Fort Kochi
A window to the past.
The Fort of Kochi
Well you are going to Fort Kochi, Don’t miss the fort.
Actually the fort’s not there, but then why do we call this beautifull port, with portugese, dutch, british and obviously malayali influence, a fort.
Because it’s a port and people accidently started calling it a fort, NO.
The answer is not very complicated, but it’s intresting and historical. So, now you can go and do the research on why do we call Fort Kochi by it’s name.
And that’s what is the point,
Kochi is a historical city, you need to go there to understand why, what and how things happened in the past and delve deep.
Which leads us to,
Walking Tour by Ajitha
When I called her I knew I was talking to a teacher, you generally can listen to that sort of command, but I really felt it next morning when she tapped me on the back and recognized just by looking at me that I was there for her tour.
Ajitha lives and breathes Fort Kochi, you can find almost everyone other than the tourists are greeting her there. She starts from the fishing nets, telling you why this port is called Fort Kochi and then walks you to all of this city, explaining every littile fact about each house, home, square, nook and cranny.
Ajitha can tell by looking at a tree in the town who planted it (well many were planted by her)
She goes in detail and explains the architecture, the food, the stories behind each one of the colonial era houses and when she is doing that you can notice the sparkle in her eyes while talking about her beloved town.
She talks about how the region is changing now, in contrast to the changes she saw in her childhood and how she has worked to preserve the town and like a true teacher she comes up with a lesson for all of us.
I personally think if you have come all the way to Kochi, it should be your priority to take the tour with her. She told me at the end that she isn’t up-to-date with the technology around (but she’s working on it) and she only has the word of mouth for now. So I am putting her number right here so that you can call and ask her about the walking tour.
Ajitha, +919447029036
The Town of the past.
Fort Kochi is a city that’s still living in the past. Just roaming around the city will give you an idea of how would the britishers or dutch or portugese were living here, and also it will give you a sense of why they loved this city so much. You’ll be surprised to see how many of the Anglo-Indians are still living there.
I would suggest that you don’t take any scooter for rent here and walk by foot only. There are cycles available also if you want, but they move a little fast and I want you to take this city in slowly. Step by step.
Something that I’ve not talked about till now is the seafood. Kochi at it’s heart is a fisherman’s town, with it’s bustling seafood scene (I am someone who doesn’t eat seafood). So it is very important that you try the plethora of seafood that’s available here, for which I’ve heard nothing but compliments.
Kathakalli
A perfect way to spend one of your evenings would be to go for a show for Kathakalli, it’s a old Indian art form, involves all aspects of a theatre, acting, music, costume, make-up etc.
Kathakalli holds theatre at it’s core and runs with a unique, only found here performance that’s entertaining and interesting and I’m selectively talking about the aspects because I want you to be as surprised as I was.
It’s a live performance, local art form, historically performed and unique everytime they perform, hence a must watch.
After the Kathakalli performance the same stage also has many other art forms performed, one of which is a martial arts show, that you will quite like as a live performance with such skill will leave anybody mind-blown.
The People and the Art
Kochi is a city which has always tried to step into new ideas while holding a hand with past and you will find this when interacting with the locals. It’s a city that has valued sustainabilty, an idea old and new. The people here are trying to preserve a town that has provided them with so much in the past but to continue survival there they had to understand the nature and give back to it.
You will notice fair amount of trees planted.
With time this city has understood and valued artists and hence you will find a lot of art cafes in this area providing Art, Food and a Serene atmosphere. The environment inside the cafes is not bougie at all but it’s welcoming you to take part and have an experience alongside. I am going to mention Lila Art Cafe as they are not very famous now, but they provide great service and also cooked me something which was not on their menu. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your research and ask the locals about these cafes as there are plenty of bakeries and cafes that have sometimes something great hidden behind them, so try to go and have your own hit and miss situation.
The people here are cheery at times, mostly they are humble, try to help you when necessary, try to have banter with you and are happy that you have come to look at their town, but take a lesson and maintain cleanliness.
They are quite into football, there are a lot of big grounds that you don’t usually see in famous places or big cities, but here you will find a lot of children playing. I asked some of them to let me play but they were attending their school at the time, so it would be silly to take an outsider in, so they politely asked me to ask there teacher, whom I didn’t want to bother and I was going back. So the kids let me kick a penalty and told me they would let me play if the teacher wasn’t there. I am quite sure the sports teacher was looking at all this from far.
The old Muesuems
This is the ending stretch of the trip, but quite important. Once you decide that you have seen enough colonial buildings, go to see how the kings of Kochi lived in the Mattenchary Palace, it also has a museum where you can find out what actual old Kerela style homes and artifacts looked like.
Jew Town
Here comes the last history lesson and a beautifull view. Jew town is just a stone’s throw ahead of Mattenchary Palace and the place is breathtaking. It has the gorgeous synagouge and lot’s of shopping options that will keep you occupied for quite a some time, take it all in by walking in the area and checking out the Synagouge and shops.
All in all Kochi is a city which provides a window to the past with a lesson in sustainabilty if are able to understand the history carefully.
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