MOHAMED SATHAK ENGINEERING COLLEGE, KILAKARAI

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
SEM V

Ar. G. Antony Jenita

M.Arch
UNIT IV VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF SOUTH INDIA 8
Forms, spatial planning, cultural aspects, symbolism, art, colour, materials of
construction and construction technique, proportioning systems, religious beliefs
and practices in the vernacular architecture of Kerala (including houses of the Nair
& Namboothri community, Koothambalam and Padmanabhapuram palace) and
Tamil Nadu (including houses and palaces of the Chettinad region, agraharams).

PADMANABHAPURAM PALACE:
History:
 Travancore was formerly known as
Thiruvithamcode, Vanchedesam,
Velnad, Venad and Vanavanad.
 The rulers were known as
Vanchibhoopathis.
 The prefix ‗vanchi‘ indicates that the
ancestors of the rulers were Chera kings
whose capital was Thiruvanchikulam.
 It is said that Venad was in existence even before the beginning of
Malayalam era.
 The first Venad ruler was Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal.
 The west facing palace dates back to the days of Veera Udaya Marthanda
Varma.
 The Kalkulam fort (Udayagiri fort) which encompasses an area of 186 acres
was built in 1601 AD.
 The last to rule Venad from Padmanabhapuram was Marthanda Varma the
great.
 In 1750, he surrendered his kingdom to lord Padmanabha (Truppadidanam)
and ruled on his behalf. Since then the rulers of Travancore were known as
Padmanabha Dasas.
 In 1750 Marthanda Varma found it necessary to change the capital to
Trivandrum.
 Then his successors used this palace to spent short periods (holidays).
 Gradually its historical and cultural significances faded.
 It was Sree Chithira Tirunal who ascended the throne in 1931, took the
initiative to revive art, architecture, sculpture and other fine arts of
Travancore.
 Thus Padmanabhapuram palace, its congregation of typical kerala features in
architecture, roofing, carved wooden frontages, doors, corridors etc, makes it
a complex of artistic eminence.

The Palace Complex:

 Padmanabhapuram palace covers an area of around 7 acres.
 The complex consists of individual structures linked by a maze of corridors,
colonnades, verandahs, courts and constructed of teakwood and granite
and stands within the massive stone walls of 30 ft which kept Tipu Sultan at
bay in the 18th century.
 Exquisite wall paintings, fascinating traditional Kerala architecture, floors
finished to a high polish with a special mixture of crushed shells, coconuts,
egg-white and juices of local plants
 Courtyards with carvings and
sculptures are some of the
outstanding features of this
sprawling palace housed within
fortified walls.
 The Palace has its main
entrance from the west.
 The 'padipura' or the main gate
reached after crossing a large
courtyard, displays an ornamented gabled roof.
 The 'pumukham', inside the second court, has a profusely carved rosewood
and mahogany ceiling with 90 different inverted flowers, a polished granite
bed in one corner and an ornate Chinese throne.
 There is an audience hall on the upper level of the two storeyed building with
circular wooden columns and angled timber screens to let in light and air.
 The third court marks the beginning of the private zone of the palace.
 Here, on the north of 'Pilamottu Kottaram' is 'Upparikka Malika' (upper storey)
or the Perumal Kottaram.
 Its four chambers arranged one above the another, connected by steep
steps, served as a treasury on the ground floor, the royal sleeping
chamber on the second floor, the royal meditation chamber and shrine
room on the fourth floor.
 On days of penance, his highness took rest on the third floor, which also
served as his prayer room.
 The 18th century Kerala murals on the walls remains unblemished even after
centuries and surpass even those at Mattancherry palace in Kochi.
 There is also a four poster medicinal bed of 64 Ayurvedic healing woods
here, many presented by the Dutch.
 Each room in the palace has its own characteristic style.
 A guided tour through the maze of 108 rooms leaves one breathless at the
artistic expression and sheer opulence of these magnificent rooms.
 Painted Mahogany musical ceremonial bows adorn a wall, a huge brass oil
lamp hangs from an ornate teak, wooden ceilings profusely carved etc are a
feast to the eyes.
The Architecture
 Thai kottaaram is the oldest building in this palace complex.
 The remaining blocs were constructed by different rulers.
 Construction continued till the reign of swati tirunal.
 The main blocks include
o Poomugha malika
o Plamoottil kottaram
o Veppinmoodu kottaaram
o Thai kottaaram
o Ottuppura
o Homappura
o Udayarvilakom kottaaram
o Uppirikka malika
o Aayuda pura
o Indra vilasom
o Chandra vilasom
o Navarathri mandapam
o Puthen kottaram
o Thekke kottaaram
 Poomugham is a two storied construction.
 The ground floor has 90 different floral patterns, on its ceiling.
 The horse that greets the visitors is a unique one.
 Its circular recess forming the base edge has a fluted rim.
 At the end of which the figure of a horse comes over the centre of the recess
to ensure balance.
 Tilt or pull the lamp to one direction.
 It would come to rest in a fixed position only.
 There is a cot made of granite, a horse shoe shaped chinese chair, and
dozens of ancient ona villu.

