Sights in Kerala
-
Synagogue
This synagogue, originally built in 1568, was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took Kochi. It features an ornate gold pulpit and intricate, hand-painted, willow-pattern floor tiles from Canton, China. It’s magnificently illuminated by chandeliers (from Belgium) and coloured-glass lamps. The graceful clock tower was built in 1760. There is an upstairs balcony for women who worshipped separately according to Orthodox rites. Note that shorts or sleeveless tops are not allowed inside.
reviewed
-
A
Zoological gardens
The modern zoological gardens are among the most impressive in India. There are shaded paths meandering through woodland and lakes, where animals, such as tigers, macaques and lots of bird-life, happily frolic in massive, open enclosures that mimic their natural habitats. There’s a separate reptile house (entrance with zoo ticket), where dozens of the slithery things do their thing and cobras frequently flare their hoods – just don’t ask what the cute guinea pigs are here for.
reviewed
-
B
St Francis Church
Believed to be India’s oldest European-built church, St Francis Church was originally constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars. The edifice that stands here today was built in the mid-16th century to replace the original wooden structure. Adventurer Vasco da Gama, who died in Cochin in 1524, was buried on this spot for 14 years before his remains were taken to Lisbon – you can still visit his tombstone in the church.
reviewed
-
Abraham’s Spice Garden
If you’d rather do a spice tour independently, you can visit a few excellent gardens outside Kumily. Abraham’s Spice Garden has been going for 56 years and does tours of its one-hectare garden for Rs100.
reviewed
-
Bekal Beach
The Bekal beach encompasses a grassy park and a long, beautiful stretch of sand that turns into a circus on weekends and holidays when local families descend here for rambunctious leisure time.
reviewed
-
C
The Backwaters
Trips through the backwaters cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, and travel along narrow, shady canals where coir (coconut fibre), copra (dried coconut meat) and cashews are loaded onto boats. Along the way are small villages with mosques, churches, temples and schools, villagers going about their daily chores, and tiny settlements where people live on narrow spits of reclaimed land only a few metres wide.
Travelling through the 900km network of waterways that fringe the coast and trickle far inland is the undisputed main attraction of a trip to Kerala. Long before the advent of roads these waterways were the slippery highways…
reviewed
-
D
Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission
Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission is the incongruously pink ashram of Matha Amrithanandamayi. One of India’s few female gurus, Amrithanandamayi is also known as Amma (Mother), or ‘The Hugging Mother, ’ because of the darshan (blessing) she practises, often hugging thousands of people in marathon all-night sessions. The ashram runs official tours at 5pm each day. It’s a huge complex, with about 2000 people living here permanently – monks, nuns, students, Indian families and Westerners. It offers food, ayurvedic treatments, yoga and meditation, as well as souvenirs from the cult of Amma, everything from books to postcards of her toes. Amma travels around for much of the …
reviewed
-
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, about 10km past Marayoor and 60km northeast of Munnar, hosts deer, leopards, elephants and the endangered grizzled giant squirrel. Trekking (Rs100 for three hours) and tree house (single/double Rs1000/1250) or hut stays (single Rs1500 to Rs2500, double Rs1800 to Rs3000) within the sanctuary are available, as well as ecotour programs like river-trekking, cultural visits, and waterfall treks (around Rs100). For details contact the Forest Information Centre in Munnar. Buses from Munnar heading to Coimbatore can drop you off at Chinnar (Rs31, 1½ hours).
reviewed
-
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam, 32km northeast of Thrissur at Cheruthuruthy, is a champion of Kerala’s traditional-art renaissance. Using an ancient Gurukula system of learning, students undergo intensive study in Kathakali, mohiniyattam (classical dance), kootiattam, percussion, voice and violin. Structured visits are available, including a tour around the theatre and classes. Individually tailored introductory courses are offered one subject at a time (between six and 12 months; around Rs1500 per month, plus Rs1500 for accommodation).
reviewed
-
Hill Palace Museum
Hill Palace Museum at Tripunithura, 12km southeast of Ernakulam en route to Kottayam, was formerly the residence of the Kochi royal family and is an impressive 49-building palace complex. It now houses the collections of the royal families, as well as 19th-century oil paintings, old coins, sculptures and paintings, and temple models. From Ernakulam catch the bus to Tripunithura from MG Rd or Shanmugham Rd, behind the Tourist Reception Centre (Rs5, 45 minutes); an autorickshaw should cost around Rs250 return with one-hour waiting time.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
Possibly the most protected environment in South India – it’s nestled behind three dams in a valley surrounded by Keralan and Tamil Nadu sanctuaries – Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary constitutes 285 sq km of Kipling-storybook scenery and wildlife-spotting goodness. It’s home to elephants, bison, gaur, sloths, sambar, crocodiles, tigers, panthers and some of the largest teak trees in Asia. The sanctuary is best avoided during monsoon (June to August) and it sometimes closes in March and April.
