BEST OF KOCHI

At a distance of 1.5 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Ernakulam Shiva Temple is one of the ancient Temples in Central Kerala. It is located close to the shores of Vembanad Lake Backwaters.

Lord Shiva also known as Ernakulathappan is the presiding deity of this temple. It was built during the Maharaja rule. The deity faces westward and enjoys the beauty of the sea. The annual festival usually falls during January or February and is spread over 8 days.

The uthsavom starts with Kodiyettam on the first day evening. On the seventh day there is Pakalpooram, when the deity is being taken out in procession with caparisoned elephants with Panchavadyam and finally terminating at Durbar Hall Ground after the famous Pandimelam and colorful fire works. On the final day around evening the deity is taken for the Arattu (holy bath) in the nearby temple tank. After that starts the Arattu procession with the accompaniment of Panchavadyam.

At a distance of 10 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Cochin Jewish Synagogue is a religious place located at Jew Town in the Mattancherry area of Kochi city. It is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, and among the must-visit places during your Kochi tour.

Also known as Paradesi Synagogue, & Mattancherry Synagogue, the Cochin Jewish Synagogue was constructed in 1568 by Samuel Castiel, David Belila, and Joseph Levi for the Malabari Jewish community who mainly migrated from the Middle East and Europe. In 1662, it was destroyed by the Portuguese and then reconstructed, two years later, by the Dutch. The synagogue is located in the quarter of Old Cochin known as Jew Town and is the only one of the seven synagogues of the Cochin Jewish community still in use.

The complex has four buildings. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land given to the Malabari Yehuden or 'Yehuden .....

At a distance of 10 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Dutch Palace, also known as Mattancherry Palace is a Portuguese palace located in Mattancherry locality of Kochi. Situated near Jewish Synagogue, it is one of the famous heritage sites in Kerala, and among the must-include places in Kochi holiday packages.
 
The Mattancherry Palace was built around 1545 CE by the Portuguese and gifted to the King of Cochin Veera Kerala Varma in the year 1555 CE. The Portuguese influence was further supplanted by the Dutch, who took over Mattancherry in 1663. The Dutch then carried out some extensions and renovations in 1663, and since then the palace was popularly known as the Dutch Palace. The palace was included in the 'tentative list' of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Considered as one of the top Kochi tourist attractions, the .....

At a distance of 12 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, The Indo-Portuguese Museum situated in Fort Kochi is an important center to understand the Indo-Portuguese Christian Art heritage.

The museum was established by Dr. Joseph Kureethra, Bishop of Kochi. It is divided into five main sections according to the nature of items displayed in each section, Altar, Treasure, Procession, Civil Life and Cathedral.

The museum currently houses a piece of the altar made in teak wood from the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen, a chasuble from Bishop's House, Fort Kochi, Processional cross, which is a combination of silver and wood from Santa Cruz Cathedral, Fort Kochi, Indo-Portuguese Monstrance from The Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen. Among the displayed items, the Coat of Arms of the Franciscans needs special mention.

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM. Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays.

At a distance of 13 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, the Santa Cruz Basilica is situated in Fort Kochi.

This church was built by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul 1V in 1558. Later the British demolished the structure and Bishop Dom Gomez Vereira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica by the Pope John Paul II in 1984. It is one of the 8 basilicas in India and one of the oldest churches in India.

The Church has two lofty spires and a remarkably bright, white-washed exterior and a pastel-colored interior. The interiors of the church are mostly Gothic. The columns decorated with frescoes and murals, the seven large canvas paintings on the passion and death on the Cross, especially the painting of the Last Supper, modeled on the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci and the beautiful stained glass windows add to the artistic grandeur of the place.

At a distance of 13 km from Ernakulam Junction, Chinese Fishing Nets are a type of fishing nets that dotted the harbor's mouth at Fort Kochi. These are among the most popular Kochi tourist attractions.

Locally known as Cheenavala, these nets were introduced in Fort Kochi by the Chinese explorer, Zheng He between 1350 and 1450 AD. The Chinese Fishing Nets are fixed land installations, used for fishing in a unique method. These nets are fixed on bamboo and teak poles holding them horizontally by huge mechanisms to pull them down into the sea. These nets are weighed by large stones tied to ropes.

The entire structure of the Chinese fishing nets is 10 meters in height, spreads 20 meters over the water body, and is operated by a team of six fishermen. Each net has a fixed operating depth and due to this, a net cannot be repeatedly worked in tidal waters. There are different fishing nets for the operation which .....

At a distance of 10 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Fort Kochi Beach, or Kochi Beach is a pristine beach located on the coast of the Arabian Sea in Kerala. Also called as Mahatma Gandhi Beach, it is one of the finest beaches in Kerala, and among the prime places to visit as part of Kochi holiday packages.