The Mantrashala
 The 'Mantrashala' or Council Chamber is
placed directly above the entrance on the first
floor and is gently illuminated through panes of
coloured mica.
 Herbs soaking in water were put into the box-
benched seats along the front wall as natural
air-conditioning.
 The flooring got its gleaming patina from a unique but an obsolete technique
using burnt coconut, sticky sugarcane extract, egg, white lime and sand
which were mixed together.
 Another amazing feat of architecture is seen in the oldest part of the complex,
the "Ekandamandapam" or "the lonely place" with elaborate floor paintings.
 A loose ring attached to a column is tour de force of the carpenter, as both
the ring and column are carved from a single piece of jack wood.
 Also close by, is a trapdoor, which once opened to a secret passage leading
to another palace a few kilometres away, but long since destroyed.
 The pandya-style stone columned dance hall stands directly in front of the
shrine of goddess saraswati and is very impressive.
 Women of the royal household watched the performance through screens on
the side and the staff through holes in the wall from the gallery above.
 Women's quarters were totally separate.
 The rajas and maharajas were equally elaborately adorned with belgian
mirrors and tanjore miniatures of lord krishna.
 A four-poster bed made from sixteen kinds of medicinal wood dominates the
raja's bedroom.
 Its elaborate carvings depict inter alia human figures, birds and a central motif
- the snake - a symbol of medicine associated with the greek physician,
Asclepius
 Mantrasala has 11 kilivathils (windows), with colored mica as panes.
 The maharaja and his ministers assembled here.
 The flooring is smooth and cool.
 The flooring material is made up of a strange mixture-chunnampu, burnt
coconut shell, egg white, and herbs. On the ceiling is depicted the images of
navagriha.
 The narrow corridor from here leads to huge oottupura/dining hall. Nearly
2000 people can sit at a time.
 A few steps down the oottupura, is the Thai Kottaram.
 This is also Dharbakulangara Kottaram.
 The ceiling of the Dhyanamandapam in this structure is adorned with 63 floral
motifs.
 All the flowers except the central one have two rows of petals. Thai kottaram
is built in the nalukkettu style.
 There is an underground passage from here to charottu kottaram, which is 2
kms away.
 There is a pond and a hall for massaging.
 Upparikka malika is a treasure house of art and architecture.
 It is the tallest construction in the complex.
 It houses the treasury, bedroom, fasting room, and puja chamber.
 The wall of the treasury hall is very thick.
 A special lock called naazhi poottu is used to lock this chamber.
 The sapramanjakattil, intricately carved royal cot is yet another marvel on the
display.
 The chamber of murals frescos adorning the walls.
 The murals for which the palace is famous are alive with details, colour,
graceful form and religious fervour and adorn the walls of the meditation
room, used by the raja and heirs apparent, directly above the bedroom.
 However, this section has been closed to preserve the murals.
 The museum across the ticket counter has beautiful wooden sculptures and
displays copies of the murals from the palace.
 There is a clock tower.
 The building houses stone tablets from the chola days and venad kingdoms
 The ambarimugham, from where the king hears grievances of his subjects,
the ladies chambers with cute small windows, the navarathri mandapam, and
court sessions are definitely a sight to see and remember.
 Some of the other interesting sections and items in this palace are royal
chairs with chinese carvings, secret underground passages which is said to
run from another palace 2km away, belgian mirrors in the ladies chambers
and pictures of lord krishna, hanging brass lanterns lit continuously since the
18th century, hanging cage through which eagles tore criminals to death,
open air swimming bath, the king's sister's dressing room with two hanging
beds.
 One of the oldest buildings in the complex is 'thaikkottaram' or the queen
mother's palace (1550) with intricately carved wooden pillars, painted ceilings
and a red polished floor, then there is the alambara bhagavati temple and
saraswathi temple, large earthen urns, room for scribes and accountants,
carved figures on columns holding oil lamps, pooja (worship) rooms with
jackfruit tree columns, fish carvings on the ceilings, 'lakshmivilasam', granite
dance hall known as 'navarathrimandapam', 'chandravilasam' which served
as the summer resort of the royalty to the north west, 'indravilasam'
incorporating a residence and audience hall, partly built in a neo- classical
style building, thekke kottaram (southern palace) and 'neerazhi kettu' (bathing
ghats) on the south, 'ekandamandapam' or 'the lonely place', the
'homappura', where religious offerings were made.
UNIT V WESTERN INFLUENCES ON VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF
INDIA 10
Colonial influences on the traditional Goan house. Evolution of the bungalow from
the traditional bangla, Victorian villas. Planning principles and materials and
methods of construction of the bungalow. Settlement pattern and house typologies
of Pondicherry and Cochin.

