Kochi

Lying on the Malabar coast in the southwest of India, Kochi or Cochin is a port city with a trading history that dates back to at least 600 years. Known popularly as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, the city is also Kerala's financial, commercial, and industrial capital. Exuding an old-world charm with diverse linguistics, such as the Jews, Konkinis, Gujaratis, and ethnic communities like the anglo-indians, Kochi has an indiscriminate mix of backwaters, beaches, islands, coasts, and plain terrains. With a history of trading in the southwest, Kochi still holds on to its dutch and Portuguese buildings, such as the Old Harbour House, Mattancherry Palace , Bolgatty Palace , Jewish Synagogue , etc., some of which have gone through renovations over the years. The cosmopolitan town has upmarket stores, art galleries, heritage homes, and some of the finest museums, such as the Hill Palace and Kerala Folklore Museum. In a true vintage-meets-future fashion, restaurants and shopping hubs crowd Ernakulam , Jew Town , and Fort Kochi , along with palaces, beaches, temples, and heritage sites. Besides sightseeing, Kochi is a sought-after tourist destination for its Ayurvedic Massages and a must-visit place to witness performances such as the Kalarippayattu, an aesthetic martial art form, and Kathakali , the dance drama form of Kerala. Kochi organizes a biennial international contemporary art exhibition called the Kochi Muziris Biennale for all art enthusiasts. Cochin is also home to a group of lagoons and islands interconnected by ferries. In fact, Willingdon Island in Kochi is one of the largest human-made islands in India. Officially home to the southern command of the Indian Navy, Kochi has an active naval base and an air squadron of the Indian Navy.