Fort Kochi - An "Alice In Wonderland" of it's own

A trip that was supposed to be primarily for a detailed study,  turned out to be one of the most memorable trips I will cherish for a lifetime.
Being an architecture student at the time,  we were given certain duties to observe and document, the prestigious Kochi Muziris Biennale,  a contemporary art festival conducted every year in the city of Kochi,  which attracted artists from all over the world,  to come and display their artwork for the local public to see.

Hailing from the coastal city of Mangalore,  I didn't have too many expectations of  a fellow coastal town,  when I left for Kochi,  but little did I know what was in store for me! 

Jan 2, 2017
I set out to Kochi, via train from Mangalore city,  and after a good six hours on the train  got down at the Ernakulam station and headed to the hotel for a good night's rest and the the next three days to look forward to.

Jan 3, 2017
The next morning,  we set out to Fort Kochi via a ferry ride,  which happens to be the most  convinient,  reasonable and fun way to get to Fort Kochi,  since it was across the other side of town,  taking a ferry seemed more practical and much cheaper than cabs and other transport.
After a fifteen minute long ferry ride,  we were welcomed to sites of huge  Chinese fishing nets ( the only place that has them in India ) and the smell of the sea,  reminiscent of the smell back home!

Walking ahead,  we reached the main exhibit of the Biennale,  Aspin Wall house as  it is called. The very essence and beauty of this exhibition is that it is spread across the whole town of Fort Kochi,  thereby letting tourists experience the local culture as well the artifacts placed at different corners of the small town. At the front entry to the exhibition ,maps and various other prospectus  are handed over to help you walk around and find the different spots of artist exhibits,  much like a treasure hunt.
As we walked by,  we got to see some of the Wackiest and most interesting installations made, some of them could even be described as outright bizarre such as pictures of dead people dressed up...
(As creepy as that sounds)  there was still some beauty and fixation towards all these installations. I even saw an entire room filled with water,  and called 'The Sea of Pain ' dedicated to sailors lost at sea which was my favourite installation.
We spent an entire day covering most part of the town taking a look at these exhibits

January 4, 2017
The second day in Fort Kochi was also marked by exploring almost all of the attractions that were placed in various areas such as
David Hall
Pepper House
Durbar Hall
Parade Ground and even
Fort Kochi Beach
One of the most beautifully executed exhibitions I have seen till date. Along with this we also got to explore the town itself. With its nostalgic streets , vendors and hawkers running their trade,  the smell of spice in the air,  with the smell of the sea surrounding it , the place held the very definition of what is called ' Old world charm '.
Streets were adorned with graphiti and dotted with beautiful cosy little cafes every other way. It was like a world of its own,  and I did not want to leave!!!

Jan 5, 2017
On the final day of my trip,  I headed to the first ever Jewish Synagogue,  built in India. With its exquisite interiors and vintage charm,  history bled through the walls of this monument. This building was the first of the synagogues,  which was built for the Jews,  who took refuge in Kochi,  when they escaped their hometowns.Kochi holds a good amount of the Jewish population in India.
Apart from this I even visited the Mattanchery Palace,  the infamous Lulu Mall in Ernakulam,  and even the famous St. George chapel in the city.

As I headed back home,  there was a series of mixed feelings,  as I sat back and thought of the three days spent in the quaint little town of Fort Kochi. I went there knowing nothing,  but came back with so much more  . I was sad I had to leave,  happy to have experienced it,  and excited to see when the next time my return to Fort Kochi will be!