Kochi

My husband, Nanda, and I, and our two sons, Gautham and Rohit, lived in this enchanted place called Fort Cochin for 21 happy years. The foreign traders, adventurers and colonial powers had gone, the commercial firms had shifted their headquarters to the Willingdon Island leaving the town of Cochin in sleepy solitude. So what is so special about this town?

FORT COCHIN is a historical and picturesque little town of one square mile area in Coastal Kerala. Strategically positioned on the spice route between Rome and China, Cochin was in the Middle Ages a prosperous international centre for pepper trade. Today a quiet little town that time forgot, under the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial rule it was considered one of the finest and wealthiest towns in the Indies. In 1503 the Portuguese built in Cochin, Fort Manoel, the first European fort in India. St. Francis Church, the first European built Church in India was constructed in 1507. This is where Vasco da Gama was buried in 1524 when he returned to Cochin as Viceroy. 14 years later his remains were taken back to Portugal.
The Portuguese introduced the European pattern of architecture – well planned streets and storied buildings. The Dutch and the British, too, made their contributions of stately buildings and churches. Many buildings still stand – a testimony to the excellent architecture of the times.

Until 1341 Cochin was a land locked harbour and Muzuris ( Cranganore ) was the main port of call situated only 22 miles from Cochin.

And so it was to the Muzuris that King Solomon’s warships (970-930 B. C.) came and carried back a cargo of gold and pepper. The Arabs, Jews, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans – they all came to the Muzuris in search of pepper and spices. Spices were considered as vital as oil is now in the twentieth century, as precious as gold. Spices were used as preservatives of meat, and were essential ingredients in the making of wines and medicines. Control of the spice trade held the key to untold fortunes.

In 1341 great floods silted up the harbour of Muzuris and opened up the land locked harbour of Cochin, ushering in a golden era.

In the 13th century, Chinese ships visited Cochin and other ports on the Malabar Coast. The Chinese influence is quite distinctly marked on many details of life in coastal Kerala – the design of the wooden palaces, the shape of the sampan like boats and the method of fishing with the great counter weighted dip nets called the Chinese Fishing Nets. These fishing nets are still in use today.

The Jews first came to the Malabar Coast around 1500 B. C as traders. In 72 A. D, following the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem, 10,000 Jews landed in Cranganore. A dispute with the Muslim traders forced them to flee to Cochin. The Raja of Cochin gave them land next to his palace. Here, in 1567, Jew town was built and the Pardesi Synagogue was constructed in 1568. The Jews enjoyed a period of great prosperity, trading mainly in pepper. With the founding of the State of Israel many Jews went back to their homeland. Only a handful of Jews live in Jew Town today.

In 1498 Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut and returned to Portugal with a cargo worth 60 times the cost of the expedition. Differences with the powerful Zamorin of Calicut led the Portugese to Cochin.

From 1500 to 1502 Portuguese fleets under Cabral and Vasco da Gama visited Cochin. Negotiations were signed with the Raja of Cochin for monopoly in the pepper trade. Permission was granted to build a fort. Under the Portuguese Cochin flourished. In 1663 the Dutch attacked and captured the fort. In 1795, the Dutch were succeeded by the British, who occupied Fort Cochin till the 14th, August, 1947.

The merchant adventurers over the centuries have left behind their ideas, religion, and culture. The quaint little town of Fort Cochin, steeped in history, retains much of its mystique to this day.

I lived in Fort Cochin from 1970 – 1991. The ‘old world’ charm still reaches out and touches your heart. Stately mansions, quiet little streets – all reminders of a glorious past. My husband and I would go for our evening walks down Beach Road, where we lived, and along the Dutch Cemetery Road. The Dutch Cemetery still exists in a state of total neglect. Then around the “village green” (a playground christened thus by the British) – past St. Francis Church – past the Bastion Bungalow which is the only one of the 9 Bastions of the fort still standing. We would stop at the Chinese Fishing Nets, to admire the dramatic sunsets. Then walk down Tower Road, a street lined with lofty leafy Rain trees and imposing buildings dating back to the British era – the Peirce Leslie Bungalow, the Old Harbour Hotel (a residence today) and the post box red three storied mansion. This has been the residence of the Koder family for the past 80 odd years. The late Sattu Koder was the head of the Jewish community.
Our walk would continue down a quiet little lane called Burgher Street with typical Portuguese styled houses with recessed benches on the verandas and past the house, which once was a famous Inn during the Dutch period. The inn – keeper, a Dutch, was known as ” Mine Host”, It is said he paid a princely sum for Government patronage. And then he went on to charge the most outrageous prices to recover his investment!

Friday evenings the head of the Jewish community, the late Sattu Koder and his wife, Gladys, were “At Home” to all their friends, acquaintances, new comers to Fort Cochin, and Jews passing through from all over the world. Some of these Jews were so orthodox they would walk the distance from the Malabar Hotel to Fort Cochin, all of 10 Kms. The discussions were lively and it was here that I, a prosaic student of science, developed this interest in the history of Cochin. Sattu Koders fund of knowledge was enormous, more so due to his heritage. Gladys, his wife, overwhelmed you with her affection and “killed” you with her kindness. And my good friend, the late Lily Koder, Sattu’s sister, was a remarkable lady deeply involved in charity work and committed to social causes. At the age of eighty she was still walking to the Cochin Club for her game of Bridge. Sattu, Gladys and Lily, larger than life personalities, the sincerity of their warmth and affection will be etched forever in the hearts of all those who enjoyed their hospitality.

Lily, Sattu and Gladys

I shut my eyes and watch this awesome parade of historical events pass by. The people and the place have enriched my life and some of my best photographs have been taken here. Cochin will always occupy a very special place in my heart.