India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [200]
The Top Attractions
Chinese Fishing Nets Said to have been introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, these cantilevered nets, set up on teak and bamboo poles, are physical remnants of Fort Kochi’s ancient trade with the Far East. Fishermen work the nets all day long, lowering them into the water and then hauling them up using a remarkably efficient pulley system. The best place to watch them at work is from Vasco da Gama Square or from a boat at sunset. Nearby, the Indo-European Bastion Bungalow (now the official residence of the Sub Collector) dates back to 1667; built on the site of the old Dutch Fort’s Stromberg Bastion, it is believed to stand above a network of secret tunnels.
Vasco da Gama Sq. is on the water’s edge along River Rd.
Mattancherry Palace Also known as the Dutch Palace, this large two-story 16th-century building was actually built by the Portuguese, who gave it to the Raja of Kochi as thanks for trading rights and favors granted to them. When the Dutch claimed Kochi in 1663, they took control of the palace and gave it a makeover. The large two-story building with its sloping roofs and pale walls is now a shadow of what it must have once been. Part of it is open to visitors, and displays include a collection of coronation robes, palanquins, and royal family portraits, but the real reason to visit is to view the bedroom chamber, where vibrant murals, executed in vivid red, green, and yellow ocher, are truly exquisite. Particularly notable are erotic scenes of the divine lover, Krishna, surrounded by enraptured female figures. Vishnu, Shiva, and various Hindu deities fill the large walls, their eyes wide and bodies full. These are among the first examples of a school of painting specific to Kerala.
Palace Rd., Mattancherry. Admission Rs 5. No photography. Sat–Thurs 10am–5pm.
Paradesi Synagogue Kochi’s first Jewish settlers arrived from Yemen and Babylon as early as A.D. 52; this—the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth—was originally built 1,500 years later. Set in a corner of Jew Town and rather hemmed in by other buildings, with only the 18th-century clock tower visible from the outside, it must be entered before you can view its most interesting feature: the beautiful blue-and-white Cantonese ceramic floor tiles—each individual tile hand-painted, so no two are alike. Above, glorious Belgian chandeliers dangle from the ceiling. At one end of the hall, old Torah scrolls are kept behind the gilded doors of the holy tabernacle.
Only a handful of Jews remain in Kochi (around five or six), though they uphold the traditions of their ancestors, and the synagogue is moving testament to the effects of the Diaspora. The number remaining are not enough to form a minyan (the number of men needed to sustain a synagogue), so Jews from outlying areas travel to Kochi to worship in this historic Judaic monument; they also rely on Jewish visitors to help make up numbers for ceremonies, so definitely make your presence known if you qualify. The synagogue elders are understandably concerned about tourist numbers, and numerous signs warn that no one is allowed upstairs, no one is allowed inside the pulpit, and no one is allowed to touch anything. You are also expected to be demurely attired.
Jew Town Rd., Mattancherry. Admission Rs 2. Sun–Thurs 10am–noon and 3–5pm; closed for Jewish holidays.
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