In the outskirts of the Indian peninsula, Fort Kochi is a rather well-known seaside area with good food, good vibes, and a very good ground cover of trees and plant life. Speaking of which, I noticed many of these tall coconut trees standing with their half-shaved mohawks, which could be a sign of the huge wind speeds along the coast. And as we made our way from the city of Ernakulam into the island where Fort Kochi is located, we could already spot religious sentiments graffitied along the bridgeway, which was the perfect segue to St. Francis Church.
This was first built in 1503 by Portuguese allies as Catholic settlement began and was even the first of its kind in India. Many turbulent events later, this church is now a mosaic of historical value, including the gravestones that decorate the inner façade, the gabled wooden roof, and the remains of Vasco da Gama's tombstone. And even though we did not stay in the church for much longer, there were many architectural details across the space that continued to consume our attention.
Speaking of which, we strolled along the beach portion adorned with its own commercial hooks. There were perfumes, jewellery, fried foods, and raw crabs, and every time we walked two steps, we saw another shop worth clicking a picture of. I wouldn't consider myself the target audience for these wares, but credit where it is due.
What was funny to see is that everyone is hyper-aware of these tourist spots, so many of these fishing nets are only orchestrated for display purposes. We had a meaningful stroll around the beachside regardless.
Our next stop was Mattancherry Jew Town, beginning with the palace. We could quickly spot some features of the building, like the European window frames and the low-cut doorways, which are attributed to the complex history of Dutch, Portuguese, and native Keralite occupation of the building. Since it was crowded by the time we arrived, we began wandering around the colourful streets of Jew Town.
This entire region is an ideal dream for antique dealers or art collectors, given the magnitude of global influences that have played out here for centuries. We made our way towards the Paradesi Synagogue, which is right next to a quadrilingual clock tower, with one side for Malayalam, one for Hebrew, one for Roman numerals, and one blank face. It must have helped each of the resident communities stay on time in 18th-century Fort Kochi.
The synagogue is rich in colour as well. From the hand-painted Chinese porcelain tiles to the Belgian glass chandeliers, we also learnt that this was a place where many Jews in the past took refuge and found community, giving it a sense of foreign appeal and hence the name Paradesi Synagogue.
Back in the Mattancherry Palace, we learnt that the walls were painted in natural colours for the royal family of Travancore, depicting the story of the Ramayana. As we followed the walls from room to room, we encountered images of Indian gods such as Shivji, Ganeshji, and Vishnuji in various shapes and forms.
The fact that these depictions have survived so many decades of change and disruption is a testament to the art and will within communities that can easily outlast temporary setbacks. Needless to say, we walked away with much to think about, and all for the right reasons.
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