Obviously, I’m not done with my Kochi posts. The pretty streets of Fort Kochi have quaint names like Princess Street, Burghar Street, Napier Street, Rose Street and Lilly Street. These cobblestoned streets are lined with beautiful colonial homes that have been restored and converted into heritage hotels, home-stays, cafes, boutiques and art galleries. Some pictures:
Paradesi Synagogue
Dutch Palace/Mattancherry Palace
Church of Our Lady of Life
3. The Indo-Portuguese Museum
4. The Old Jail Complex
5. Dutch Cemetery
There’s a Dutch Cemetery with more than a hundred graves just a couple of minutes from the beach. It is usually kept locked, so you can only take a peek through the gate.
6. Parade Ground
8. Kerala Kathakali Centre
Another charming art gallery with good food – this is a breakfast-all-day, soups, salads, sandwiches, cakes kind of place. I loved their lemonade flavoured with a local herb called narunandi (also called sarsaparilla or nannari). It is used in Ayurveda as a coolant, and is said to help alleviate many disorders.
Saffron
During the non-tourist season in Fort Kochi, many places work limited hours or shut down altogether, so late dinners can get a little tricky. The Saffron restaurant in the Spice Fort Hotel is a nice option as it is open from 7:30 AM to 10PM. They claim to be an organic restaurant, which is another plus. The menu is quite huge and I really enjoyed their appams and stew.
Many more places like Oy’s Cafe, Dal Roti and Loafer’s Corner Cafe are highly recommended, but since we were there during the off season, they were closed most of the time.
‘Ugra Narasimha’, a fierce form of Vishnu’s lion-like avatar
The imposing Virupaksha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, said to be Hampi’s oldest temple
Inside the Virupaksha Temple
This region is believed to be Kishkindha, the monkey kingdom mentioned in the Ramayan
The Virupaksha Temple somehow escaped the plunder intact, and is still in worship.
Sasivekalu Ganesha. Sasivekalu means mustard seed. I don’t see the resemblance. You?
Krishna Temple, built to commemorate Krishna Deva Raya’s victory over Udayagiri in present day Odisha
The Krishna Temple is not in worship since the main idol was destroyed.
The Hazara Rama Temple replete with bas reliefs depicting tales from the Ramayan
The ‘underwater’ Shiva temple with its sanctum submerged in water
The Lotus Mahal in the zenana, or the ladies’ wing of the palace zone
Ruined structures in the compound wall around the zenana area
The beautiful elephant stables in the palace area
Hampi’s famous step well or Pushkarini
The Queen’s Bath, believed to date back to the reign of the king Achyuta Raya
I saved the best for last – the absolutely stunning Vittala Temple
The stone chariot in the Vittala Temple that has become Hampi’s most famous icon
The group of monuments in Hampi were included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in the year 1986. It’d probably take months to even skim the surface of Hampi’s treasures, but I hope you enjoyed the small glimpse into the medieval town from my short stay there.
Hopefully useful information
Nearest railway station: Hospet or Hosapete, 13km away. We took a train from Hyderabad.
Transport: Auto rickshaws, cabs, rented bicycles/scooters
Stay: Hotel Malligi, Hospet. My friend Ajay suggested it, and I totally recommend it too.
Memorable meal: Hotel Swati near the Hospet bus stand. We went because yamsivam recommended it on Twitter. Best dosas in the world. Seriously. Do not miss.