Linda, Fort Cochin (Kochi): A Walk into Medieval Europe

Fort Cochin (Kochi) – A Walk into Medieval Europe
Our last days in Kerala are spent here in the old trading port of Fort Cochin, the old part of the modern city of Kochi. It reminds me a little of the layout of Istanbul, where the old part of town is relatively intact and the modern city farther away - in this case, over a bridge away. Visitors can stay in lovely, restored homes or mansions and visit all the old places of interest, along windy streets small enough that only bicycles and autorickshaw and small cars are seen, all within a few blocks. It really is a walk in old Europe, just wandering the streets. Each boutique or café is an example of the old architecture and woodwork from centuries ago, different doors holding a different surprise inside. It doesn’t feel much like India, except for the saris of the local people and despite seeing a Bollywood film being recorded on the streets – and there are many tourists (and many sellers of things – again, having the sari is saving us a lot of "selling"). The city actually has two older parts, nearby Mattancherry, with its old Jewish section and synagogue as well as a Jain temple and Fort Cochin. Another unique feature of Fort Cochin are the old Chinese fishing nets still in daily use along the sea side - Eleanor and Matthew had the opportunity to help lower one of these nets!. These have many arched poles (like and octopus) operated by weights and levers and are efficient means for gathering fish, requiring at least four men to operate. It is said that the idea came with trading with Kubla Khan in the 1400’s. At 5:00 in the evening, the streets are lined with lovely fish, octopus, squid, all sizes and shapes, packed in ice and ready for sale.
Our first area of exploration was around our hotel. We stayed in a lovely room on Princess Street, the oldest street in the city. Shoes were left at the door, and the proprietor was a kind and gracious gentleman of great dignity. We are treated with such kindness and respect, partly because the people here are so kind and gracious and partly out of appreciation for our dress. We could only stay there one night and moved next door to the home of Walton and his family. Again, a wonderful family of Anglo-Indian descent and a Christian. Walton has been very helpful in getting a violin for Eleanor. He called a friend of his who teaches classical Western music who put us in touch with a good shop via our first trip on the local, city buses. Then, once at the shop, we called the music teacher who spoke to the clerks to make sure we were given good choices and prices. Truly, I am being given many, many lessons in the art of giving. Eleanor and I are invited, violin in hand, to meet the music teacher this evening. He was very excited to know that Eleanor had an extensive background. SO, our first real invitation to an Indian home!
Kochi was founded in 1341 when a flood created a natural safe port. In 1405, the royal family made it their new base, after which the city expanded rapidly, attracting Christian, Jewish, and Arab settlers. It was here, in the early 1500’s, that Vasco de Gama landed in his historic voyage from Portugal. He was buried here in 1524 for 14 years in the Church of St. Francis, the oldest church in India and built in 1503, and the title deeds, written on palm leaf, are still kept inside. The church’s original wood structure was replaced by stone in mid 1500’s. The façade, with its multi-curved sides became the model for most Christian churches in India. After 14 years, de Gama's remains were taken to Portugal, where they are to this day. The tombstone showing his place of rest is still to be seen in the church, as are many, many old tombstones, going back well into the 1500’s. The tombstones, like tombstones everywhere, reflect the history of this interesting area. The oldest tombstones have shields engraved on top with the heraldic devices of the knight the stone was commemorating. The words are chiseled in Latin, in the large, clear letters of the medieval period. Then, in 1663, the Dutch East India Company took over the area. All the churches and convents, with the exception of St. Francis, were destroyed. New tombstones were laid in the church – now in Dutch and with rounder script. The church became Anglican in 1795 and since 1949 has been attached to the Church of South India. The church is a simple and beautiful structure, with a lovely alter area and cross in stained glass above.
