Set on a cluster of islands and a peninsula,
Cochin (now, Kochi) is a blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English
country village. Here you can see the oldest church in India, winding streets
crammed with 500-year old Portuguese houses, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets,
a well-settled Jewish community, a 16th century synagogue and a palace built
by the Portuguese and given to the Raja of Cochin.
The Mattancherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented
to the Maharaja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma (1537-61), as a gesture of goodwill.
It was substantially renovated by the Dutch after 1663, hence its other name,
the 'Dutch Palace'.
The most important feature of this palace, however are the astonishing murals
in the bedchambers and other rooms, which depict scenes from the Ramayana,
Mahabharata and Puranic legends connected with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Kumara
and Durga.
These murals are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful and extensive to
be seen anywhere in India.
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