Colonial influence of vernacular architecture in Goa :

Location and features:
 Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms
of population.
 Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is
bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north and by Karnataka to the
east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.
 Portuguese first landed in Goa as merchants, in the early 16th century, and
conquered it soon thereafter.
 The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it was
annexed by India in 1961.
 Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture.
 Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists
each year.
 It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats
range, which is classified as

BANGLA - BUNGALOW
 Bangla is an Indian term to describe
a hut originated from Bengal, India –
17th century.
 Bengali or Bangla is an Indo-Aryan
language of the eastern Indian
subcontinent
 Bangla or bungalow is an
westernised version of the Indian hut
developed and designed to suit the
requirements of the Europeans when
they settled in India
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BANGLA AND BUNGALOW
BANGLA BUNGALOW
native structure westernised

single storey one or two storey

built of wood bamboo and thatch built of sundried bricks and thatch

ORIGIN OF BANGLA:
 Originated from bengal by the natives
 Single storey
 Primarily a shelter for poor people
 Rich hindu family usually have many of these huts for different activities

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

 Made of mud
 Raised plinth 3‘ – 4‘
 Thatched roof sloping on two sides

THE ANGLO INDIAN BUNGALOW

 Materials changed from the native bangla
 Characteristics of Anglo Indian bungalow
Central square
 thatch extends all over the sides
 verandah introduced to cut down the
heat
 corner of the verandahs converted into
rooms
 clear storey lighting was provided in the
roof
 it was either square or rectangle in plan
COLONIAL INFLUENCES – GOA
 Lies in Malabar coast south of Bombay
 influence of Christianity in
architecture by Portuguese
 building types found Indo
Portuguese architectural style
 churches classic mansions and
houses

GOAN HOUSES - HINDU HOUSES CHRISTIAN HOUSES

 Style : Indo Portugese style
 Materials : baked clay tiles, laterite for walls (plastered)
 Windows with wooden frames

HINDU HOUSE
 Rectangular in plan
 Single storey
 Central courtyard with tulsi madam
 Central entrance has a verandah
 The room arranged around a central pillared court yard

 The goan Hindu Architectural style is different from the Portuguese-

influenced style.
 Hindu houses have little colonial influence.
 Most of the big houses have a courtyard called as Rajangan in Konkani
where a Tulasi Vrindavan is seen.
  A special place called as Soppo is often used for relaxing.
 Goan traditional Hindu houses have the following features:
o Angan (courtyard with a Tulasi Vrundavan)
o Rajangan (a courtyard inside the house)
o Deva kood (a place for daily prayer and other rituals)
o Saal (a hall)
o Raanchi kood (a kitchen with a door which is called Magil daar)
o A room special meant for pregnant and nursing mothers.
o Kothar (store room)
o A hall specially meant for celebrating Ganeshotsav

