About kochi
History of Cochin / Attractive Places & Malls
हिस्ट्री ऑफ़ कोचीन / कोच्ची ; अत्त्रक्टिवे प्लेसेस ; हॉस्पिटल्स
Cochi is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. Kochi is located in the district of Ernakulam. Old Kochi loosely refers to a group of islands including Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. Today Kochi includes Ernakulam, old parts of Kochi, Kumbalangi, and outlying islands.
For many centuries up to and during the British Raj, the city of Kochi was the seat of the eponymous princely state. Kochi traces its history back many centuries, when it was the centre of Indian spice trade for hundreds of years, and was known to the Yavanas(Greeks and Romans), Jews, Arabs and Chinese since ancient times. Kochi earned a significant position on the world trading map after the port at Kodungallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar in 1341 .
Today, Kochi is the commercial hub of Kerala,and one of the fastest growing second-tier metros in India.
Kochi was a fishing village in the Kingdom of Kochi in the pre-colonial Kerala. The territory that would be later known as Fort Kochi was granted to the Portuguese in 1503 by the Rajah of Kochi, after the forces of Afonso de Albuquerque helped him fighting the forces of Saamoothiri of Kozhikode.
The Rajah also gave them permission to build a fort near the waterfront to protect their commercial interests. The first part of the name Fort Kochi comes from this fort, Fort Emmanuel, which was later destroyed by the Dutch.
The Rajah also gave them permission to build a fort near the waterfront to protect their commercial interests. The first part of the name Fort Kochi comes from this fort, Fort Emmanuel, which was later destroyed by the Dutch.
The Portuguese built their settlement behind the fort. They also built a wooden church, which was rebuilt in 1516 as a permanent structure, today known as the St Francis Church. Fort Kochi remained in Portuguese possession for 160 years. In 1683 the Dutch captured the territory from the Portuguese, destroyed many Portuguese institutions, particularly Catholic including convents.
The Dutch held Fort Kochi in their possession for 112 years until 1795, when the British took control by defeating the Dutch. Foreign control of Fort Kochi ended in 1947 with the Indian independence.
The earliest documented references to Kochi occur in the books written by Chinese voyager Ma Huan, during his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of the treasure fleet of Admiral Zheng He.There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller Niccolò Da Conti, who visited Cochin in 1440 . The Dutch held Fort Kochi in their possession for 112 years until 1795, when the British took control by defeating the Dutch. Foreign control of Fort Kochi ended in 1947 with the Indian independence.
Today, Kochi is the commercial hub of Kerala,and one of the fastest growing second-tier metros in India.
Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own Country'. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea. Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala.
From time immemorial, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have left indelible marks on the history and development of Cochin. Over the years, Cochin has emerged as the commercial and industrial capital of Kerala and is perhaps the second most important city on the west coast of India (after Mumbai/Bombay). Cochin is proud of its world class port and international airport that link it to many major cities worldwide.
This lovely seaside city is flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Its proximity to the equator, the sea and the mountains provide a rich experience of a moderate equatorial climate.
Strictly speaking, Cochin is a small town. But, Cochin has outgrown its original bounds and is now the general name given to much of the region adjoining the original town, which now includes Cochin, Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam and many other nearby towns and villages. Cochin is situated in Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala. Ernakulam is also the name of a town - the administrative capital of Ernakulam district - but, for all practical purposes Ernakulam and Cochin, generally, refer to the same place.
Kochi is the arguably the ideal starting point for exploring the unfathomable diversity and beauty of Kerala, rated in the top three tourist destinations by the World Travel & Tourism Council and featured in National Geographic Traveler's '50 greatest places of a lifetime'.
Climate
Cochin is a seaside town just 10 degrees north of the equator. Hence, it is a moderately hot and humid place round the year. Heavy showers with thunder and lightning are experienced between June-September due to the south-west monsoon. The north-west monsoon brings light rainfall during October-December.
December to February is comparatively cooler than the rest of the year. The average annual rainfaill is about 350cm, most of which is contributed by the south-west monsoon. During the summer, March-June, the temperature hits a usual high of 35°C (95°F) while the mild winter high is 25°C (77°F). The tempeature range is usually 20°C-35°C (68°F-95°F).
Under the Köppen climate classification, Kochi features a tropical monsoon climate (Am). Kochi's proximity to the equator along with its coastal location results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity.
Annual temperatures range between 23 and 31 °C (73–88 °F) with the record high being 38 °C (100 °F), and record low 17 °C (63 °F). From June to September, the south-west monsoon brings in heavy rains as Kochi lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats. From October to December, Kochi receives lighter (yet significant) rain from the northeast monsoon, as it lies on the leeward side.
Average annual rainfall is 3,228.3 mm (127.10 in),with an annual average of 132 rainy days.
