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Being the biggest metropolis in the state and the nerve centre of commercial and industrial activities, Ernakulam offers much potential for a casu8al or shopping spree visitor. HOwever, as we are less interested in the metropolitan face of the city we drove directly to see the hill palace at Thrippunithura, which is situated a few kilometers south of the city. |
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Known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi's charms are manifold. From the Chinese fishing nets and heritage buildings of Fort Kochi to the old spice markets of Mattancherry and the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Ernakulam, buzzing with hotels, cinema halls shops and restaurants, the city combines the finest in tradition and modernity. |
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| Essential Information |
Area
Population
Taluks
Villages
Blocks
Telephone Code
Pincode
Vehicle Regn. Code
When To Go |
: 3068 Sq.km.
: 30,98,378
: Kunnathunad, Aluva, Paravur, Kochi, Kanayannoor, Muvattuppuzha, Kothamangalam,
: Kothamangalam, Eramaloor, Keerampara, Pindimana, Kottappadi, Thrikkariyoor, Kuttanpuzha, Neryamangalam, Kuttamangalam, Varappetty, Kadvoor, Pothanikkadu, Maradi, Velloorkkunnam, Valakam, Mulavoor, Muvattupuzha, Eananelloor Kalloorkadu, Manjalloor, Ramamangalam, Piravom, Onakkoor, Memuri, Manneedu, Thirumaradi, Kuthattukulam, Arakkuzha, Elanji, Palakkuzha, Perumbavoor, Koovappadi, Vengoor, Vengoor vest, Chelamattam, Kodanadu, Kombanadu, Asamannoor, Rayamangalm, Vengola, Vazhakkulam, Arakkappadi, Manambilly, Mazhavannoor south, vadavukodu, Ikkaranadu North, Ikkaranadu south, irapuram, Kunnathunadu, Kizhakkambalam, Thiruvaniyoor, Puthankurisu, Pattimattam, Aluva east, Aluva west, Chovvara, Chengamanadu, Nedumbaseri, Manjapra, Malayatoor, Kaladi, Thuravoor, Mukkanoor, Ayyambuzha, Mattoor, Vadakkumbhagam, Ernakulam Elamkulam, Poonithura, Edappalli Thekku, Edappalli vadaku, Kadamakkudi, Mulavukadu, Cheraneloor, Ambaloor, Nadama thekku bhagam, Manakkunnam, Kumbalam, Mulanthuruthi, Thiruvangulam, Kanayanoor, Maradu, Vazhakkala, Thrukkakara vadakku, Edaykadu vayal, K akkanadu, Fort cochin, Mattancheri, Rameswaram, Palluruthi, Kumbalangi, Chellanam, Thoppumpadi, Edakochi, Elamkunnappuzha, Njaraykal, Nayarambalam, Edavanakadu, Kuzhuppilli, Pallippuram, Puthuvaypu, Paravoor, Chendamangalam, Moothakunnam, Varappuzha, Vadakekkara, Kottuvalli, Ezhikkara, Ealloor, AAlangadu, Kadungaloor, Kunnukara, Karamalloor, Puthanvelikara.
: Paravoor, Alangadu, Angamali, Koovappadi, Vazhakkulam, Edappalli, Vaippin, palluruthi, Vettila, Mulanthuruthi, Vadavukodu, Kothamangalam, Pambakuda, Parakadavu, Muvattupuzha.
: +91 484
: 682 XXX
: KL-07, KL–39, KL-40, KL-41, KL-42, KL-43, KL-44
: September to February
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Antique Shops in Jew Street
With the return of the Jews to Israel, their dwellings fell into disrepair and many were torn down to make way for newer
structures. Anything that could be salvaged - woodwork, furniture, artefacts, vessels and brass work - of both utility and aesthetic value, found their way into antique shops that sprang up in the meandering alleys of Jew Town. Increasing demand, spurred on by tourism, brought traditional and contemporary bric-a-brac from all over the country into these shops.
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Bhoothathankettu
Located 50 km from Ernakulam town, Bhoothathankettu is a scenic dam site with boating facilities and is surrounded by a vast virgin forest
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Bishop's House/indo-Portuguese Museum
Resting atop a small hillock close to the Parade Ground, this quaint structure with its grand driveway was built by the Portuguese in 1506 for their governor. Today, it is the residence of the Bishop of Kochi. In the adjacent Indo-Portuguese Museum, precious artefacts collected from various churches are displayed.