The other main church here in Old Fort Cochin is the Santa Cruz Cathedral. It is a Catholic Church, newly built in 1902 on the site of an old church. For me, it was an interesting surprise, as the church has retained its Portuguese flavor, including a shrine to Our Lady of Fatima, a miraculous apparition of the Blessed Virgin in Portugal around 1917. It is this area from which my family came and the church I attended as a small child was also dedicated to her. Many, many of the old people in my neighborhood in Massachusetts had either seen, or had family who saw, this apparition, so she was a very important part of our community. And here she was again! It was a little like going home, and my childhood swelled up and gushed forth. Eleanor handed me a candle, and a prayer was said for our loved ones at home, especially those in great need. The church is done in pastel colors in a Indo-Romano-Rococo style of decoration, with the whirling sun of the apparition behind the altar. The church has a convent school attached. As we entered the courtyard of the church, the children were at lunch and several girls waved and greeted us in their sing-song voices. When we left, I heard them doing group recitation of rote lessons, something quite different from the way we teach in America now. The church schools are one of the better educational establishments in India, outside of the expensive, elite schools (1000 rupee spending money each day – about $25 in US) also available. The government schools, as mentioned earlier, tend to be very poor in quality and families will do all they can to scrape together the money to send their children to school. Hearing the voices of the children added to the sense of homesickness – I’m certainly missing my little ones back home! Eleanor, too, is relishing in the wonder, but also feels the loss of the company of those dear to her. Travel gives much, and one thing is a sense of the beauty and love that is one’s home.
The other area near Fort Cochin is Mattancherry. This is where the old Jewish quarter is, already discussed a little earlier, and again, reminiscent of the Jewish quarter in Istanbul. I remember seeing some of the little screened balconies in Chennai, and wonder if that was once part of a Jewish quarter there. The Jewish Synagogue was founded in 1568 and rebuilt in 1664. Unfortunately, our visit corresponded to Sabbath so we were not able to see the inside. The floor is said to have hand-painted 18th century blue and white tiles from Canton, each antique, and depicting a love affair between a mandarin’s daughter and a commoner. One wonders what the story was behind this, as I am sure there is one. The Mattancherry Palace is also near this area. It is known locally as the Dutch Palace and was erected by the Portuguese as a gift to the Cochin raja in 1537 (after the Portuguese had plundered the nearby temple), though the Dutch did add onto the building. The squat exterior is not striking, but the interior is adorned with murals, some of the finest examples of Kerala’s school of painting, illustrating stories from the Ramayana on the first floor (16th century). These are very detailed and rich in color and is never strictly naturalistic, with facial features pared down to the simplest of lines for the mouths and aquiline noses. Naturalistic painting of sacred things takes away from the mystery and majesty of the sacred, something medieval Christian art knew well and was more or less lost during the Renaissance. The paintings are the highlight of the palace, but the collection also include old maps (I love maps), coronation robes, royal palanquins, weapons, and furniture. Photography prohibited. I was interested in looking at some of the black and white photographs of the family from the early 1800's to the mid 1900's. Except for the raja, the rest of the family (brothers, sisters, mother, aunts, uncles) were dressed in very simple white doti's. The women's was pulled up over the breasts - I think as a concession to the Western photographer. Eleanor heard a guide say that wearing clothing above the waist was "outlawed" (or not done) until 1858 when the Victorian British government took over India. In this hot climate with its accent on beauty and dignity, it's not at all surprising that simplicity in dress was a norm.
Also nearby is a Jain temple, very peaceful except at noon, when a loud bell rings to announce the daily feeding of the local pigeons. Anyone around is encouraged to help dish out grain to the hungry birds. The Jain religion began at about the same time as Buddhism (same century) and has a strong code of non-violence. Leather articles remain outside the temple. It had closed at 12:30, which we had not realized, and we were not even able to take a photograph.
Next stop: a few hours in Delhi as we indulge in a plane flight to Varanasi. 3 days on a train did not seem like a good use of time for Matthew and Patrick, who will leave in 10 days AND have another 2 day train ride from Varanasi back to Chennai. So… train travel delayed … again. But coming!