EXTERIORS
 The traditional pre-Portuguese homes were inward-looking with small
windows; this reflected the secluded role of women.
 The houses opened into courtyards, and rarely opened onto streets.
 The Catholic houses were more outward-looking and ornamental, with
balcões (covered porches) and verandas facing the street.
 The large balcões had built-in seating, open to the street, where men and
women could sit together and chat
 These balcões are bordered by ornamental columns that sometimes
continued along. The houses of rich landlords had high plinths with grand
staircases leading to the front door or balcão.
 Large ornamental windows appear purely decorative.
 Front doors were flanked by columns or pilasters.
 Railings were the most intricate embellishment in a Goan house. Pillars,
piers, and colours mixed bag of architectural styles.
USE OF COLOUR
 Dramatic and startling colour—initially achieved with vegetable and natural
dyes—plays an important role in Goan architecture. Colour was decorative
and used purely to create a sensation
INTERIORS
 Painting on walls
 walls up to the dado height finished with glazed tiles
 Floral pattern below the cornice

CORNICES
 Country tiles used as a corbel are a feature peculiar to Goa. The effect
achieved is aesthetically pleasing, giving the roof projection a solid, moulded
appearance.
PONDICHERRY
INTRODUCTION
 PUDUCHERY formerly known as PONDICHERY located in the southern east
part of TAMIL NADU.
 PUDUCHERY literal meaning is ―NEW VILLAGE‖.
 It is one among the seven union territiories in India where the governance
and the administration of the territory falls under the federal authority.
 Pondicherry consists of four small unconnected districts: Pondicherry,
Karaikal and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé on the Arabian Sea.
 The territory has a total area of 492 km²:
 Official languages of Pondicherry are Tamil (89%), Malayalam (3.8%), Telugu
(2.9% Yanam) and French (1%).
 A remarkable degree of French influence in Pondicherry exists to this date.
Pondicherry was designed based on the French (originally Dutch) grid pattern
and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets.

MAP-PONDICHERY

FRENCH SETTLEMENT
FRENCH STREETS
 Continuous walls spread
through out the streets.
 High fortified walls
 Each floor is divided by the
cornice works with rich
decorations.
 The facades of the building
gives the feeling of
continuity to the street and
makes richness.
 The windows are either arch windows nor flat which is covered by the band
made of bricks.
 In the two storey building the balcony which is made of wood supported by
the iron.
 The parapet walls in the buildings are made up of either bricks or khujas

DESIGNING PATTERN
 The houses of the `French
were similar to each other and
high workmanship.
 These pattern are similar
to 18th century houses in
France.
 The facades of the
building always are similar on
A tourist walks along the houses both sides and front facade
near the Southern Boulevard Road faces towards the garden.
 The rooms are placed
continuously.
 They used flat roofing
 There are continuous pillars which forms a verandah used due to climatic
aspects.
 The interiors are richly decorated than the exterior.
 Cement flooring were used and teak wood floors in rare cases.
 Used different staircases above the arches.

DESIGN BASED ON CLIAMTIC FACTORS

 Depends on the climatic factors they roof were high than normal roofing.
  The rooms were huge and windows
were large.
 The verandhas were placed along the
garden.
 The wood used for the windows and
entrance doors.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
 Bricks used for the construction of walls.
 Usually the walls of 2‘thick and 14‘ high.
 The arches and pillars were made of bricks.
 Madras terrace technique for construction of roofs.
 Lime is used as water proofing agent.
 Balconies were 4‘ wide and was supported by steel members.

MATERIALS USED FOR CONSTRUCTION

 Bricks and lime used for
construction of walls
 For interiors and exteriors lime
plastering were used.
 Burma and teak wood were used
for the wooden works.
 Fired bricks were used for the
decorative purposes
 The carving works can be seen in
some of the houses in facades.
The French Consulate, Pondicherry.
FORTIFICATION WALLS
 The buildings were surrounded by the fortification walls and huge entrances.
 The walls were divided equally by the small pillars and copings were used.
 In government buildings the bricks pillars were placed in order to get the view
of the building.

ENTRANCE
 The main speciality of the French streets
were the entrances of the houses.
 The houses which is at the street have
highly decorated entry which is differed
by the materials or using of colours.
  The simple and highly decorative entrances can be seen

WINDOWS AND ARCHES

 They were high and with arch or
flat.
 The materials of wood and glasses
were used for the doors.
 The windows are covered with
bands of strips.
 In arch windows the decorations
can be seen.
 The doors placed directly on walls
and locks used is made up of steel
or aluminium.
 The verandahs which faces
towards the garden have arch
openings.
 These acts as bridge between the exterior and interior of the building.
 There is a foldings in between the joining of roofs and pillars.