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Broadway
Located in the heart of the city, Broadway is bound by a maze of alleys and crossroads. Before MG Road usurped its position as the main street, Broadway, parallel to Shanmugham Road, was the widest in town, hence its name. The narrow street and crossroads on its flanks are choc-a-block with shops selling everything under the sun from shoes, clothes, medicine, furniture, curios and kitchenware to spices, gold, hardware, electronics and books.
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Cherai Beach
Located on the northern end of Vypeen Island, about 25 km from the city, this is an idyllic beach without the crowds. Beach resorts abound
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Chottanikkara Temple
This temple enshrines the Goddess Bhagavathi in three forms - Saraswati (the goddess of learning), draped in white; Bhadrakaali (the fierce and destructive form), dressed in crimson; and Durga (the divine mother), in blue. Devotees flock to this popular pilgrim centre, and those seeking liberation from torment and mental illness often dance themselves into a frenzy. A tree nearby is covered in long iron nails. hammered in by devotees using their foreheads to render troublesome spirits permanently immobile. In the nine-day Makam Thozhal festival, held in February-March, prospective brides and young girls pray for a happy married
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Clock tower
Built in 1760 by Ezekiel Rahabi, an affluent Jewish businessman* the clock tower stands next to the synagogue. This is a great mystery as Jewish tradition does not have the custom of ringing bells.
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Dutch Cemetery
The derelict granite and red laterite stone tombs of Dutch traders and soldiers lie serenely in a bed of heather bush and thistle under a green canopy. A mute yet sublime remnant of the once thriving European community in Kochi, the Dutch Cemetery, consecrated in 1724, now lies mostly in ruins.
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Fort Kochi Beach
Overlooking the Arabian Sea, with its legendary Chinese fishing nets dotting the foreground, Fort Kochi beach offers views of fiery sunsets. A colourful carnival on New Year's Day is a major draw. A novelty here is the waterfront shacks that offer the catch of the day prepared according to taste. Massive granite embankments have been built to arrest sea erosion along the shore.
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Hill Palace Museum
This one-time residence of the Raja of Cochin at Thripunithura has been converted into the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. The hill-top palace, built in 1865, and consisting of 49 buildings, stretches across 52 acres of lush greenery. Exhibits displayed in its 18 galleries include the royal throne and chairs, pictures of the rulers of Cochin, Thanjavur paintings, 14th century wood-carvings, inscriptions, megalithic remains, crown, ornaments, and mural paintings. Jewellery, porcelain and epigraphy artefacts are housed in separate galleries.
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Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi
The two-acre property in the heart of the city where the Maharaja of Cochin once held his durbars is now known as the Durbar Hall grounds. These grounds were also used for football games, exhibitions, military parades and processions from the nearby Shiva Temple. The one-time Parikshit Thampuran Museum situated here has been converted into an academy that showcases contemporary arts.
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Kochi
A small area that was once bequeathed to a member of the royal family; Kochi later expanded to form a kingdom and then the State of Cochin. It gradually developed into a centre of trade and colonial rule, and eventually, shrank in size, but not in stature, as it evolved into the modern town of Kochi as we know it today.
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Kumbalangi
A tiny village facing the Kochi backwaters in the western part of city, it is the first eco-friendly tourist village in India Kalagraamam, the artists' village, is a major attraction.
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M.G.Road
Mahatma Gandhi Road is the lifeline of the city. Lined with every type of commercial enterprise from garment showrooms and jewellery shops to a host of restaurants, it remains the most expensive piece of real estate in the city.
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Marine Drive
This scenic strip offers a spectacular view of the backwaters and the harbour and is packed with buildings ranging from corporate offices and banks to luxury hotels, cinema halls, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets. The drive is the most popular hangout for the locals.
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Maritime Museum
Established in 2001 to create awareness of India's maritime history, the museum actually consists of two bunkers, as carefully preserved as the exhibits, which have been converted into galleries. One is devoted to the maritime heritage of India through the ages, whereas the other showcases shipbuilding activities in
India, beginning from the Indus Valley civilisation to modern times.
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Museum of Kerala History
The brainchild of the industrialist and philanthropist, R Madhavan Nair, this museum at Edapally is 10 km from the city and showcases the history of the State from the Neolithic Age to the modern period through pieces of sculpture. The one-hour light and sound show emphasises the richness of Kerala's past. The gallery of paintings holds 200 pieces of art by contemporary Indian artists and world masters. The Gallery of Miniatures is a treasure trove of Indian miniature painting.
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Pardesi Synagogue
Constructed in 1568, this synagogue was destroyed in 1662 by cannon fire during a Portuguese raid and was rebuilt two years later when Kochi came under the Dutch yoke.
