Kochi Hotels

Santa Cruz Basilica

Located in Fort Kochi, this Catholicx Church was built in 1505 by the Portugese invaders. It was renamed as the Cathedral in 1558. It was destroyed in the year 1795 by the British colonizers and was rebuilt only in 1905. in 1984, this 100 year old structure was canonized to the status of basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984. Like any other Catholic Cathedral, this heritage site too is exquisite in its architectural plan and ingenuity. It even allows visitors to tour inside its gigantic structure as well as admire its exterior.

Paradesi Synagogue

Built in the year 1568, this is also known as the Jewish Synagogue and this constitutes one of the significant landmarks of the city, as amongst many others this is the oldest synagogue and also the only one that is still in use. True to its name, (Paradesi implies a foreigner), this Synagogue was built by the White Jews, a anem given to a mixture of Jews, and Cranganore, the Middle East and European exiles. The Synagogue also diaplays some of the exquisite historical mementos like Gold crowns received as gifts, a number of Belgium chandeliers and a brass guilded pulpit. It also preserves the copper plates of privileges encrypted in Tamil, given by the ruler of Malabar Coast to the earliest known Cochin Jew, Joseph Rabban. Adding to the grandeur of the Synagogue are the exclusive hand painted porcelain tiles of the 18th century which are of Chinese origin. Another magnificent and awe inspiring souvenir in the Synagogue is an Oriental Rug gifted from Haile Selassie, the last Ethiopian Emperor. However, the most interesting part of this mammoth piece of architecture is the 18t century clock tower that has undergone repair work between 1998 and 1999. Thus, a visit to the Synagogue will surely result in a heightened spiritual experience and evoke a sense of awe and wonder at the old world charm that oozes out of every nook and corner of this heritage sight.

Bolghatty Palace

This is one of the oldest existing palaces built by the Dutch invaders in India. Situated on a picturesque island by the same name in Kochi, Kerela, in 1744 A.D., the palace was later renovated and the lush green gardens presently surrounding it were incorporated in its area. Though the original purpose of the palace was to serve as the dwelling palace of the Governer, this outstanding palatial building was given on lease to the British, who made use of it as the seat of the British Resident of Cochin during the British regime. In the post independence era, the palace became the property of the state and was converted into a heritage resort, now run by the KTDC( Kerela Tourism Development Corporation).
The palace is a double storied building, equipped with luxuriantly decorated bed suites and a lounge adorned with life size paintings of the historical personalities. Located in the nexus of lush tropical greenery and overlooking the picturesque backwaters of Kerela, this is an ideal holiday spot for an indolent and laid back holiday. The palace also qualifies for a superb spot for honeymooners, as it offers lake front cottages along the edge of the backwaters for stay, thereby enhancing the quotient of romance and thrill. The Palace also provides facilities like a mini Golf Course, swimming pool, Ayurveda centre and daily Kathakali performance.

Mattancherry Palace/ Dutch Palace

This astounding medieval palace is located about 10 km away from Ernakulum. It was built by the Portugese and presented to the Raja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Verma. The palace is a rich arthouse of valuable murals on Hindu temple art and exhibits of the kings. It was after the Dutch made a few renovations in the Palace that it also came to be known as the Dutch palace.
The architecture of the Palace is an amalgamation of the western and Occidental cultures. While the interior of the Palace distinctly reflects the Kerela type of buildings, with a double storied house built around an open courtyard( known as ‘Nalukettus’), from the outside the palace looks like an European building with scraped masonry walls and round-headed windows and doors. The inner walls of the palace has been done upwith paintings from the Hindu Mythology and great Sanskrit works like, Kumarasambhavam.

Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi is a small hamlet near the big city of Kochi. Being located on a coast line, the small village is dotted with beautiful beaches. These beaches are strewn with Chinese fishing nets as well as many sailing ships. This is also the location where the first European Settlement in India was located and hence a number of European style bungalows can be spotted along the beaches. Another significant attraction of these beaches are the pretty stalls that outline them. These serve excellent traditional cuisines with freshly caught fish right on demand.

Parishath Thampuran Museum

This heritage sight was originally built for serving as the Durbar Hall for the Rajas of Kochi. Later it aquired a new avatar and came to be known as the Parishath Thampuran Museum. Based on a typical Kerela style of architecture, the entire building is embellished with unique works of sculpture. 19th century oil paintings, old coins, and exhibits of the royalty, sculptures and old Mughal paintings are some of the invaluable possessions of the museum.

Cherai Beach

Kochi is decorated with numerous small islands off the shoreline. The enchanting Cherai Beach is at the end of Vypeen Island, one among the many such islands. This is a paradise for all naturalists and environmentalists. Being away from the urban cityscape, thislittle piece of greenery still preserves nature in her raw quality- golden sands, azure sky, palm and coconut trees and aquamarine waters embellish this little nature hub. Accessible by both land as well as water, this island is also the place of various water sports and beach activities.

Wellingdon Island

This is a man made island in Kochi. Created in 1933, this island was made with the sand that was scoured while the construction of Cochin Port was going on. It has been named after Lord Willingdon, a former British envoy. Today it is the Headquarters of Southern Naval Command and also a host to numerous luxurious and elegant hotels. A stay in these resorts guarantees an absolute laidback holiday complemented with the breath taking view of the backwaters.

St. Francis Church

This is the oldest remnant of the European architectures in India. This famous church enshrines the grave of Vasco da Gamais, the first European to reach India via sea, instead of the conventional overland route. He fell ill in Kochi and his remains were buried in the St. Francis church. Though later his remains were carried off to Portugal,the burial sight still remains a place of attraction and is visited by thousands of tourists every year.

Kaladi

Kaladi, a town close to Kochi is the birth place of the great Indian Philosopher, Adi Shankaracharya of the 8th century A.D. He is known to have traveled all around Asia to preach his theory of Advaita or monotheism. The most notable place sin Kaladi are the Adi Shankaracharya Temple in the banks of the river Periyar and the eight stories high Shankaracharya Kirthi Sthambam. This historical masterpiece narrates the different mythical stories of Shankaracharya and his childhood with the help of splendid paintings that embellish the inner walls of the Sthambam. The Samadhi of his mother is also enshrined within the premises of the temple.

Kaduthuruthy Shiva Temple

Among the three famous Shiva temples in Kerela, the Kaduthuruthy Shiva Temple, located in Central Kerela is a notable one. It is located against the background of the magnificent Vembanad Lake and a small hill. The diety, i.e. Lord Shiva, is believed to have been placed there by Kharasura, the demon and is believed to be one of the three idols he worshipped. The temple is famous for reflecting a few aberrations. Foer example, here, the Shivalinga is placed facinf East and the temple is beautified with wood carvings depicting the stories about Lord Shiva. The mythological story ‘Karthaveerarjuneeyam' has been depicted in the carvings and is the specimen example of the architectural elegance of medieval Kerala. The idols of Ganapathy, Durga and Sastha are also placed in small shrines around the temple.

Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple

This temple constitutes the most worshipped place in Central Kerela. The main diety in the temple is Rajarajeshwari, better known amongst the natives as Adiparashakti. Here, the Goddess is worshipped in three of her avatars- namely, as Durga, Saraswati and Laxmi. Hence the diety is also referred to by three names- as Amme Narayana, Devi Narayana, Bhadre Narayana and Lakshimi Narayana as there is a Vishnu (Naryana) idol is placed in the same pedestal of Goddess Rajarajeswari. Hundreds of devotees throng this temple during the Makom Thozhal in the month of March and the Navaratri Celebrations during October-November.