COLUMNS
 The pillared verandah can be seen in
single storey building
 These acts a support for the arches.
 Circular pillars with broad base and
short at the capital.
 The iron or brick hand rails were
placed in between the columns.

PLASTERS
 The cornices divides the floor levels
 Depends on these handrails and windows were placed.
 Depends on interior the exterior facades have decorations at top and bottom.
 The cornices were designed in such a way that used as damp proof.
 Double cornices were also used.
 The cornices were richly decorated and generally made of lime or surkhi.
STAIRS
 The stairs add aesthetic to the building.
 Straight flight, dog leg, open well stairs were used
 The wood or bricks were used for the handrails

BALCONY
 The balconies generally placed between the
cornices and the plaster.
 Usually the width of the balcony
is between 4 to 5 feet.
 The balconies were made of
madras terrace and manglore
tiles were used for roofings.
 Balconies placed above the
cornices can be seen in rare
cases.

TAMIL SETTLEMENT
STREET PATTERN
 The difference between the French
and Tamil settlement is notifiable.
 The main feature of tamil
settlement is low rised entrance
and thinnai.
 A low rised platform thalvaram in
the street has a small pillars were
the sloped roof lies on these pillars.
 Continuous plasters and
thalvaram,cornice parapets are on same pattern makes the street good
looking
 Flat roofs and sloped roofs
were combined in the buildings.
 The two storey house has the
feature of tamil culture and first
floor of french culture.
DESIGN PATTERN
 The houses were divided into
public,semi public and private
areas.
  These were divided along the common path with small level differences.
 The thinnai which joins the road and the house has the entrance which can
be lead by the steps.
 Depends on the vasthu the
courtyard is placed at the center
which acts as the link to the front
and the back portion of the
buildings.
 The courtyard is surrounded by
the thalvaram and has the sloped
roof towards the centre.
 The courtyard is surrounded by
the rooms such as pooja
arai,samayal arai,saman arai(store room).
 Behind the house kinaru(well) and thottam(garden) is placed.
 The continuous settlement of these houses has common wall on one side

DESIGN BASED ON CLIMATIC FACTORS

 Due to hot seasons the construction of huge houses and windows placed on
road side has been avoided.
 To protect the walls from rain entrance thalvaram were used and for air
movement central courtyard used.
 The houses has open, semi open and closed area were used depends on the
climate.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
 The walls were simple which holds the roof and foundation made of small
stones and bricks laid above that.
 For walls bricks were used and the clay and powder bricks were used as
bonding material.
 For flat roofing madras terrace were used above the wooden planks.
 For sloped roofs mangalore tiles were used and supported by wooden
planks.

MATERIALS USED
 Used locally available materials.
 Bricks,lime,clay,fired bicks,woods are the most commonly used materials.
 The french-tamil method of construction is followed in tamil region.
 These type of method also followed in interior of the buildings.
  Ground storey building follows the proper method of tamil style.
 This method contains based on following order.
o Thinnai
o thalvaram
o courtyard
o rooms and
o used wood for doors which were carved.
 First floor is on the basis of french style
 These includes using arch windows decorative
capitals,flower vase etc.,

DOORS AND WINDOWS

 The doors are wood and richly carved.
 All the doors have similar carvings.
 The carving in the doors depends on the castes.
 Windows,generally made of teak wood and placed in the
wall.
 The windows were of semi arch in tamil buildings which
is of french-tamil method of construction.

PARAPET,CORNICE,WINDOWS
 These are decorated carvings or glass works.
 The sunshades is made of light materials supported by wooden planks.

PLASTER AND CORNICE

 These both elements acts as important materials in facades.
 These plaster and cornice decides the placement of doors, windows, parapet
and balcony.
 The cornice placed near the roof has foldings and they prevent the wall from
rain.

