Mattancherry,Kochi

How splendid it would be to experience the blend of different cultures in a single town!

Located at a distance of about 10 kms from Ernakulum, surrounded by the backwaters of Arabian Sea, this colorful town of Kochi is known to be the melting pot of various cultures since the time of sea invasions.It had been an important commercial hub of Ernakulam due to its trade on turmeric,pepper and tea.But gradually it became more of a tourist destination when traders shifted to continue their business in Ernakulam. People from various parts of Goa,Tamil Nadu,Gujarat came and settled here for trade,which had built up the cultural amalgamation of the town.

Where does the name come from?It is said that the streets of the town were filled with mutton butchers,thus it was named Mattancherry,where cheri refers to streets.Some are also of the opinion that the name comes from "Ancherry-Muttom", which the foreign traders used to pronounce Matt-Ancherry; from which the name Mattancherry became popular.

The famous “Jew Town” in Mattancherry shows the culture of the ancient Jews who migrated and settled in Kochi for trade.It has many antique showrooms and shops  from where one can have an idea about the antiques of carved wooden furniture and vessels, handicraft and garment which the Jews used and the kind of lifestyle they led.These Kochi Jews, also known as Malabar Jews are the oldest group of Jews in India of the time of King Soloman,during the 12^th century. It has been mentioned in the Itinerary of the Jewish traveller  Benjamin of Tudela, that the islands of Malabar Coast were inhabited by thousands of  Israelites who later came to be known as the Malabari Jews.  They are known to have developed Judeo-Malayalam, a dialect of Malayalam language. They also built many synagogues in Kerala during the 12^th and 13^th centuries. 

Other Places to Visit: Mattancherry consists of the oldest active synagogue of Asia in the Jew Town, which is popularly referred to as the Paradesi Synagogue , was constructed in 1567. It is one of the seven synagogues of the Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin .The synagogue was built by Spanish speaking Jews, hence the name Paradesi Synagogue. It is also called Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue. The synagogue is open every day except Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Timings are from 10 am to 12 noon; and again from 3 pm to 5 pm.The township around the synagogue is known for spice trade and curio shops dealing in antiques as well as rare glass and beads.

The Dutch Palace in Mattancherry is another notable place to visit which was built by the Portuguese and presented to the King of Kochi, Veera Verma in 1555; but later it was taken over by the Dutch. The palace has fine wall paintings depicting scenes and stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. It also exhibits the royal costumes, palanquins and other antiques of the royals.

Another great historical place near Mattancherry is the St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi, originally built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan Friars, is the oldest European church in India. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon.

The Chinese Fishing Nets in Kochi are the landmark of Malabar Coast. The nets were introduced by traders from the courts of Kublai Khan of China. The Vasco Da Gama square affords the best view of the fishing nets during the sunset.

Other popular destinations near Mattancherry are Vypin Island which has some longest beaches in Kerala. One can also visit the city of Ernakulum, the Commercial Capital Of Kerala.

Want to go on a shopping spree?? The antique shops on Jew Town store every possible antique items like jewellery, crockery, wooden pillars, curios, wooden and metal figurines, statuettes, carved wooden furniture and handicrafts like wooden elephants, mirrors, wall hangings,

 paintings .There are also lamps, Chinese urns, door frames, vintage photographs, and glass and porcelain ware that were once part of churches or homesteads of noble families. Apart from these antiques, one can find sculptures, handmade toys, embroidered garments, floral oils, and chandeliers in many other shops along the street.  A big vaarpu (bronze vessel with handles on both sides) almost three metres in diameter is one of the major attractions on Jew Town. And you can end it with the varieties of traditional Kerala cotton sarees. ;-)

How to Reach? There are frequent bus and boat services available from Ernakulum to Mattancherry. The boat starts from main boat jetty near Subhas Park at Ernakulum.