The 19lh century glass chandeliers from Belgium, painted blue willow-patterned Chinese floor tiles from the 18th century, and the gallery for women with its slender gilt columns are interesting features. A 4th century copper plate carries the Maharaja's inscription in Malayalam, but in the unique kannadiezhuthu script that is decipherable only with the aid of a mirror.
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Santa Cruz Basilica
A monumental structure with a brilliant blue dome, the basilica was built by the Portuguese in 1506 and recognised as a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. Demolished in 1795 by the British, a new building was commissioned at the same site in 1887 by Bishop Dome Gomes Ferreira and later proclaimed a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
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Shiva Temple
Popularly known as 'Ernakulathappan', the god of this temple is associated with the name of city. Lord Shiva, the chief deity, faces west towards the sea, considered a rarity. The Shiva and Parvati idols, found in kirathamurthy form, are claimed to be swayambhoo or 'self-created'.
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SNC Maritime Museum
This museum was established in 1989 to. display the different maritime activities of the Indian naval forces. The star attraction is the vallom (boat) made of a single piece of wood, the thampakam. Once owned by the Raja of Ambalappuzha, it is said to be over 300 years old.
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Spice Market
Jew Street in Mattancherry is saturated with the smell of ginger, cardamom, cloves and pepper, thanks to the spice market that still survives. Trucks feed pushcarts that transport sackloads of spices in and out of the warehouses that line the narrow streets. Traders haggle frantically as workers dry, sort and pack the spices for retail.
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St Francis Church
This is India's first European church built in 1503 by a group of Portuguese Franciscan friars. The history of the church encapsulates the European struggle for power in India. Regular services are conducted through the week in English and Malayalam. The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, was buried here in 1524. Although his remains were taken back to Lisbon 14 years later, the tombstone remains intact.
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Thirumala Devaswom Temple
Built in 1599, the temple houses the idol of Venkatachalapathi Thirumala Devar, believed to be responsible for the prosperity of the Konkani community that flourished in trade and commerce. Both temple and idol have had a chequered history and have been plundered and restored time and again.
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Willingdon Island
This man-made island lies nestled in the backwaters between mainland Ernakulam and Mattancherry. Named after the Viceroy of India, Lord Willingdon, the 775-acre island was created from soil dredged up while deepening Kochi's harbour in 1928. The man responsible for this engineering feat was a visionary, Sir Robert Bristow.
The island is home to the Cochin Port Trust and the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command. There are also top-end luxury hotels such as the Taj Malabar, Trident Hilton and Casino Hotel.
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Chendamangalam
Known for its unique geography, Chendamangalam, 42 km from Ernakulam, has three rivers, seven inlets, hillocks and vast green plains. This land was once the home of the Paliath Achans, the prime ministers of the rajas of Kochi. Their residence, the Paliam Palace, houses a collection of historical documents and relics.
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Places to Visit |
Thiruvananthapuram |
Aakulam Tourist Complex, Agasthayarkoodam, Anjengo Fort, Ammachiplavu, Ananthapuri, Beemapalli, Kanyakumari, Kerala State Science and Technology Museum, Kovalam Beach, Maruthwamala, Napier Museum, Neyyar, Padmanabhapuram Palace, Priyadarshini Planetarium, Puthen Malika, Shankhumugham Beach, Sree Chithra Art Gallery, Sree Chithra Enclave, Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Sucheendram temple, The Zoo and Museum Complex, Thriparappu waterfalls, Varkala, Vattakkotta, Veli, Vivekanandappara, Vyloppilly Sanskrithi Bhavan, |
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Pathanamthitta |
Aranmula boat race, Ashtamudi Backwaters, Kakki Reservoir, Kaviyoor, Konni, Mannadi, Maramon, Perumthenaruvi Falls, Sabarimala, Thiruvalla, Vastu Vidya Gurukulam, Vijnana Kala vedi Cultural Centre, |
