Ernakulam
Dutch Palace
The Mattancherry Palace is a Portuguese palace popularly known as the Dutch Palace, in Mattancherry, Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala which features Kerala murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. The palace was included in the "tentative list" of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Palace was built and gifted by the Portuguese as a present to the king of Cochin around 1545. The Dutch carried out some extensions and renovations in the palace in 1663, and thereafter it was popularly called Dutch Palace. The rajas also made more improvements to it. Today, it is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas and notable for some of the best mythological murals in India, which are in the best traditions of Hindu temple art. The palace was built to appease the king after they plundered a temple nearby.[3][4] The landing of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer at Kappad in 1498 was welcomed by the Kochi rulers. They were given exclusive right to construct factories. The Portuguese repulsed the repeated attacks of the Zamorians and the Cochin Rajas practically became vassals of the Portuguese. The influence of the Portuguese were supplanted by the Dutch and they took over Mattancherry in 1663. Subsequently, the area was taken over by Hyder Ali and still later by the British East India Company
cochin backwaters
Vypin (also Vypeen) is one of the group of islands that form part of the city of Kochi (Cochin), in the Indian state of Kerala. Vypin forms a barrier island which lies between the Arabian Sea in the west and the Cochin backwaters formed by the various distributaries of Periyar river, in the east. The northernmost end of the island lies on the estuary of the Periyar river in Muziris (Kodungallur) and the southernmost end in the mouth of the Cochin Backwaters in Kalamukku near Fort Vype. The island is about 27 kilometres (17 mi) long and is connected to mainland Kochi by a series of bridges known as the Goshree bridges, which start at Kalamukku in Vypin, touch other two islands and then finish at Marine Drive covering a total distance of around 3 km (1.9 mi). Vypin is 58th most densely populated islands in the world. Njarakkal is one of the most densely populated locations within Vypin.
Vypeen Fort was built by the Portuguese on the northern edge, the western coast of Vypin has the longest beaches in Kochi namely, Cherai Beach, Kuzhuppilly Beach and Puthuvype Beach. Munambam, at par the northern tip of Vypin, is home to the Munambam Fishing Harbour, the largest fishing harbour in Kochi. Puthuvype has become the major industrial hub in Kerala and the fastest growing city suburb due to the SPM project run by Kochi Refineries, an offshore pumping station of Kochi Port, the Puthuvyp LNG Terminal, the IOC Bottling Plant and the proposed Oceanarium.
There are ten lighthouses in Kerala, one of which is situated at Puthuvype Beach and is the tallest in kerala
India’s first international container trans-shipment terminal (ICTT) in the Special Economic Zone at Vallarpadam Island, designed to handle the largest container ships, was opened by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 11, 2011.
Bird Sanctuary
Mangalavanam is an ecologically sensitive area situated at the centre of the Indian city of Kochi, covering about 2.74 hectares.[1] It also houses a shallow tidal lake connected with Kochi backwaters by a canal. It is situated behind the Kerala High Court building. It is a nesting ground for a large variety of migratory birds and supports many types of mangroves. The Managalavanam is often regarded as the "green lung of Kochi",[2] considering its role in keeping the city's air pollution under check. The area is a roosting place for many kinds of resident and migratory birds.
Recently the high-rise buildings surrounding the area are curtailing the movement of birds in the sanctuary. The buildings close to the sanctuary interrupt proper orientation, take-off and landings of the birds. They also cause hurdles in the regular movements of the nesting birds in transporting nesting materials. It is also likely to hinder the movement of birds while bringing food materials to the chicks and fledglings.[4] The administrative control of the sanctuary is with the Assistant Conservator of Forest and Wildlife Warden Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary of Nature Study Centre Kalady and then to the Range Officer Research Range Kodanad.
palace
One of the oldest existing Dutch palaces outside Holland, the palace was built in 1744 by Dutch traders and later extended and gardens were landscaped around it. The building was then the Governor's palace for the commander of Dutch Malabar, and in 1909 was leased to the British. It served as the home of the British governors, being the seat of the British Resident of Cochin during the British Raj. In 1947, when India attained independence, the palace became the property of the state and was converted into a heritage hotel resort. Bolgatty Palace has a swimming pool, 9-hole golf course, ayurvedic centre, and daily Kathakali performances and is a holiday destination for tourists. There is in a temple dedicated to Shiva that is the first of its kind in Kerala.