PARAPET WALLS
 The parapets above the buildings gives the aesthethic look to the streets.
 The parapets which lies above the cornices are made of brick works, khujas,
fired bricks
 The band that run throughout the buildings and the copings were used to
avoid the dampness of wall due to rain.
 However the method and technique used for construction is not only for
function and aesthetic purpose but also gave in the construction field.
COCHIN:
 Cochin – Biggest urban conglomeration in Kerala.
 Location – 9deg 55‘ N & 76deg 15‘ East.
 Characteristic physical feature – expanse of backwaters and low lying
wetlands.
 Typical soil strata – alluvial soil laden with fine silt & clay to depths up to 50m.
 Hot humid climate with max. temp of 34 deg & min of 22 deg.
 Average annual rain fall – 3000 mm from two monsoons.
 Relative Humidity – 70 – 87 %
Early History:
 Cochin Port was formed in 1341, when the heavy floods of that year silted up
the mouths of the Musiris harbor and the surging waters forced a channel
past the present inlet into the sea.
 The old merchants of Musiris shifted
to Cochin as soon as the new outlet
became more or less stable.
 As the harbour gained prominence,
the then ruler of the region shifted
his capital also to Cochin, giving
impetus to the growth of the town.
 The early settlement of Cochin was
at Mattanchery, facing the protected lagoons in the east, which provided safe
anchorage to country crafts in all seasons. Mattanchery was linked to the
entire coastal stretch of Kerala through this inland waters.

 Thus gradually it grew into a busy settlement.

 Nicolo Conti recorded that, by 1440, Cochin was a city 5 miles in
circumference and that Chinese and Arabs carried on brisk trade with the
natives of this town.

Colonial settlement in Fort Cochin:

 From 16th Century, Cochin witnessed the rapid changes through the trading
and colonizing attempts of European powers. Portuguese were the first to
arrive in Cochin.
 They founded Fort Cochin established factories and warehouses, schools
and hospitals and extended their domain in the political and religious fronts.
 The fall of the Portuguese in Cochin came with take over of the Fort by Dutch
in 1663.
 The Dutch East India Company tried to persuade the local rulers into giving
them monopoly in pepper trade. In this attempt, they came across varied
interests of other forces viz. English, French and the Dutch.
 For hundred years therefore Cochin became the center of political and
commercial battle. In 1795, The British took over Cochin from the Dutch. Fort
Cochin thus became British Cochin.
 It became a Municipality in 1866
Market Town- Mattanchery
 Mattanchery, meanwhile, had developed as a typical oriental market town,
with commercial activities distributed along the waterfronts.
 The agricultural produce from the vast hinterland flowed to its markets to be
sold or exchanged for textiles, metals, and other products of European
Countries. Jews and Muslims had their settlements here.
 The trading communities from Gujarat and the emigrants from Goa too
established themselves in Mattanchery along with the native Hindus and
early Christians.
 As far as the rulers
were concerned, this
helped to strike a
balance of economic
power with the
European traders.
Administrative Centre –
Ernakulam.
 By 1840, Mattanchery
was so much crowded that the Cochin rulers shifted their capital to
Ernakulam on the eastern side of the backwaters.
 Public buildings and educational institutions were set up in Ernakulam
befitting the splendor of Maharajas.
 Roads were laid out.
 Markets were established.
 Temples were renovated.
 Railways came to Ernakulam in 1905. Ernakulam thus gradually started
developing as an administrative town. Mattanchery rose to the status of
Municipality in 1912 and was followed by Ernakulam in 1913.

Development of Cochin Port

 In those decades the existence of a sand bar in the sea mouth prevented
large ships from entering safely into the backwaters of Cochin. With
industrialization in the west there came the revolution in overseas trade with
the wrought iron ships of greater draught and the consequent need for
deeper and safer harbours and stronger moorings.
 The opening of Suez Canal in 1869 further emphasized the importance of this
port as a coaling station for this route. The idea of making great harbour, out
of the unique lagoons in Cochin was thus originated as early as 1870. But
Cochin presented a case for dredged channel leading to the inland harbour,
 unfortunately the science and art of dredging was not fully developed in this
period.
 Hence it was only in 1920 that the port works were initiated. Under the
direction of Sir Robert Bristo, the sand bar at sea mouth was cut open and a
deep shipping channel was dredged to the backwaters.
 The spoils of the dredging was used to the reclaim Wellington Island from the
backwaters. Road connection to the main land on the west and road-rail
connection to the east from the island was completed in 1940 when Cochin
was declared as a major port by the Government of India.
 Wellington Island developed with its wharfs, quays and other infrastructure as
terminal complex of transportation.
 Cochin port gradually became the focus of the city. Centered around the port
facility grew large number of business and commercial establishments
providing the economic base to the city and the environs.

