My Remembrances- The Original Kochi
I just saw a detailed article in the 'Mathurbhoomi' Sunday edition. It was about Fort Kochin. Its hoary past. Its old buildings. Its queer architecture. The old Road names. Alleyes in a state of excellent preservation. Koder's pink house, which is a heritage marvel. The delapidated Fort, whose ruins are deep in the Arabian Sea. The point of connection of Vembanad Lake with Arabian Sea, and the slit opening which made Sir Robert Bristow to create India's one of the best natural Harbours. Sir Robert Bristow stayed at Fort Kochi. Aspinwall, Pierce Leslie, HE Day, Gorden Woodraff, Harisson Crossfield, Mathewson bosanquet, etc were British Companies, where Indians worked. And if you look at the number of Stenographers which were a legion then, you will find Thekkamadam mamas, Vedakkamadam mamas going towards British Kochi on a bycycle. Jesudas's house is seen in Kunnimpuram, and next to his house at an angle is the Government Hospital. The beuatiful Parade Maiden surrounded on four sides by Roads, and Flame of the Forests in full bloom resembling an English county, was a ground where many Cricket matches were held. We organized the Shashtri Memorial Trophy Cricket Tourney here between 1966-69. St Francis Church covers one of the sides of Parade Maidan. The famous navigator Vascoda Gama died here and was interned here. There is a centoph showing the correct spot where he was buried. There is St Marys Convent girls High School and St John de Britto School, and RDO's bunglow. Kochi, where Tamil brahmins from Palaghat and Thanjur came settled here on the dawn of the 20th century. Thekkamadam, you can see cluster houses; Vadakkemadam too, you can see 100% Brahmin population behind Rama Bai Bhat's dispensary. The Mattancherry Bazar, is an old town replacing a European Bazar. It also symbolizes the old Arab type mansions. Just behin these mansions, is the Vembanand lake. Oh Kochi history. Always delightful to hear. To remember. :clock: