Kochi is a beautiful city blessed with great scenic beauty. It is an integral part of the state of Kerala, which is also sometimes known as ‘God’s own country’. The reason is again the enchanting heavenly beauty of this state which makes it a great attraction for tourists from all over the globe. Kochi falls in the district of Ernakulum and there of plenty of visiting spots in and around the city of Kochi.
MATTANCHERRY PALACE: Also known as the Dutch Palace, the Mattancherry Palace was constructed by the Portuguese in the year 1555 A.D and was gifted back to the King of Kochi at that time. Although the Dutch or the Portuguese haven’t stayed here, yet the present name of Kochi was given in 1663, during the period when they carried repairs and some extensions in the palace. The interior is highly decorated with murals and is only closed on Fridays and national holidays of India.
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE: This synagogue or the fire temple of the Jews was built in around 1568 A.D. The special attraction of this place is the great scrolls of Old Testament as well as the copper plates which bears the recordings of grants made by the rulers of Kochi. You can also find here the exclusive Chinese tiles which are actually completely hand-painted.
ST. FRANCIS CHURCH: This is mainly a protestants church as was built by again the Portuguese in early 1500 A.D. Located near the Fort Kochi, this is perhaps the first church ever built by any European on the soil of India. The remains of Vasco da Gama was initially buried here which was later on taken back to Portugal.
SANTA CRUZ BASILICA CHURCH: This is a Roman Catholic Church which is situated very close to St. Fransic Church. The church some of the most beautiful paintings depicted in any of the churches in india.
WILLINGDON ISLAND: It is a man-made Island which was created with the material dredged when Kochi Port was made deeper and is an important part of Kochi tourism.
So come visit this Indian Tourist city today…
