pineapple, for instance, is still called prithichakka in Malayalam, meaning Portuguese jackfruit. They were also responsible for today's burgeoning trade in coir.

The Dutch, full of energy and zeal, were next to enter the scene and succeeded in throwing out the Portuguese very soon. Helped by a laissez-faire policy and a self-stipulated dictum of "at least a 100% profit," Cochin-Kochi saw a great resurgence of trade.

But the Dutch never endured too, and it was the British who came in next to play out their role. A great milestone was the direct export of pepper to England in 1636 and once again, power flowed from pepper.

For a hundred years and more, from 1795, Cochin-Kochi received a gracious patronage of the British. They tried their best to develop the harbor at Cochin-Kochi, the gateway of South India, but for long dismissed as a dream beyond the realm of hope for a rock-like barrier of sand blacked the approach to the port from the sea. No dredging proposition since the days of the Suez Canal project has aroused so much technical interest as the opening up of the Cochin-Kochi Harbor.

It fell to the lot of an Admiralty Engineer Sir Robert Bristow to envision this "marvel of engineering". It was not an easy task for Bristow to construct a port in these serendipitous surroundings.

Cochin-Kochi was declared a major port in 1936. With it's opening, there was a complete reorientation of shipping and commercial activities on the Malabar Coast. With its year-round shipping facilities, it is the busiest port south of Bombay, lying as it does on the direct route to Australia and the Far East from Europe and serving the vast southern hinterland of industrial areas and plantations. It is a passenger port for the United Kingdom and America in South India. Moreover, it is one of the few ports of the world with all the three main forms of transport-land, sea, and air, centered in the same place.

Tuorist Places in Cochin

Fort Kochi
Even a casual stroll through Fort Kochi located in the port city of Kochi in Kerala is enough to make you feel transported to another world and time. The architectural style of the buildings and the town layout easily make Fort Cochin distinct from other cities and towns of Kerala. Since Fort Cochin was under the possession of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British at different points of time, the region still bear the influence of European architecture.

Bolgatty Palace
The splendid Bolghatty Palace is located on the Bolghatty Islands, in the Cochin city of Kerala. The appeal of the palace lies in the fact that it is among the oldest existing palaces built by the Dutch in India, during the pre-British times. More.

Chinese Fishing Nets
The Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi, located in the Kochi city of Kerala, make up a very popular tourist attraction. They are fixed land installations, which are used for a very unique and unusual method of fishing. More.

Cochin Backwaters
With coconut trees lining the pellucid lake waters for kilometers at a stretch …the backwaters of Cochin proffer one of the most enchanting sights to tourists. Apart from the numerous ancient monuments, like the Jewish Synagogue, Fort Kochi and the Mattancherry Palace, built during the pre-British times, the backwaters in Kochi city of Kerala is just another reason why hundreds of tourists flock to this beautiful port city the whole year round. More.

Mattancherry Palace
Even though it is austere in its appearance, the Mattancherry Palace of Cochin has a quaint charm of its own. The credit for building this landmark monument partly goes to the Dutch, who captured Cochin city of Kerala during the pre-British period. More.

Godaisan Hill
Godaisan hill, which overlooks the southeastern part of Cochin City of Kerala, gives an impression of a host receiving tourists visiting the famous Chikurinji temple and the Makino Botanical Gardens. More.

Jewish Synagogue
The Jewish Synagogue in the port city of Kochi is the oldest synagogue in all the Commonwealth of Nations. Thus, it comprises the topmost slot in the itinerary of the tourists visiting the city. More.

Pareekshith Thampuran Museum
Pareekshith Thampuran Museum is a very good archeological museum located near the Shiva temple, on the Durbar Hall Road at Ernakulam. This museum boasts of an impressive collection of 19th century paintings, ancient monuments and coins, scriptures made in stone and Plaster of Paris, murals as well as memorabilia belonging to the Cochin royal family. More.

St Francis Church
St Francis Xavier's Church at Fort Kochi was built in the year 1503, by the Portuguese traders. They came here with Admiral Pedro Alvarez de Cabral, via the same route taken by the legendary Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who landed at Calicut in 1498.

Willingdon Island
The Willington Island contains the modern port serving Cochin city of Kerala. The island is an artificial man-made island created from the sand dug out while deepening Kochi port. More.

Museum of Kerala History
Do not take the Museum of Kerala History in the Cochin city of Kerala as any ordinary museum. The significance of this 'live' museum lies in the fact that it recounts the history of the land through magnificent and informative light and sound shows. More.

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