Genesis of Cochin Corporation

 The industrialization in turn resulted in population increase and consequent
urban growth. Cochin thus witnessed unprecedented trends of urbanization
during the past four decades.
 The growth of population and activities has necessitated efforts to tackle
urban problems, to regulate city building and to guide future development.
 While the Municipal Govt.s of Fort Cochin, Mattanchery and Ernakulam were
able to exercise their powers and evolve schemes in their respective areas of
jurisdiction, they were not in aposition to perceive the problems of urban
growth as a whole and to plan for it.
 In order to streamline the municipal administration, the Cochin Corporation
was formed in 1967, incorporating the three Municipalities (Fort Cochin,
Mattanchery and Ernakulam). Wellington Island and few surrounding areas in
the suburbs.

Jewish Synagogue – Mattancherry

 Built in 1568 AD. This building
houses some ancient articles like the
Great Scrolls of the Old Testament,
the copper plates with royal
inscriptions issued to the colonists by
the ruling Maharaja of Cochin State,
and the exquisite Chinese hand-
painted tiles.
Parade Ground
 Surrounded by impressive century old trees,
 was used by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British to conduct military
drills and parades.
 It is situated in the heart of Fort Kochi and you can see some of the fine old
buildings surrounding it. These buildings accommodated the administration of
the colonial powers.
 Today it is the largest open
space in Fort Cochin and serves
as a public sports ground.
 These huge cantilevered fishing
nets are the legacy from the
ancient visitors to the Malabar
coast. Built in the 14th century
AD by traders from the court of
Kublai Khan, these ingenious contraptions were made from locally available
teak wood and bamboo poles.
 The best place to watch the nets
being lowered into the sea and raised
with the catch is the Vasco da Gama
Square, a paved promenade that runs
along the beach.
 This mansion used to be the busy
office of Pierce Leslie & Co. Who
traded in coffee and other produce
from Kerala from the year 1862
onwards till recently.
 A prominent colonial bungalow in Fort Cochin, it combines Portuguese, Dutch
and also local style of architecture.
 Characteristic features are wooden panels that for a false ceiling to the
ground floor halls, arched doorways,
carved doors and sprawling rooms.
 Waterfront verandahs add to the
glamour of the edifice.
Koder House
 This magnificent building
constructed by Samuel S. Koder of
The Cochin
 Electrical Company in 1808 is a
 supreme example of the transition from colonial to Indo European
architecture.
 Features like verandah seats at the entrance, floor tiles set in a chess board
pattern, red colored brick like façade, carved wood furniture and a wooden
bridge connecting to a separate structure across the street are all unique to
this bungalow.

Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace)

 Built by the Portuguese and presented to the King of Cochin in 1557 AD
 It acquired the present name after 1663 when the Dutch carried out extension
and renovation in
the Palace. Its
interiors are
decorated with
murals from the
epic Ramayana.
 Also there are
exhibits of some
royal costumes
and palanquins
used by the
Rajas for travel.

Indo-Portuguese Museum / Bishop’s House

 Standing on a gentle hillock near the Parade Ground, the Bishop‘s House
boasts a facade having
large gothic arches.
 Originally build in 1506
AD for the residence of
the Portuguese
Governor; it was the turn
of the Dutch to occupy it
from 1663 AD. After the
British conquest in 1795
the property came into
the possession of the
Vernedes family.
 From them it moved into the hands
of Dom Jose Gomes Ferreira, the
 27th Bishop of Cochin, whose jurisdiction extended over to Burma, Malaya
and Ceylon, in addition to the whole of Southern and Eastern India.
 Today, a Museum depicting Indo-Portuguese history is functioning in a newly
built hall.
 St. Francis Church Considered as India‘s oldest European Church, it was
originally Roman Catholic Church during the Portuguese period from 1503 till
1663 Ad, then Dutch Reformist till 1804, and Anglican till 1947.
 Today it is part of the Church of South India.
 The Original timber structure was demolished and reconstructed using stone
masonry during the 16th century.

Fort Immanuel
 Built in 1503, Fort Immanuel was a symbol of the
strategic alliance between the Rajah of Cochin and
Monarch of Portugal, after whom it was named.
 The Fort was strengthened in 1538, but after the
Dutch conquest in 1663 it deteriorated to a third of its original size.
 In 1806 the British brought down the huge walls of the Fort and most of the
bastions.
 Now its remains can still be traced along the beach, some under water.