Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tripunithura
At Tripunithura, 16km southeast of Ernakulam,
Hill Palace Museum
( 04842781113; admission
?20; 9am-12.30pm & 2-4.30pm Tue-Sun)
was formerly the residence of the Kochi royal family
and is an impressive 49-building palace complex. It now houses the collections of the roy-
al families, as well as 19th-century oil paintings, old coins, sculptures and paintings, and
temple models. From Ernakulam catch the bus to Tripunithura from MG Rd or Shan-
mugham Rd, behind the Tourist Reception Centre (?5 to ?10, 45 minutes); an autorick-
shaw should cost around ?300 return with one-hour waiting time.
Parur & Chennamangalam
Nowhere is the tightly woven religious cloth that is India more apparent than in
Parur
,
35km north of Kochi. One of the oldest
synagogues
(admission ?5; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun)
in Kerala,
at
Chennamangalam
, 8km from Parur, has been fastidiously renovated. Inside you can see
door and ceiling wood-reliefs in dazzling colours, while just outside lies one of the oldest
tombstones in India - inscribed with the Hebrew date corresponding to 1269. The Jesuits
first arrived in Chennamangalam in 1577 and there's a
Jesuit church
and the ruins of a Jesuit
college nearby. Nearby are a
Hindu temple
on a hill overlooking the Periyar River, a 16th-
century
mosque
, and Muslim and Jewish
burial grounds
.
In Parur town, you'll find the
agraharam
(place of Brahmins) - a small street of closely
packed and brightly coloured houses originally settled by Tamil Brahmins.
Parur is compact, but Chennamangalam is best visited with a guide. Travel agencies in
Fort Cochin can organise tours.
Carnival Tours & Travels
( 9895224922;
www.carnivaltourskochi.com
;
Princess St)
runs a full-day Jewish Heritage Tour to Parur, Chennamangalam and other sites
for ?3000 per person, starting with the ferry to Vypeen Island. A taxi tour for the day can
be done for around ?1000.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Thrissur (Trichur)
0487 / POP 315,600
While the rest of Kerala has its fair share of celebrations, untouristy, slightly chaotic
Thrissur is the cultural cherry on the festival cake. With a list of energetic festivals as long
as a temple-elephant's trunk, the region supports several institutions nursing the dying
