Kochi was part of the Vemalnad region under the Kulashekhara Empire and after the empire fell in AD 1102, began the reign of the Kochi Royal Family, Permpadappu Swaroopam. Cultural and trade relations with many countries helped it evolve into the vibrant port city and commercial capital of Kerala that it is now. It has a rich history of traders from Arabia and China coming for trade and ending up enriching the culture. It is the Europeans who came to conquer and rule this kingdom- first the Portuguese came in 1503 and stayed on for 150 years; the Dutch, who came in 1663, overthrew the Portuguese and stayed on for over a century. Their contributions include the first municipality of the Indian subcontinent being established in Cochin, and Hortus Malabaricus, a compendium of over 700 medicinal plants of the region. The British came in 1814 and stayed for over a century, making it a part of the Madras presidency. Their contributions include the creation of the Willingdon Island (a man-made island made by a British harbour engineer Sir Robert Bristow), the development of the Cochin port and the establishment of tea estates in the Munnar hills. Cochin's strategic location on the Arabian Sea, and being a major spice trading centre that attracted traders from many countries earned it the title of the "Queen of the Arabian Sea".
I don't think the following point is true for Cochin city. It is true for Kerala State.
An interesting point to note is that Cochin is probably the only city in India formed from parts of three different erstwhile states, viz. the two princely states of Travancore and Cochin, and the British Malabar.
The three ancient Municipalities of the state, viz. Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Cochin; the Willingdon Island area; four panchayats viz. Palluruthy, Vennala, Vytilla and Edappally along with the small islands of Gundu Deepu and Ramanthuruth, were amalgamated on 1.11.1967 to form the Cochin Corporation which has an area of 83.524 sq.km.
Today, with a natural, all-weather harbour that caters to travel, cruise and cargo transport, an international airport, a network of Railway Stations and replete with serene backwaters, beautiful lagoons, wooded isles, a bird sanctuary and a magnificent seascape, Cochin is indeed the Queen of the Arabian Sea.
DOWNTOWN: The Mahatma Gandhi Road (earlier known as the Seventy-feet Road), branching off from Banerji Road in its north end and reaching Thevara Junction, approximately four kilometers down south, cuts through the city's main commercial district. A bustling shopping centre where one can buy almost all kinds of goods including textiles, ready-made garments, jewellery, handicrafts, electronic goods, footwear, toys, etc. Convent Road, branching westwards, has a growing number of boutiques-cum-tailoring centres, besides outlets for the trendy and brand conscious. There are also a few cinemas (both independent as well as housed in malls) for movie buffs. Besides the dazzling range of shops, buildings on either side house various banks, finance firms, insurance companies, hospitals, airline offices, travel bureaus, supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants. The metro line that divides the M. G. Road right in the middle, and the big malls that have proliferated in and around the city have slightly dampened the charm of the M. G. Road. If you want to a feel of the city and its culture, there is no better place than the M. G. Road which, by nightfall, brightens up with colourful neon signs and is enlivened by busy shoppers or people coming out to enjoy themselves. Market Road and TD Road, which run parallel to MG Road on the western side, and Jew Street which cuts west from MG Road are chock-a-block with shops, both wholesale and retail, selling sanitaryware, hardware, and construction materials. Both, the Ernakulam Junction railway station and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus station are located centrally, east of M G Road. Pallimukku, with the aptly-named Electronic Street, is the right place to check out a wide range of the latest state-of-the-art audio-video equipment, as well as for repairs and battery changes of your devices. The Cochin Shipyard, one of the major shipbuilding Centres in India, is located south, overlooking Willingdon Island.
The Metro trains and Metro boats are very comfortable and quick means of transport between Trippunithura and Aluva, that connects travellers from the city and some suburbs to the Ernakulam South Railway station and the High Court boat jetty, with last-mile connectivity via electric buses in some stations.
OLD COCHIN: Old Cochin comprising Fort Cochin, Mattancherry and its adjoining areas, is famous for several sites of historical significance. The St. Francis Church, the Santa Cruz Basilica, and the Chinese fishing nets (Fort Cochin); the Dutch Palace Museum, the Pardesi Synagogue, the ecclesiastically important Coonen Cross, and the Jain temple (Mattancherry) beckon you to the bygone eras when old Cochin had deep cultural and trade relations with Arabia, Rome, and China and to a vibrant history of European imperialism thereafter. Fort Cochin's reputation made the famous Italian traveller of the time, Nicolas Conti to remark, "If China is where you make your money, then Cochin surely is the place to spend it". Old houses and bungalows, particularly in Fort Cochin, still retain their colonial charm, with some neighbourhoods reminiscent of quaint hamlets in Holland, England, and Portugal. Many of these century-old mansions have been repurposed to house hotels or serve as homestays, the latter for those who wish to experience a Kerala-style home-away-from-home experience. The waterfront walkway at Fort Cochin is ideal for an evening walk against a spectacular sunset. The highly cosmopolitan population is even now engaged in active trading.
MARINE DRIVE and BROADWAY: The Marine Drive, deveoped by reclaiming lad from the Vembanad Backwaters, is gradually catching up as another busy retail and entertainment centre. Lively shopping malls along the waterfront feature ready-made outlets, food courts, game areas etc. Luxury apartments, elegant hotels, restaurants, and office buildings are located on either side of the main Shanmugham Road which terminates at High Court Junction on the northern end, close to the new High Court complex. A morning walk or an evening stroll along the waterside promenade is a favourite pastime. Tourist boats and houseboats anchored along Marine Drive offer great sightseeing options. North of High Court junction are the Goshree bridges connecting mainland Ernakulam with the adjoining islands of Bolghatty (Mulavukad Panchayath), Vallarpadam, and Vypin. Bolghatty Palace and the Hyatt Convention Centre are excellent conference venues with high-class hotel facilities adjacent to them.
