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Kerala
– God’s Own Country
The beautiful beaches and the mystifying
monsoons, the land of coconuts is bountiful in terms of natural
beauty of Kerala is mesmerizing.
A part of your holiday in Kerala can also be spend in rejuvenating
yourself the natural way. The naturalist branch of medicine,
namely Ayurveda is followed extensively in Kerala. Right from
the immunization and longevity process to slimming and beauty
enhancements, the range of treatments caters to a variety
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Kerala is a proud home
to the breath taking beaches and backwaters along the Arabian
Sea. The pure fun of lazing on the golden palm fringed beaches
and riding the motor boats are unparalleled experiences.
The sundecks along with the ethnic setting of a village
provide an advantage to the tourists at the beach in Kerala.
The popular beaches amongst sea surfers are renowned for
the yoga and other health related activities. |
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Cruz Basilica
The historic church was built by Portuguese and was elevated
to a Cathedral when Pope Paul IV established the diocese of
Cochin in 1557. Later when the Dutch conquered Cochin they
occupied the cathedral and used it as their store house. In
1795 it fell into the hands of the British when they conquered
the city of Cochin and was demolished. Later they gave permission
to build a church in the city. Then the Bishop, Dom John Gomez
Ferreira started the construction of the present cathedral
in the year 1887, but it was completed by his successor, Dom
Mathew De Oliveiro in the year 1905. Pope John Paul II proclaimed
this church Basilica in the year 1984.
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(click to view in large size) |
Fort
Kochi – Home to 13 communities
The eventful history of this city began when a major flood
in AD 1341 threw open the estuary at Kochi, till then a land
locked religion, turning it in to one of the finest natural
harbors in the world. Kochi became the first European township
in India when the Portuguese settled here in the 15th century.
The Dutch wrested Fort Kochi from the Portuguese in AD 1663
and later in the last phase of the colonial saga, the British
took over the town in 1795. During 1660’s, Fort Kochi
peaked in stature as a prime commercial centre and its fame
spread far and wide – variously as a rich trade centre,
a major military base, a vibrant cultural hub, a great ship
building centre, a centre for Christianity and so on. Today,
centuries later, the city is home to nearly 13 communities.
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Indo-Portuguese Museum
Cochin Bishop’s House Although
most of the earliest Roman Catholic Churches have been relocated
– and inevitably the architecture modified – there
is still clear evidence in many of the existing churches,
of small Portuguese influence in both the art and the architecture
of the religion. The Indo-Portuguese Christian Art heritage,
which survives today, can be attributed to continuity of cultural
practices, both ecclesiastical and social, with the people
of Cochin maintaining a strong cultural affinity with the
Portuguese roots of their Catholic faith. |
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Chinese
Fishing Nets
Subsequent to the visit of traders from the court of Kublai
Khan, the Chinese sea farers became frequent visitors to Kochi.
It is during this time, between 1350 and 1450 AD, that the
Chinese fishing nets were introduced here.
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Dutch
Palace
Originally the palace was founded by Portuguese in 16th century
AD. It was later modified by the Dutch in 17th century. The
palace was later presented to the Raja of Kochi. Murals and
intricate painting from the ancient epics of India, The Mahabarath
and Ramayana still exist here.
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10
Kilometre long Cherai
Beach is the best clean golden beach of Kerala.
It is ideal for swimming and sunbathing. Dolphins are occasionally
seen here. The newly beautified 400 Meters of the main beach
with the walkway adds to the charm and the Highmask lamps
makes the beach enjoyable even at night. Water Scooter &
Speed Boats are available. We have enough beach benches and
Umbrellas. Cherai is well known for the mouth lingering fresh
sea food.
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| The Cochin Synagogue
The Paradesi synagogue in Cochin was founded
and built in 1568 and later enlarged in 1662. Paradesi (foreigners)
were exiles who settled there from Cranganore (Kodungallur),
further up the Malabar coast. They were later joined by Jews
from Aleppo (Syria), Holland and Germany.
Hundreds of old hand-painted porcelain tiles brought from
China pave the floor, no two of which are identical. The synagogue
keeps a rich collection of items: crystal chandeliers, gold
and silver decorated Torah-scrolls crowned with solid gold
and set with gems given as gifts by the rajahs, an oriental
carpet in front of the ark given as a gift by the Ethiopian
emperor Haile Selassie, and two brass columns symbolizing
the pillars of the Temple. |
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St. Francis
Church
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover the sea
root to India and Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut in1498.
The Portuguese built the church in 1516 and dedicated it to
St. Antony. In 1524, Vasco da Gama died on Christmas eve and
was buried in this church. Fourteen years later, his remains
were removed to Portugal. The church became a protected monument
in April 1923 under the Protected Monuments Act of 1904. The
church possesses an interesting link with the past in the
form of the Doop Book the old baptism and marriage register
from 1751 – 1804, which may be seen in the vestry. It
was maintained for 40 years in the handwriting of Predikant
Cornelies and was sent to London in1932 for the leaves to
be repaired by experts. It was then rebound in the original
style. A Photostat copy takes the place of the original for
scrutiny by visitors. |
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