Why visit Cochin
- Cochin is the only place outside China where Chinese fishing nets are seen
- Opportunity to witness different dance forms of south India.
- Gateway to Kerala
The Chinese fishing nets are distinctly unique to Cochin, as outside China this is the only place where they are found. Cochin is a coastal stretch with loads of small stalls and many European styled bungalows built along the shoreline. The St. Francis Church, where Vasco Da Gama was buried, is the oldest church built by Europeans in India. His house is believed to be one of the oldest Portuguese houses in India. The original structure of Santa Cruz basilica was built by the Portuguese and destroyed by the British colonist. The Synagogue is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old testament can be found here. It is located near the Dutch Palace in Mattancherry. The region's culture is mainly Dravidian in origin, deriving from a greater Tamil-heritage region known as Tamilakam. The culture was elaborated on through centuries of contact with overseas cultures. Native performing arts include koodiyattom, kathakali - from katha ("story") and kali ("performance") - and its offshoot, Kerala natanam, koothu (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam ("dance of the enchantress"), thullal, padayani, and theyyam. Other arts are more religion- and tribal-themed. These include oppana (originally from Malabar), which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalisations. However, many of these artforms largely play to tourists or at youth festivals, and are not as popular among most ordinary Keralites. These people look to more contemporary art and performance styles, including those employing mimicry and parody.
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