Broadway - a narrow street, quite contrary to its name- that runs east of and parallel to Shanmugham Road is among the city's oldest and busiest shopping streets, where the best buys include clothes, toys, and spices. Broadway is dotted with a few side passages that are walk-only and they merit exploration for hard-to-find items. The main Ernakulam market, recently renovated, is also located alongside Broadway.
PARK AVENUE: The green lung of the metropolis so to speak, the well-shaded, tree-lined Park Avenue gets its name from the beautifully laid-out parks (the historical Rajendra maidan, the sprawling Subhash Chandra Bose Park - very popular among morning and evening walkers- and the innovative Indira Priyadarshini Children's Traffic & Renewable Energy Park) on its western side overlooking the backwaters of the Vembanad Lake and having impressive views of Cochin harbour. The ancient Siva Temple, old government buildings, the General Hospital, the main boat jetty, the Cochin Corporation office, the District Court, the government guest house, and some of the city's finest educational institutions (Maharaja's college, St. Teresas's College and the Govt Law College) are located alongside this picturesque boulevard.
The Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi Gallery Art Centre and the Durbar Hall Ground (another haunt for the morning and evening walkers), are of interest along the Durbar Hall Road which branches off eastwards at the southern end of Park Avenue at the Gandhi Square. The art gallery periodically hosts arts exhibitions, in addition to being part of the Cochin Muziris Biennale organised every alternate year. The Biennale is a fabulous exhibition of art work spread over 10-20 locations in the city, in which artists from all over the world participate, and is a never-to-be-missed event.
KADAVANTHRA: Half a kilometer east of downtown Cochin is Kadavanthra, the seat of the Greater Cochin Development Authority, and the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium - one of the largest of its kind in India. The adjoining areas of Gandhi Nagar, Giri Nagar, and Elamkulam are huge residential locales. Panampilly Nagar, also a predominantly residential area located before Kadavanthra and adjoining the city centre, is home to Malayala Manorama, Kerala's leading news publishing house. Though largely a residential area, this affluent quarter also houses elegant and exotic restaurants, designer boutiques, and beauty parlours.
VYTTILA: East of Kadavanthra lies Vyttila, the state's largest traffic junction, where the NH 66 bypass intersects the Ernakulam-Tripunithura Sahodaran Ayyappan Road. The English daily newspaper, The Hindu, has its Cochin office located by the bypass at Vyttila Junction. Lying east of Vyttila junction, along the Kaniampuzha Road, is the Mobility Hub - a convergence point for long-distance and city buses as well as for boat services. This hub can be reached via Metro trains as well as via Metro boats.
NATIONAL HIGHWAY 66 BYPASS: The stretch of bypass, right from Edappally in the north to Aroor Junction, approximately 16 kms down south, features a clutch of luxury car showrooms, super malls, marble and granite depots, television broadcasting companies, plush hotels, elegant restaurants, airline offices, and hospitals.
UPTOWN: The city's suburbs feature mainly residential colonies mixed with commercial enterprises. Kaloor is situated two kilometres from the city centre. The New Indian Express, the Deccan Chronicle, Mathrubhumi, and Deshabhimani, four popular newspapers, have their Cochin offices around Kaloor. It has also become a major sporting venue with its 55,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, with the Indian Super League matches attracting a full house.
Palarivattom, a further two kilometres uptown, was the erstwhile border between the royal principalities of Travancore and Cochin. Edappally, a once small township fringing the northeastern part of the city, is the seat of the magnificent St. George Forane Church, famous for its annual May feast, and the unique Museum of Kerala History. It is also the birthplace of the celebrated Malayalam poet, Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, whose poems are considered to be of the romantic genre with a revolutionary streak. The beautifully laid-out Changampuzha Park is popular with children and the elderly, and doubles up as a venue for several art and cultural programmes. Today, both Palarivattom and Edappally have undergone a significant transformation, driven by a surge in construction activities. Super malls, plush apartments, hotels, restaurants, and a range of retail outlets are part of the growing infrastructure.
East of Edappally is Kakkanad, where Doordarshan, All India Radio, and the Collectorate are located. The sprawling exurbia is also the base of the Kinfra Export Promotion Industrial Park, the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ), and has developed as a major IT hub in South India with the Infopark and the SmartCity as its major hubs. With numerous luxury villas and high-rise apartments, Kakkanad has grown into a very popular residential area. Nearby Thrikkakara, with its hills and peaceful ambience, is famous for the ancient Vamanamoorthy Temple, and a host of educational institutions. Close by is Kalamassery, a small residential area with several reputed educational institutions, including the Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT).
WILLINGDON ISLAND: This man-made island, named after the former Viceroy of India, Lord Willingdon, was created in the Vembanad lake with the material dredged while deepening the Cochin port by Sir Robert Bristow, a harbour Engineer. It is nestled between Fort Kochi and Ernakulam and connected to them via road bridges. The Old Harbour Bridge connecting the Island to Thoppumpady in the Fort Kochi side, has an interesting feature - its middle portion can be lifted up using pulleys and an iron rope to enable safe passage of ships to and from the port. Though considered a heritage site, it is still being used for road transport; however, the lifting of the middle portion is no longer in vogue. The island, about four miles long, is divided into two zones - the defence and the civil. The former includes the HQ of the Southern naval command and the naval aerodrome. The civil side, including the harbour, is governed by the Cochin Port Trust. The Customs House and many other central government establishments are situated here. The island houses some of the city's most luxurious hotels and a large number of business establishments, including tea exporters, C & F agents, transportation and shipping companies. Housing colonies for staff members, schools, hospitals, banks, and parks are the island's other highlights. The Lakshadweep administration has an office here that facilitates travel to and from Lakshadweep.