reviewed
-
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
South India’s most popular wildlife sanctuary, encompasses 777 sq km and a 26-sq-km artificial lake created by the British in 1895. The vast region is home to bison, sambar, wild boar, langur, over 1000 elephants and around 46 tigers. Firmly established on both the Indian and foreigner tourist trails, the place can sometimes feel a bit like Disneyland-in-the-Ghats, but its mountain scenery and neat jungle walks make for an enjoyable visit. Bring warm and waterproof clothing.
reviewed
-
E
Jew Town
The synagogue is smack-bang in the middle of Jew Town, a bustling port area and centre of the Kochi spice trade. Scores of small firms huddle together in old, dilapidated buildings and the air is filled with the biting aromas of ginger, cardamom, cumin, turmeric and cloves. These days, the lanes right around the Dutch Palace and the synagogue are filled with antique and tourist curio shops rather than pungent spices. Look out for the Jewish names on some of the buildings.
reviewed
-
Tata Tea Museum
The TataTeaMuseum is, unfortunately, about as close as you’ll get to a working tea factory around Munnar. It’s a slightly sanitised version of the real thing, but it still shows the basic process. A collection of old bits and pieces from the colonial era, including photographs and a 1905 tea-roller, are also kept here. The short walk to here from town is lovely, passing some of the most accessible tea plantations from Munnar town.
reviewed
-
F
Pardesi Synagogue
Originally built in 1568, the Pardesi Synagogue was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662 and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took Kochi. It features an ornate gold pulpit and hand-painted, willow-pattern floor tiles from China. It's magnificently illuminated by chandeliers and coloured-glass lamps. The graceful clock tower was built in 1760. There is an upstairs balcony for women who worshipped separately according to Orthodox rites.
reviewed
-
G
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
This 260-year-old temple is Trivandrum’s spiritual heart. Spilling over 2400 sq metres, its main entrance is the 30m tall, seven-tier eastern gopuram (gateway tower). In the inner sanctum, the deity Padmanabha reclines on the sacred serpent and is made from over 10,000 salagramam (sacred stones) that were purportedly, and no doubt slowly, transported from Nepal by elephant.
reviewed
-
Krishnapuram Palace Museum
Two kilometres south of Kayamkulam (between Kollam and Alleppey), this restored palace is a fine example of grand Keralan architecture. Now a museum, inside are paintings, antique furniture, sculptures, and a renowned 3m-high mural depicting the Gajendra Moksha (the liberation of Gajendra, chief of the elephants) as told in the Mahabharata.
reviewed
-
Padmanabhapuram Palace
With dozens of lumberyards worth of intricately carved ceilings and polished-teak beams, this palace is considered the best example of traditional Keralan architecture today. Parts of it date back to 1550 though, as the egos of successive rulers left their mark, it expanded into the magnificent conglomeration of 14 palaces it is today.
reviewed
-
Archaeology Museum
The Archaeology Museum is housed in the 200-year-old Sakthan Thampuran Palace. Wandering through its arrow-guided maze you get to see some neat artefacts, including 12th-century Keralan bronze sculptures, earthenware pots big enough to cook children in, and an extraordinary 1500kg wooden treasury box covered in locks and iron spikes.
reviewed
-
Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary
Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary is a serene 25-sq-km park, home to over 270 species, including Malabar grey hornbills, jungle nightjar, grey drongo, darters and rarer species like the Sri Lankan frogmouth. You can hire private guides (Rs100 to Rs150) in the sanctuary, and there’s a canteen with basic food and drinks just inside the gate.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
H
Mattancherry Palace
Built by the Portuguese in 1555, Mattancherry Palace was a rather generous gift presented to the Raja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Varma (1537–61), as a gesture of goodwill. More probably, it was a used as a sweetener to securing trading privileges. The Dutch renovated the palace in 1663, hence its alternative name, the Dutch Palace.
reviewed
-
Veli Tourist Park
At the junction of Veli Lake and the Arabian sea, 8km west of the city, the unique Veli Tourist Park showcases strikingly oversized sculptures by local artist Kanai Kunhiraman. It's well-designed, and the ponds, mammoth concrete conches and quasi-erotic curves of the artwork make for an interesting backdrop for a picnic or a stroll.
reviewed
-
I
Puthe Maliga Palace Museum
The Puthe Maliga Palace Museum is housed in the 200-year-old palace of the Travancore maharajas. The traditional Keralan palace has carved wooden ceilings, marble sculptures and even imported Belgian glass. Inside you’ll find Kathakali images, an armoury, portraits of Maharajas, ornate thrones and other artefacts.
reviewed
-
Synagogues
One of the oldest synagogues in Kerala, at Chennamangalam, 8km from Parur, has been fastidiously renovated. Inside you can see notable door and ceiling wood reliefs in dazzling colours, while just outside lies the oldest tombstone in India – inscribed with the Hebrew date corresponding to 1269.
reviewed
-
J
Indo-Portuguese Museum
The Indo-Portuguese Museum, in the garden of the Bishop’s House, preserves the heritage of one of India’s earliest Catholic communities, including vestments, silver processional crosses and altarpieces from the Cochin diocese. The basement contains remnants of the Portuguese Fort Immanuel.
reviewed
