Kerala - Postcards from Mattancherry

I got introduced to the alleys of Mattancherry when the husband and I went furniture shopping for the new  house. Our research had led us to this shop called Crafter's Antique which is more like a storehouse of beautiful and intricately designed furniture and other accessories for your house. The trip being a very short one, did not give us much time to gallivant through the lanes of this old town. But nevertheless, we enjoyed our trip, not to forget the sumptuous lunch at Hotel Abad.
    

Crafter's Antique

The world's biggest varpu - 12 ft diameter, 3184 kgs

Mattancherry is a few kilometres away from Ernakulam Town and can be reached by bus or by a boat. Yes, there are boat services available from the boat jetty near Subhash Park. Historically significant, this place is famous for it's Jew Town, synagogue, the palace, the museum, the spice markets and the streets selling antiques, providing you with plenty of opportunities to shop. 

Pallankuzhi - a traditional board game, at Crafter's

http://kickingboredom.blogspot.com/2008/09/pallankuzhi.html

It is said that most of the items that you see here on sale are things that were left behind by the Jewish traders when they migrated to Israel. 
You can buy Chinese jars, wooden spoons, Kerala style doors, spice boxes, dowry chests, lacquer boxes, traditional cooking vessels from Kerala, furniture, murals, paintings et al.

Spices and more spices

 

Variety is indeed in this box of spice

Wooden cowheads

A perfect combination of busy arterial lanes on one side and serene backwaters on the other, the place exudes bits and pieces of history in all that you get to see there.  
Though a good and productive two days were spent in Mattancherry in two different trips, I am yet to discover more about this historic place. The synagogue, the samaj temples and the palace are yet to be seen. 
I only wish to say that right now I am enjoying the pace at which I am unravelling the pages of Kerala.

Kerala - Fort Kochi

    The streets of Fort Kochi were never unfamiliar to me. Though I hadn't visited the place, there was a strange connect that I experienced. A connect that I share with Dehradun too. The latter one, thanks to the several poems, essays and stories of Ruskin Bond and the former one, thanks to my father-in-law, who was so insanely in love with the place. 

    It's quite a strange thing. Throughout my life, inspite of the several visits to Kerala, I had never managed to visit Fort Kochi even once. The reason being the annual visits to relatives' houses which by itself was so time consuming and fun that we never managed to steal time to visit places. And I'm ashamed to confess that finally at the ripe age of thirty, my eyes were ready to take in the sights in and around Fort Kochi.

    And while I stood there gazing at the myriad, beautiful lanes adorned by little houses on either sides I realized why Fort Kochi was a favorite with Papa. If the place could evoke a sense of nostalgia for a first timer like me, it had to be an overwhelming feeling for him.

    He knows every nook and corner of Fort Kochi. Every restaurant, every hotel, every street. Mention the names and he has stories to tell.  

    I happened to spend three days in and around Fort Kochi. There was something magical about the place. Perhaps it was the I-don't-care attitude of people, or maybe the food, or the churches, or the quaint shops, or the by lanes that tempted you to take long walks... 

    





































All you need to do here is to wander, sometimes glancing at the beauty of the heritage structures, the houses, the colourful lanes, the busy spice markets, the antique stores, the cafes, the signages...

...the Chinese fishing nets

Another attraction here is the local market from where you can buy fish and get it cooked at the make-shift shops across the street.

Fort Kochi is full of life. Tourists, shopkeepers trying to attract customers, residents, food courts, cafes all add to the life of this place. A very cosmopolitan culture. 

Well, an ideal place for the one with the nomadic gene...just keep on wandering. I am sure I am going back to this lively and lovely place, SOON!