TO LIVE in a hundred year old home, a home whose walls have witnessed the cut and thrust of history, whose courtyard has seen the intrigues of politics and passion, a home that has heard the traders moor their boats in the dead of night and pack them with spices and sail away later. Such homes make up Fort Kochi. And today the tourism boom has made most of these history-soaked homes a great place for the tourists to live in.

The latest heritage home to be converted into a hotel for the flock of tourists that visits this almost fabled land is the Ballard Bungalow, owned by the Cochin Diocese.

The Cochin Diocese was governed by the Portuguese till 1952, after which it fell into a grave financial difficulty. Earlier, the people working here were on the rolls of the Portuguese Government Later, an agreement was made between the Vatican and the diocese to help it with some subsidy. But over the years this has declined considerably.

"Many proposed different ways and means to raise funds for our work. When our people are in need we have to help them. So, in this context we have started a tourist hostel. With this we will be able to do something for our own subsistence and for our social work. We have many pilgrims who come here. Now we can direct them to our hotel. But it is open to everyone and the tariff is competitive with seven rooms to offer the Hotel.

"This is not a business like other hotels. It is for charity purposes."