[hide]Climate data for Kochi
| |||||||||||||
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
35
(95) |
37
(99) |
37
(99) |
34
(93) |
35
(95) |
33
(91) |
35
(95) |
35
(95) |
38
(100) |
35
(95) |
34
(93) |
33
(91) |
38
(100) |
Average high °C (°F)
|
30
(86) |
31
(88) |
31
(88) |
31
(88) |
31
(88) |
28
(82) |
28
(82) |
28
(82) |
28
(82) |
29
(84) |
30
(86) |
30
(86) |
30
(86) |
Average low °C (°F)
|
23
(73) |
25
(77) |
26
(79) |
26
(79) |
26
(79) |
25
(77) |
24
(75) |
24
(75) |
25
(77) |
25
(77) |
25
(77) |
23
(73) |
25
(77) |
Record low °C (°F)
|
17
(63) |
18
(64) |
20
(68) |
21
(70) |
22
(72) |
21
(70) |
21
(70) |
20
(68) |
22
(72) |
20
(68) |
20
(68) |
19
(66) |
17
(63) |
Precipitation mm (inches)
|
21.9
(0.862) |
22.9
(0.902) |
35.3
(1.39) |
124.0
(4.882) |
395.7
(15.579) |
720.7
(28.374) |
697.2
(27.449) |
367.8
(14.48) |
289.4
(11.394) |
302.3
(11.902) |
175.1
(6.894) |
48.3
(1.902) |
3,228.3
(127.098) |
Transport
Air
The air gateway to Kochi is the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) located at Nedumbassery, which is about 28 km (17 mi) north of Kochi city, and handles both domestic and international flights. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds.The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in the Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore and to most major Indian cities apart from tourist destinations like Lakshadweep.
Kochi is also the headquarters of the Air India Express service. With a terminal area of 840,000 sq ft (78,000 m2), and a passenger capacity of 1800, it is the largest and busiest airport in the state.It is also the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international passenger traffic, and seventh busiest overall.
Road
Kochi is well connected to neighboring cities and states via several highways. It is a node in the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system.National Highways
The NH47 connects Salem to the city of Kochi via Coimbatore, Palakkad and Thrissur and is part of the North-South Corridor of India's National Highway System.The entire stretch of NH47 passing through Kochi and its urban agglomeration has four/six lanes, with some stretches six-laned.NH17 (now renumbered as NH 66) connects Kochi with Panvel near Mumbai and passes through major junctions like Edappally and Vytilla in the city.
NH966A is a 17.2 km (10.7 mi) four-lane stretch of highway connecting Kalamassery to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal. The four-laning of the stretch is nearing completion and carries 11 major bridges and a grade separated interchange where it branches off NH47. and meets NH17 (now renumbered as NH 66) at Cheranelloor
NH966B is a 6 km (3.7 mi) stretch of highway connecting Kundanoor Junction on the mainland to the Willingdon Island. It is the shortest stretch of highway on the Indian National Highways system.
NH85 connects Kochi to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu passing through Madurai thus providing another link to the North-South Corridor National Highway System.
State Highways
Several state highways also connect Kochi with other parts of Kerala. SH 15, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam Road, connects the city to Kottayam. SH 41, Palarivattom-Thekkady Road, provides a corridor to the eastern parts of the district. SH 63, Vypeen Pallipuram Road and SH 66, Alappuzha – Thoppumpady road are coastal roads that serve the narrow sliver of land between the backwaters and the sea.City Roads
The main arterial road of the city is Mahatma Gandhi Road in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 which runs parallel to the coast. Other major roads include Chittoor Road, Banerji Road, Shanmugham Road (in Marine Drive), Kochi Bypass, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Park Avenue, Seaport-Airport Road and S.A Road. A new ring road is proposed for Kochi city by the state government for which a project study is being currently undertaken by NATPAC.Public Transport
A Volvo KSRTC bus in Kochi
An integrated transit terminal namely The Mobility Hub at Vytilla is under 2nd phase of construction. The terminal acts as a hub for long distance bus services away from the city centre, and also to provide access to the other public transport facilities.
Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala
Rail
The city has two major railway stations – Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town (locally known as the South and North railway stations respectively). The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways, and comes under Thiruvananthapuram Railway division.The South station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily. The North station situated on the northern side of the city, caters mostly to long distance services that bypass the South station, and also is an additional halt station for many trains.
Edapally Railway Station is a smaller halt station for passenger services and few express trains. The major station at Aluva, the station at Thripunithura and the halting stations at Kalamassery, Nettoor, Kumbalam and Aroor serve the outskirts of the city and the surrounding metropolitan area.
The spur line to the port and the Cochin Harbour Terminus station are temporarily out of commission because of an accident at the harbour bridge.A spur line exclusively for freight traffic connects the International Container Transshipment Terminal to the main line at Edapally. India's longest rail bridge – the 4.62 km long Vembanad Rail Bridge is also part of this line. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Kochi to nearby towns and cities, using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services, with the first services expected to begin in early 2011[between Kollam and Ernakulam for which works are underway.
There is a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus(station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 1960s. Now this station operates as a goods depot of Southern Railway.
Ferry
Kochi ranks among India's major seaports, partly due to being one of the safest harbours in the Indian Ocean. The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the Cochin Port Trust, offers facilities for bunkering, handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation.
The Kochi Marina is the first, and currently only marina in India
It also operates passenger ships to Colombo and Lakshadweep. Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation, the State Water Transport Department and private firms from various boat jetties in the city. The junkar ferry for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin, and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the Goshree bridges (which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential.
The main boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Boat Jetty near Park Avenue, High Court Jetty in Banerjee Road, Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi Jetty.
About This Blog
This site is an attempt to capture the beauty and vigour of this city and provide as much information as possible to people who wish to know more or visit Cochin. This site will use Cochin and Kochi interchangeably since they refer to the same place.
