Fort Kochi

Fort Cochin, the place of scenic beauty and the lure of intra and inter-national tourists.

Hilly areas, waterfalls, and water-bound areas have always been the centres of attraction for the tourists. Turfs and sand banks attract every beauty-loving person. Of these Fort Cochin (the present Fort Kochi) is the place of water-bound area with fine and beautiful shore where the tide and time await the tourists.Fort Cochin is the western part of Kochi. It is quite interesting to note how the name ‘Fort Cochin’ came into being. ‘Co’ means ‘with’ or ‘like’ and ‘chin’ stands for China. Hence Cochin means ‘like China.’ During the 14^th century the Chinese came and dwelled in this region. They installed a number of Chinese nets on the shore of the backwaters and sea shores of Fort Cochin. So, to the strangers who visited this region it looked like China and thus came the name Fort Cochin.The former part of the place ‘Fort’ came in connection with the ‘Fort Emmanuel’ built by the Portuguese with the blessings of the Rajah of Kochi in gratitude to the help rendered by them in fighting the king of Zamoothiri of Kozhikode. This Fort was later destroyed when the Dutch captured the territory.What makes Fort Cochin the centre of tourists’ attraction?A place of water-bound and beautiful area Fort Cochin beckons the tourists from all over the world to its lap. The vast shore area attracts and prepares place for the people who want to relax themselves in a fine evening. There are a number of notable places of visit which feeds the curiosity of the people

1.       As mentioned earlier the number of Chinese nets (Cheenavala) on the banks of the backwater and the shore of the sea face are food for quenching the curiosity of every person especially of the foreigners.
 The way the net is kept spread on four pieces of logs attached to a triangular wooden lever and then to a fulcrum and the way it is operated to trap and catch fish is really interesting. In order to minimize the effort on the other end of the lever some rubbles are hung on it in such a way that the net region outweighs. Because of this those who pull down the other end of the lever need exert a minimal pressure.

2.       The Indo-Portuguese Museum.
 With the purpose of keeping the uniqueness of the Portuguese contributions a museum was set up by the Bishop of Kochi. It shows the cultural heritage received from the Portuguese. It also depicts the gone days of the Portugal rule in and around Fort Cochin. Those who visit this museum can go through the days of yore when the Portuguese had their reign here. The location of this museum is within the bishop’s house premises.