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Alappuzha |
Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple, Bhagavathi Temple, Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathi Temple, Chavara Bhavan, Karumadi Kuttan, Krishnapuram Palace Museum, Kuttanad, Mannarassala Snake Temple, Pathiramanal Island, R Block,, St George Orthodox Syrian Church, St Mary's Church, Champakulam, Subrahmanya Temple. |
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Idukki |
Blossom international Park, Cheriyapalli, CSl Church (St George's Church), Devikulam Lake, Eagle Rock or Parunthumpara, Idukki Arch Dam, Kalvary Mount, Kolukkumalai, Kundala, Kurisumala Ashram, Kurisumala, Malanadu Development Society (MDS), Mampara Grasslands, Mangaladevi Temple, Marayoor, Mattupetty, Mount Carmel Church, Munnar, Murugan Para, Nelliyampathy, Orange and Vegetable Farm,Panchalimedu, Peermede, Pine Forests, Pothundy, Rajamalai, Seetharkundu,Summer Palace, Tea Museum, Thekkady, Thommankuthu, Thrisangu Hills, Top Station, Vagamon, Viewpoints, Waterfalls of Munnar, |
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Kottayam |
Ayyampara hills, Cheriyapalli, Erumely, Ganapathiyar Kovil, Good Shepherd Church, Ilaveezhapoonchira, Kanjirapally, Kayyoor Temple, Krishnapuram Palace Museum, Malanadu Development Society (MDS), Pala, Poonjar Palace, Shrine of our Lady of immaculate Conception, St Dominic's Cathedral, St George Church, St Mary's Church, St Mary's Church Bharananganam, St Mary's Forane Church, St Thomas Benedictine Abbey, Thirunakkara Temple, Vagamon, Valiyapalli, Kumarakom, Driftwood Museum, Bird Sanctuary, Midlands. |
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Ernakulam |
Antique Shops in Jew Street, Bhoothathankettu, Bishop's House/indo-Portuguese Museum, Broadway, Cherai Beach, Chottanikkara Temple, Clock tower, Dutch Cemetery, Fort Kochi Beach, Hill Palace Museum, Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi, Kochi, Kumbalangi, M.G.Road, Marine Drive, Maritime Museum, Museum of Kerala History, Pardesi Synagogue, Santa Cruz Basilica, Shiva Temple, SNC Maritime Museum, Spice Market, St Francis Church, Thirumala Devaswom Temple, Willingdon Island, Chendamangalam. |
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Thrissur |
Athirappally and Vazhachal water falls, Ayyappa and Edathedathu Kavil Bhagavathy, Basilica of Our Lady of Dolores, Cheraman Perumal Juma Masjid, Cheruthuruthy, The land of Arts, Guruvayur, Irinjalakkuda, The land of Bharatha, Juma Masjid,Kodungallur, Koodalmanik, Yam Temple, Irinjalakuda, Kurumba Bhagavathi Temple, Lourdes Cathedral,Mar Thoma Pontifical Shrine, Martha Mariyam Chaldean Church, Palayur Church,Punnathoor Kotta, Sakthan Thampuran Palace, Shiva Temple,Sree Rama Temple, Thriprayar,The Cheraman Perumal who embraced Islam, The State Museum and Zoo,The Swaraj Roudn the heart of Thrissur,Vadakkumnathan Temple, |
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Malappuram |
Kadalundi Nagaram, Kondotty, Kottakkal(Centre of Ayurveda), Kottapadi, Malappuram, Manjeri, Nilambur(Forest area), Perinthalmanna, Perumpadappu, Ponnani, Tanur, Teak Museum,Tirur,Tirurangadi, |
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Kozhikode |
Beypore and its ‘Urus’, Beach Road, CSI Church, Kallai, Lokanarkavu of Vadakkanpattu, Mananchira Square, Mishkal Mosque, Mother of God Cathedral, Muchundipalli, Pazhassiraja Museum and Art Gallery, Planetarium and Science Centre, Tali Temple,Valayanadu Devi Kshetram, |
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Wayanad |
Mananthavady, Brahamagiri, Chembra Peak, Edakkal Caves,Jain Temple, Karalad Lake, Kerala Kalamandalam, Kuruva Dweep, Lakkidi's Chain Tree, Mahe, Meenmutty Falls,Muthanga,The jungle of secrets, Pakshipathalam,Pazhassi Museum,Pookot Lake,River Nila,Soochipara and Kanthampara Falls, The tree of Karimthandan,Thirunelly Temple,Thrissiteri Temple,Wayanad Heritage Museum, |
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Kannur |
Alluring Beaches, Cheruvathur Kota Palli, Delightful Backwaters, Ezhimalai, Fort St Angelo,Kanhirode weaving Co-operative, Kerala Folklore Academy, Kottiyoor Shiva Temple, Mahalingeshwara Temple, Nileswaram, Parassini Kadavu Temple, Payyambalam Beach,Rajarajeshwara Temple,Thalassery,The tree of Karimthandan,Ummichipoyil and Varikulam,Valiyaparamba Backwaters, |
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Kasargode |
Anandashram, Ananthapura Temple, Bekal Fort, Chandragiri Fort, Kanhangad Hosdurg Fort,Kanwatheertha Beach, Kappil Beach, Kodagu, Kottanchery, Malik Ibn Dinar Mosque, Possadi Gumpe, Ranipuram. |
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