
Photo: Olattupurath, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The church dates back to 1503. The original structure was heavily renovated with majestic Gothic arches in 1931 and rebuilt again in 2006.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Pallippuram, Ernakulam, Kerala, is a minor basilica. The basilica decree was issued on 27 August 2012. The raising of the Pallippuram church was officially announced at the conclusion of the silver jubilee celebrations of the diocese on 7 October.
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The oldest existing European fortification in India. Built by the Portuguese in 1503, it was later handed over to the Travancore Army to become a major army base till 1903, when it was converted into a heritage museum. It has a small museum and good views of the lagoon on one side and the sea on the other.
Gold beaches with big sand grains, coconut palm corridors, backwaters and historical monuments. Cherai Beach surpasses all with its swimming facilities and coconut groves. Occasional sights of dolphins are also an added attraction. This is one of the safest beaches for swimming, watersports and beach games. A very large, beautiful backwater is 250 m from the beach and is famous for its scenic beauty and boating. The best way to reach Cherai is a ferry from Fort Kochi to Vypin Island and then a local bus (₹12) to Cherai Junction. From there, take an auto-rickshaw (₹20) to the beach. An alternative is taking the auto-rickshaw from the ferry for about ₹100. There are also buses from Ernakulam to Cherai Junction.
The temple is dedicated to Varaha, the third incarnation of Vishnu. The temple belongs to the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin community. The present structure if the temple dates back to 1880s. The temple houses all the seven deities of the Gowda Saraswat Brahmins and hence is referred to as the complete temple.
A unique concept where a large shrimp farm of the state-run cooperative Matsyafed is converted into an aqua-tourist village with options to fish for fresh prawns, crabs and shrimp for a nominal fee, canoeing within a mangrove forest, sun-bathing, swimming at a private beach nearby and enjoying sunset picnic cruise. Breakfast and lunch are included in entry cost and have a wide range of fish delicacies and pickles.
Cochin Lighthouse
The tallest lighthouse (46 metres / 151 ft) in Kerala. The original structure dates back to 1839. The present structure dates back to 1979.