Blessed with one of the finest natural harbors in the world it is affectionately also called the queen of the Arabian sea, Kochi is situated on the west coast of India in the picturesque state of Kerala.

Many small towns and villages like Fort Cochin, Mattanchery, Ernakulam, Edapally, Vytilla, Vennala, Tevara, Manamangalam, Vypin, Vallarpadom, Thopumpady, Kannamali, Eda Kochi, Bolghatty and Palluruthy form a part of Kochi.

Ernakulam, is the commercial capital of Kerala, served by an international airport, it has some of the best accommodation, modern amenities and a lot of attractive tourist places gives a breathtaking experience for its visitors and settlers. The district took its form on 1st April 1958, by carving out the areas of erstwhile Travancore, Kochi & Malabar kingdoms. The word Ernakulam was derived from a Tamil word 'Erayanarkulam' which means 'Lord Shiva's abode'.

Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the history of Kochi is somewhat obscure. Kochi rose as an independent kingdom from the ruins of the Kulasekhara Empire. The advent of the Portuguese in Kochi proved to be the turning point in its history. The Kochi Rajas readily welcomed the Portuguese, seeing in them a valuable ally against the common enemy, the Zamorin of Calicut.

In the year 1530 AD, Kochi was under the rule of the Portuguese; at this time the city grew into a prosperous town. 'Manuel Kotta', was the first European fort in Kochi, which was built by the Portuguese. The Dutch invasion began around 1653 and by 1663 they emerged victorious over the Portuguese. It was then that the Dutch built Fort Williams here. The subsequent Kochi rulers turned out to be incompetent, till Saktan Tampuran or Rama Varma ascended the throne in 1790. He proved to be an able administrator, and Kochi flourished under him.

The Jews received royal patronage during the reign of Kesava Rama Varma . These Jews had fled from Kodangalur, which was their original settlement. They participated in trade and commerce as go-betweens for foreigners seeking trading rights. This seaport city has a small but thriving Jewish community. The area around the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth is known as the Jew Town.

In the year 1814, Kochi became a part of the British colony. The Wellington Island, which now accommodates the Kochi Port, Airport and the Head Quarters of Southern Naval Command, was developed under the supervision of the British ruler, Sir Robert Bristow.

After India became independent in 1947, the state of Kerala was formed by the unification of provinces Kochi, Malabar and Travancore in 1956. In 1967 the Corporation of Kochi was formed, which included the towns of Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam and many nearby villages.

Map of Kochi (Click on image to enlarge)

Places you can see in Kochi

Bolghatty Palace
The palace forms one of the most visited and popular tourist attractions in Kochi and is situated on the Bolghatty Island. The Dutch built the Palace in 1744 later, it became the seat of the British Resident, it has now been converted into a luxury hotel. The island has a fine golf course and the panoramic view makes it an attractive picnic spot. Frequent boat service is available from the mainland.

Chinese Fishing Nets
The Chinese fishing nets found here are the only ones of its kind in India. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here. They are used at high tide to catch the fish.

Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace)
The Portuguese originally built this palace and presented to the Raja of Kochi in 1555 A.D. In the 17th century, the Dutch modified it and presented to the Raja of Kochi. It is interesting to note that at no time did the Portuguese or Dutch actually stay here. Coronation of many Rajas of Kochi was held here. The Dutch palace has a fine collection of mural paintings depicting the scenes from the Hindu epics Mahabharatha and Ramayana. the Mattancherry Palace has brilliant wall murals depicting scenes from the Indian epic the Ramayana still intact and there are some lively displays of royal costumes and palanquins.
Timings: 1000 hrs to 1700 hrs. Closed on Fridays and national holidays.

HILL PALACE MUSEUM
Hill Palace Museum is situated 12 km away from Eranakulam on the Eranakulam Chottanikkara route. Raja of Kochi built the Hill Palace in the 19th century. It was from here that the Kochi province was ruled. Now this palace has been converted into a museum displaying a fine collection of articles used by the Rajas of Kochi apart from many archaeological findings. Different types of sculptures, collection of rare coins, old weapons, manuscripts in ancient scripts and collection from Kochi Royal Family are exhibited here. Tourist may also visit the Deer Park situated there. Horse riding facility is also available. The Parishith Thampuran Museum situated at the Durbar Hall Ground together with its collection were transferred to Hill Palace Museum in 1997.
Timings: 9:00 hrs to 12:30 hrs and 14:00 hrs to 16:30 hrs. Closed on Mondays & National holidays.

Jewish Synagogue
The Jewish Synagogue was built in the year 1568. Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers magnificently decorate the synagogue. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here. the copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the Kochi rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles are of interest. This palace is located near the Dutch Palace.
Timing: 1000 hrs to 1200 hrs and 1500 hrs to 1700 hrs. Closed on Saturdays and Jewish Holidays.

Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
This bird sanctuary is situated right in the heart of Kochi city. It is the home of many exotic and rare varieties of migratory birds.

Museum of Kerala History
The museum has on display life size statues of many famous personalities and several paintings depicting Kerala History.

ST. FRANCIS CHURCH
St.Francis Assissi church popularly knows as Naduvileppalli, the most beautiful and old church in Ernakulam city, Located at Fort Kochi this Protestant church was originally built by the Portuguese in 1510 AD and is believed to be the oldest church built by the Europeans in India. The blend of Portuguese and Kerala style of architecture can be seen here. The unique feature church’s roof is that the entire hyperbolic parabolic shell roof rests only on the center pillars on the either sides.

