Fort Kochi

	Location: About 13 km from Ernakulam town. Welcome to a 60-90 minute walking tour through  the old streets of Fort Kochi. This is the ideal way to discover a historic town brimming with tales  of myriad seafaring visitors who came here to trade. 'Walking through Fort Kochi' is a tour organised as  part of the conservation and development initiatives  taken up by the Corporation of Kochi. The eventful history of this city began when a  major flood in AD 1341 threw open the estuary at Kochi, which was till then a landlocked region, turning it into one of the finest natural harbours  in the world. Kochi thus became a haven for  seafaring visitors from all over the world and became the first European township in India when the Portuguese settled here in the 15th century. The Dutch wrested Fort Kochi from the Portuguese in  AD 1663 and later in the last phase of the colonial  saga, the British took over the town in 1795.  During 1660s, Fort Kochi peaked in stature as a prime commercial centre and its fame spread  far and wide - variously as a rich trade centre, a  major military base, a vibrant cultural hub, a great  ship building centre, a centre for Christianity and so on.  Today, centuries later, the city is home to nearly thirteen communities. A few interesting sites included in the tour are the Chinese fishing nets along the Vasco Da Gama Square, Santa Cruz Basilica, St.Francis Church, VOC Gate, Bastion Bungalow etc. Apart from these architectural  splendours, an array of restaurants serving fresh seafood is also popular among tourists. The Chinese fishing nets erected on teak wood and bamboo poles work on the principle of balance. Records say they were first set up here between AD 1350 and 1450. Vasco Da Gama Square, the  narrow promenade that parallels the beach, is the  best place to watch the nets being lowered and pulled out of the sea. The Santa Cruz Basilica, a church built originally by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope  Paul 1V in 1558, was spared by the Dutch conquerors  who destroyed many Catholic buildings. Later the British demolished the structure and Bishop Dom Gomez Vereira commissioned a new building in 1887.  Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a  Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984. Fort Kochi is also home to one of India's oldest churches - the St.Francis Church. This was a Roman Catholic Church during the Portuguese rule from 1503 to 1663, then a Dutch Reformist Church from 1664 to 1804, and Anglican Church from 1804 to 1947. Today it is governed by the Church of South India (CSI).  Another important fact about the church is that Vasco  Da Gama, who died in 1524, was buried here before his mortal remains were returned to Portugal 14 years later. Each and every structure, street, door, window and  brick in Fort Kochi has several stories to tell. Getting there: Fort Kochi is accessible by bus or ferry.  The bus ride from Ernakulam town, which is nearly 13 km away, takes about an hour and the ferry ride from Main boat jetty at Ernakulam about 20 minutes. Nearest railway station: Ernakulam about 1 1/2 km from the main boat jetty. Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 20 km