Walk into the past in
Fort Kochi, Kerala
In Kochi,if you’relookingto stepintoa timecapsule,FortKochi
is it. It providesa sharpcontrastto modernErnakulam,andthe
changesareneverso starklyrungin thanwhenyoudriveoff
theroll-on,roll-offferryintoaneragoneby(car:`65/one-way).
Startyourdayat theatmosphericTeapotCafé(00-91-484-221-
8035;PeterCelliSt; 8.30am– 9pm;from`160). Siponhotchai
or anicedtea,trytheblueberrycheesecakeor a main;everything
tasteswonderfulwhenyousit amidteapotsandtea-related
miscellanea.ThensetoffforSt FrancisChurch, believedto be
theoldestEuropeanbuiltchurchin India(ChurchRd;8.30am
-– 5pm;free). Constructedin 1503by PortugueseFranciscan
friars, the current edifice has replaced the original wooden
chapel, with alterations by the Dutch and British. You can
still see the tombstone of explorer Vasco da Gama, who died
in Cochin in 1524. His body lay buried here for 14 years before
his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal. Nearby you will
also find the larger Santa Cruz Basilica, dating back to the
16th century; the current structure was consecrated in 1905.
The white-washed exterior with twin spires cocoons an impressive
altar designed by renowned Italian painter Fr Antonio Moscheni
and his disciple De Gama of Mangalore, and their frescoesand
murals are well preserved on the columns (00-91-484-221-5799;
Bastian St, Fort Nagar; call and check for Mass timings).
WEEKENDPLANNER
Out of
TRIVANDRUM(215km)
Words & Photographs PRIMROSE MONTEIRO D’SOUZA
Mattancherry
Palace is a trove
of wonderful
artwork
EXPLORE
12 August 2019