WA N D E R L U S T
Starting my adventure about 36km away from
the city, I couldn’t help but feel the freshness
of the air. I went straight to the Mattancherry
Palace and Museum that was built in 1555 by the
Portuguese for the Raja of Kochi.
As soon as you enter through the old-fashioned
gate, you come across fruit sellers, selling slices of
pineapples, leaving you refreshed.
The palace looks more like a mansion or an old-
fashioned villa, a quadrangular structure built
in Nalukettu style, the traditional architecture
of Kerala. Here you pay an entrance fee of five
Rupees, but you are not allowed to use cameras
inside. A mystical feeling captures you as you
step into the well preserved rooms through small
wooden doors that send you back in time.
One thing that makes you enjoy the palace is the
fact that the rooms are not festooned with too
much art or antiques. It’s just enough to get your
attention and wonder how things were in that
era. You can see a collection of art, royal regalia
and exhibits, but it is the murals that make the
entire trip worth it. The warm coloured murals
depict religious scenes from Hindu art.
Also impressive are the portraits of the Rajas of
Cochin, from 1864 onwards, painted by local
artists in a western style. The details are so precise
that it makes you believe that the Rajas are
looking right through you. The colours used and
the way the eyes are painted makes them more
absorbing.
After that short tour, your next stop would be to do
some shopping on Princess Street, which is one of the
oldest streets in Fort Kochi. The prices here are usually
marked up but you can also find some of the best
quality of souvenirs, specially made for tourists who
want to grab a good trinket to remember the journey
by. Another thing that you must be careful of is that
the drivers have connections with all the shops or get a
certain commission; hence you might be taken to the
most overpriced shops by your tuk tuk guide. You must
negotiate, and if they see a genuine interest from your
end, they are willing to bring the price down.
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