Mattancherry has gradually transformed from a trade hub to a popular tourist destination.Ever since the ages,it had embraced the migrants of different cultures, languages and ethnicity and has helped them flourish under her warmth. It binds all the religions together as is evident from the co-existence of churches, temples, mosques and synagogues in the same area and thus has grown herself into a beautiful town of cultural amalgamations
Go to the link below for the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOhgSJNTXVE

Khoai at Sonajhuri, Shantiniketan

What comes to your mind when you hear about Khoai? Is it the “ranga matir poth” of Bolpur and Shantiniketan? Or the “amader chhoto nodi” poem of Tagore? Or the famous creations of painters like Ramkinkar Baij and Nandalal Bose? Well, all these sum up to the cultural heritage of Sonajhuri, Khoai.

Description: Located at a distance of about 170kms from Kolkata, Sonajhuri provides a region which is made up of laterite soil, popularly known as Khoai. Due to the presence of iron oxide in the soil, this region has very less vegetation; the only trees present here are Acacia or Sonajhuri. It is the wide number of acacia trees naturally arranged in rows and columns which create a picturesque in this region.

Every Saturday, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, a “haat” takes place in the Khoai region arranged by the Santhal community where one can buy the local arts, handicrafts and the traditional Shantiniketan sarees at an affordable rate. 

Baul performance

Here, the famous “Baul” singers create a mesmerizing effect with their performance. The soulful tunes of “ektara” along with the baul songs fill the place with a soothing tranquillity.

Nearby Attractions: Shantiniketan is the nearest town, at a distance of about 8 to 9kms, which can be reached in half an hour from Khoai. Some of the places to visit here are the Vishwa Bharati University campus, Kala Bhawan, Uttarayan, Geetanjali Theatre, Chatimtala, and Shantiniketan House, Bichitra Bhawan or Rabindra Museum and others.

There is also the Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary with a wide variety of trees, animals and birds, located a few kilometres away from the town. One can also visit the Srijani Shilpagram, started in 2008, which portrays the lifestyles, houses and handicrafts of different Eastern and North-Eastern states of India.

If one wishes to see the river mentioned in Tagore’s poem “amader chhoto nodi”, then he or she can visit the slow flowing Kopai

River, which is just 10 to 15mins from the Khoai region. Other nearby attractions are the Kankalitala Temple, which is one of the Sati Peethas having the waist of Goddess Parvati; and the Amar Kutir, about 15kms from Shantiniketan, which was once a place of refuge for independence movement activists but now has been turned into a cooperative society for the promotion of arts and crafts.

How to reach: Khoai, Sonajhuri can be reached from the town of Shantiniketan either by local vehicles or private cars. Many trains are available from Howrah station which will take about 2.5 to 3hrs to reach Bolpur, Shantiniketan. 

  One can also reach by car from Kolkata by taking the Durgapur Expressway and reach Nawabhaat, just after crossing the Bardhaman Bypass and then take the road towards Ghuskara keeping the 108 Shiv Mandir to the right to reach Sonajhuri via Bolpur Railway Station.

Ideal time to visit: The months of March and December attract the highest number of tourists to Shantiniketan. Basanta Utsav in March which transforms Bolpur into a vibrant and colourful town on the day of "Dol" (the day before Holi) and the famous Poush Mela in December, from 8th poush to 10th poush (according to the Bengali calendar) attract tourists from all over the world. Khoai can be visited throughout the year except in the summer season, when the scorching heat of the sun becomes unbearable.

Lodging and Food: There are many home stays and resorts available at Khoai, Sonajhuri. Some of them are the Sonajhuri

Home Stay, Shakuntala Village resort, Banalakshmi Resort, etc which provide lodging as well as dining facilities. A perfect combination of authentic Bengali cuisine in banana leaf plates and earthen pots and “baul” music in the background pours the heart and taste buds with pleasure.

Khoai is the perfect tourist destination to run away from the hustle and bustle of the city and indulge oneself in the essence and culture of “gram bangla”..
 

Khoai,Sonajhuri

Kopai Nodi

For more photos go to the link below:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/cnEnbB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIss5UBCPS8