A mini-Europe cocooned in a tiny enclave. Fort Cochin is a delightful treat of quaint old-world charm that lingers in one’s mind, reminding people of a legacy. A legacy that differs from the rest of Kerala’s. This alluring charm of the legacy of a conquered past is embedded in the imposing buildings and churches built within the walls of a Fort. The majestic tree-lined Parade Ground is another fine example of this legacy and colonial grandeur, and together, it is important to preserve this enclave of Cochin’s historical past for our coming generations.

Preserving the Parade Ground is easier than preserving the old-world charm of the inner streets in the heart of Fort Cochin. Many of the 19th-century buildings have slowly given way to more modern ones in a bid to lure tourists who, in turn, want to experience the hospitality of a bygone era and not the modernity that is easily available in their own countries. Ironically, we are yet to understand the true meaning of the preservation of history. You cannot slice away history and cloak it in modernity and then, give it a badge of historicity to compel foreigners to imagine what it used to be. Why sell a story of a bygone era when it can be preserved and unfolded in front of their very eyes?

We at ICCI would like to make a record of these historical landmarks and fascinating facts. Myths, legends, and recorded history together create a well-woven jigsaw that unravel as threads into the past, which enchant and mystify. When you braid these distinct threads into a heterogenous throbbing community, you cultivate a tolerant and interdependent relationship that advocates communal prosperity and cultural growth. That is the story of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry, a differently-hued cultural mosaic but never a melting pot.

The past is a story! We would like to peel the layers of our history and present these as a story that’s divided into the following storylines.

These storylines will showcase an interconnected web of human tolerance, commercial interdependence, and cultural uniqueness.

Welcome to a world of history, as stories!

Disclaimer: The information has been compiled from various sources that are freely available on the internet.