It’s here the remains of the inveterate traveler, Vasco da Gama were initially buried and 14 years later, his mortal remains were taken to Portugal . The exact place where he was buried has been marked out inside the church. Vasco da Gama was buried here and although his remains were later returned to Portugal, his headstone is still in the church.

WILLINGDON ISLAND
A man-made island created from the material dredged while deepening Kochi Port. Situated between the main land Erunakulam and the old town Mattancherry and separated by the backwaters. Wellington Island is an important part of Kochi. The Govt. of India Tourist Office, the Southern Naval Command Headquarters, the Seaport, Naval Airport, Railway terminus, Customs House, Kochi Port Office etc are all located in this island.

SANTA CRUZ BASILICA CHURCH
Fort Kochi The Roman Catholic Church situated close to St. Francis Church and is worth visiting. Some beautiful paintings can be seen here.

MUSEUM OF KERALA HISTORY
Situated at Edappally 10 km on the National Highway from Eranakulam on the Alwaye route. Presents one hour light and sound spectacles of life-size sculptures in concrete, of the makers of Kerala history, together with the background music and commentary with glimpses of the vastness and diversity of Kerala's history over the centuries.
Timings: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30 12:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00 15:30, 16:00
Closed on Mondays and Public holidays.

M. N. F. GALLERY OF PAINTINGS & SCULPTURES 
The center for Visual Arts and Gallery Paintings & Sculptures is situated at Edappally about l0km from Erunakulam and located next to Museum of Kerala History. It houses about two hundred original paintings of recognized Indian masters, both contemporary and of the past. There is also a large collection of modern sculptures in marble, bronze, granite etc.
Timings: 10:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs.

Mangalavanam Park
The ecologically sensitive Magalavanam is safely tucked away behind the Ernakulam High Court. This evergreen forestland in the heart of Kochi is a green oasis for many migratory birds as a nesting ground. Visitors to Mangalavanam are captivated by the sheer variety of migratory birds that have nested atop the huge trees.

Get a little closer and the birds fly away, leaving behind the eggs and newborns at the mercy of crows and kites. These birds are sensitive to the presence of human beings.

Mangalavanam is the only existing green lung in Kochi city, offering a nesting ground for a vast variety of migratory birds and supporting many varieties of mangroves. As a source of oxygen, the rare eco-system in the heart of Kochi city, Mangalavanam has been keeping pollution under check. Thus, it supports to become rich resource for eco-tourism.

Events and Festivals of Kochi

Athachamayam
It is a spectacular procession that marks the beginning of the Onam festival during August-September, conducted at Thirpunithura (10km from Kochi ) and Piravam.  It displays a rare treasure house of folk and temple arts of Kerala performed by skilled artists. Decorated Elephants and a variety of floats are the other attractions of the procession.

Temple Festival
'Ulsavam' at the Siva Temple in Ernakulam for 8 days during Jan/Feb.  There are elephant processions each day and folk dance and music performances. The day before last, there is a spectacular display of 'Kadhina' (crackers) at 7.00 arranged on the road from hospital Junction to the temple. The Festival ends with a display of fireworks at 2.00 clock in the morning.

Cochin Carnival
This feast is observed during the last week of December every year at Fort Kochi. The origin is traced to Portuguese New Year revelry here during the colonial days.  The highlight of the Carnival is the massive procession on the New Year Day. A decorated elephant leads the procession accompanied by 'Panchavadyam', music bands, fancy dress, spectacular floats, and folk arts forms of Kerala etc.

Indira Gandhi Boat Race
It is organised at Ernakulam during the month of December every year along with the tourism fair. Several snake boats participate in the first round and first few are selected for the finals. This is one of the most famous events of Kerala.

Essentials

Reaching  Kochi

Air 
Cochin/ Kochi has a domestic airport with regular flights to Agatti, Bangalore, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram . The Cochin International Airport is there are regular international flights to the Gulf. Other international airports nearby includes Mumbai, Madras, Bangalore and Trivandrum

Rail
Kochi and Ernakulam are connected to the rest of India by an extensive network of rails.There are three important railway stations here namely Cochin Harbour Terminus, Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town . Many important trains start from here and many others pass through these stations.
 
Road
Three important National Highways(NH) pass through/start from Kochi, apart from many state roads. NH 47 from Kanyakumari to Salem pass right through the heart of Kochi while NH 17 to Mumbai and NH 49 to Madurai(in Tamil Nadu) starts from Kochi. Private and public transport services are available to/from all major cities of South India from here

Sea
Services of the Kerala Shipping & Inland Navigation Corporation, the State Water Transport Authority, and of private ownership are available from the Bolgatty ferry and the main jetty at Park Avenue to various places. The junkar ferry for the transhipment of vehicles and passengers are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin, and between Vypin and Fort Cochin.
Regular boat service to places like Kottayam and Alleppey are available through the scenic backwaters of Kerala.

Kochi sightseeing tour (by boat)
Daily two tours (from Sealord jetty)
1st tour: 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
2nd tour: 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Best time to visit: December and January

Hotels in Kochi
In Kochi  there are plenty of budget and five star hotels to stay. The Bolghatty Palace will be a good choice for someone looking for a five star experience.

Languages: Malyalam, Urdu, Hindi and English.

STD Code:  0484

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES
Government of India Tourist Office, Willingdon Island, Cochin 682003.
KTDC Tourist Reception Centre, Shanmugham Road, Cochin 682011.
Tourist Information Office, Old Collectorate, Cochin 682011.