India Guide
Kerala
Mattancherry
Mattancherry, the old district of red-tiled riverfront wharves and houses occupying the northeastern tip of the headland, was once the colonial capital's main market area – the epicentre of the Malabar's spice trade, and home to its wealthiest Jewish and Jain merchants. Like Fort Cochin, its once grand buildings have lapsed into advanced states of disrepair, with most of their original owners working overseas. When Mattancherry's Jews emigrated en masse to Israel in the 1940s, their furniture and other un-portable hierlooms ended up in the antique shops for which the area is now renowned – though these days genuine pieces are few and far between.
The sight at the top of most itineraries is Mattancherry Palace (daily except Fri 10am–5pm; Rs2), on the roadside a short walk from the Mattancherry Jetty, a kilometre or so southeast of Fort Cochin. Known locally as the Dutch Palace, the two-storey building was actually erected by the Portuguese, as a gift to the raja of Cochin, Vira Keralavarma (1537–61) – though the Dutch did add to the complex. While its squat exterior is not particularly striking, the interior is captivating.
The murals that adorn some of its rooms are among the finest examples of Kerala's underrated school of painting. The collection also includes interesting Dutch maps of old Cochin, coronation robes belonging to past maharajas, royal palanquins, weapons and furniture. Without permission from the Archeological Survey of India, photography is strictly prohibited.