Often known as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea', Fort Kochi Beach is a serene beach that offers a scenic view and natural beauty to its visitors. With its pristine water and tranquil ambiance, it is extremely admired by tourists and local people as well. The main attraction of this beach is the historic fort, which is the perfect example of European architecture. The presence of the Chinese fishing nets is probably the most easily identifiable one. The trees and the greenery on the walkway to the beach add to the serene atmosphere there. The beach also offers a breathtaking .....

At a distance of 1 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Gallery of Contemporary Art is situated in the Durbar Hall Road near Ernakulam Shiva Temple.

The Rajas of Cochin used to conduct their durbars (meetings) in this impressive building located within the Durbar Hall Grounds. It was later converted to a museum and named after Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran, the last official ruler of the Cochin Empire. The museum used to house archaeological findings and relics including old coins, sculptures, oil paintings and murals. The building has been taken over by the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy and now houses the Gallery of Contemporary Art. All the exhibits of the museum have been moved to the Hill Palace museum.

Timings: 9:30 AM to 12 PM & 3 PM to 5 PM.

At a distance of 4 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is a protected sanctuary situated behind the High Court, in the center of Kochi City. It is one of the most ecologically sensitive areas in Kerala, and among the most popular places of sightseeing in Kochi.

Established in 2004, the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is the smallest protected area under the state forest department. Covering over an area of about 2.74 hectares, the sanctuary also houses a shallow tidal lake surrounded by thick mangrove vegetation. The lake is connected with Kochi backwaters by a canal and is home to seven species of fishes. It is the only bird sanctuary in Kerala which is located in Mangrove forests. The word Mangal means mangroves in Portuguese.

The Bird Sanctuary plays a significant role in balancing the ecology of Kochi, hence it is .....

At a distance of 7.5 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, St. George Ferona Church, locally known as Edapally Church is a Catholic church situated in Edappally, Kochi. It is one of the oldest churches in India, and among the top pilgrimage places to visit in Kochi.

This Roman Catholic Church was built in 594 AD in the land donated by the Raja of Edappally. It is regarded as one of the oldest churches in Kerala, after the seven churches founded by Thomas the Apostle in the first century AD. In 1080, a new church was built adjacent to the old church. The church was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Later, the Edappally church became known as St. George's Church.

The church has undergone many renovations since the time of its construction. The picture of the Virgin Mary surrounded by sculptures and angels was integrated with the altar during one such renovation. On the wall behind the .....

At a distance of 9.5 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Museum of Kerala History is situated in Edappally. The museum was built and maintained by Madhavan Nayar Foundation. A statue of Parasurama greets the visitors at the entrance of the Museum.

The Museum also has a Gallery of Paintings and Sculptures with a unique collection of over 200 paintings. The gallery displays the works of some of the greatest exponents of Indian art including Raja Ravi Varma, Mammiyoor Krishhan Kutty Nair, Jamini Roy, Manu Parekh and M F Hussain.

A one hour light & sound show is presented with life-size sculptures of 87 personalities who shaped the history and culture of Kerala in the last 2000 years. Light & sound show timings: 10AM, 11 AM, 12PM, 2 PM, 3 PM & 4 PM.

Museum Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM. Closed on Mondays & public holidays.

At a distance of 7 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Our Lady of Ransom Basilica or St. Mary's Church is a major pilgrim center for Christians situated in Vallarpadam. The shrine is also known as Vallarpadath Amma.

Vallarpadam is a little island located in the middle of the Vembanad Lake Backwaters, above Fort Kochi. The church was built in 1676 and has a famous picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Portuguese missionaries brought the picture from their native land and installed here. It is believed that the picture has miraculous powers. The church was declared as a special church in the year 1888 and in 1951 the Union Government declared it as a major pilgrim center.

The church was given the status of a basilica in 2005. A week long Vallarapatha Amma festival is celebrated in the month of September every year. People of all religions participate in the festival.

At a distance of 31 km from Ernakulam Junction (South) Railway Station, Cherai Beach is a beautiful beach located in Cherai village. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit near Kochi and also one of the top beaches in Kerala.

The 15 km of long golden beach is very clean, shallow, and famous attraction for swimming and sunbathing. This is one of the few places where we can see the lagoon and ocean separated only by a few hundreds of metres. The newly beautified 400 meters of the main beach has a walkway and high mask lamps which make the beach enjoyable even at night. The Beach is very safe and tourists of all age groups can enjoy the Beach alike.

The beautiful beach is studded with seashells of various hues and shapes. There is a park for children on the beach. Water Scooter and Speed Boats are also available. Dolphins are also spotted at this beach. The far end of the beach lined with Chinese fishing nets is a beautiful sight.

A tourism festival is celebrated .....