VERNACULAR
ARCHITECTURE IN
COCHIN
HISTORY OF KOCHIN
• Fort Kochi is a vibrant, historic region by the Arabian Sea. It is one of those rare places in the
world that has been ruled by three colonial powers—the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British, in
that order. Most structures here were built in the Dutch and the Portuguese styles, and
consolidating the city's status as a melting pot, there are also Chinese fishing nets, cathedrals,
cemeteries and what were once Arab settlements.
• The metropolis of just over two million inhabitants, which also goes by the name of Cochin, is an
ancient port city in the southern state of Kerala that grew to prominence as a hub for the spice
trade, connecting cultures from China to Israel, then becoming part of the Portuguese and Dutch
colonial empires. But lately the cosmopolitan city is perhaps best known for its Kochi-Muziris
Biennale, South Asia's largest contemporary art event, which sees more than 500,000 people visit
exhibitions by dozens of artists from around the world.
MATTANCHERY PALACE
• The Mattancherry Palace is a Portuguese palace popularly known as the Dutch Palace,
in Mattancherry, Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala which features Kerala murals
depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. The palace was included in the "
tentative list" of UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The palace is a quadrangular structure built in Nālukettu style, the traditional Kerala style
of architecture, with a courtyard in the middle. Certain elements of architecture, as for
example the nature of its arches and the proportion of its chambers are indicative of
European influence in basic Nālukettu style
MATTANCHERY PALACE
• The Palace was built and gifted by the Portuguese as a present to the king of Cochin
around 1545.[1] The palace was built to appease the king after they plundered a temple
nearby.[3][4] The landing of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer at Kappad in 1498
was welcomed by the Kochi rulers. They were given exclusive right to construct factories.
The Portuguese repulsed the repeated attacks of the Zamorians and the Cochin Rajas
practically became vassals of the Portuguese. The influence of the Portuguese were
supplanted by the Dutch and they took over Mattancherry in 1663.[3] Subsequently, the
area was taken over by Hyder Ali and still later by the British East India Company
PIERCE LESLIE BANGLOW
• Pierce Leslie Bungalow, a charming mansion was the office of Pierce Leslie &
Co., coffee merchants, founded in 1862. A representative of the Fort Kochi
colonial bungalow, this building reflects Portuguese, Dutch and local influences.
Characteristic features are wood panels that form the roof of the ground floor,
arched doorways, carved doors and sprawling rooms. Waterfront verandahs are an
added attraction.
BISHOPS HOUSE
• Built in 1506 as the residence of the Portuguese Governor, the Bishop's House stands on a little
hillock near the Parade Ground in Fort Kochi. The facade of the House is characterised by large
Gothic arches and has a circular garden path winding up to the main entrance. The building was
acquired by Dom Jos Gomes Ferreira, the 27th Bishop of the Diocese of Kochi whose jurisdiction
extended over Burma, Malaya and Ceylon, in addition to India. Adjacent to the Bishop's House is
the Indo-Portuguese Museum which houses precious artefacts collected from various churches
under the Cochin diocese.
SANTA CRUZ CATHEDRAL BASILICA
• The Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica at Fort Kochi, Kochi is one of the nine Basilicas in
Kerala. Counted as one of the heritage edifices of Kerala, this church is one of the finest
and most impressive churches in India and visited by tourists the whole year round. It is a
place of devotion as well as a center of historic significance, endowed with architectural
and artistic grandeur and colours of the gothic style.
