Johann Kuruvilla, a history buff, unveils the secrets of Fort Kochi through the experiential walks organised by him and his team as part of ‘Kochi Heritage Project’.

Once under Indian rule, Kochi saw Portuguese influence in 1503 which lasted 163 years before the city was conquered by the Dutch who ruled for 132 years before the British established their rule. In 1947, the reign came full circle, passing into Indian hands again.

Through the Kochi Heritage Project, Johann is documenting Kochi’s history — the art, culture, architecture, food, stories of places and stories of people.

These are some of the compelling tales Johann and his team have unearthed –

1. The story behind Gujarathi Road Also known as ‘Little Gujarat’, the area sees close to 700 Gujarati families whose ancestors migrated to the Malabar coast as far back as the 11th century and settled here for trade.

“It is also said that it was a Gujarati sailor who guided Vasco da Gama to Kochiwhen he was expelled from Calicut,” shares Johann.

2. The new map If you take a closer look at the map — whose picture Johann found in an Indian Express article dated 1 November 1956 — you will find it slightly different from the present-day edition.

“This was a new map of India, which then had 14 states and 6 centrally-governed territories after adding Kerala and Karnataka,” Johann explains.

3. A flight ticket for Rs 165 The image shows an airline ad that appeared in Kerala Bhushanam Magazine in 1952. ‘Scindia Line’, known as and operated as ‘Air Services of India Ltd’ (ASI), operated a flight from Kochi to Bombay that was 4.5 hours and priced at Rs 165 a ticket.

4. Kochi — “an integral part of India” The image is of an ad that appeared in The Hindu newspaper on 15 August 1947. It highlights Kochi as the first state in India to have a responsible government and was one of the first states to join the Constituent Assembly.

5. Koder House Reconstructed over an early nineteenth-century Portuguese mansion, the Koder House is believed to have been structured and gabled in Europe and shipped to Kochi.

The patriarch, Samuel Koder, ran the Cochin Electric Company and he is credited with bringing electricity to the city.

6. The Jewish Synagogue In 1662, the Portuguese began railing against the Paradesi Jews for siding with the Dutch and set the synagogue on fire which partially destroyed it. With the support of the Dutch, the synagogue was restored.

In 1968, on the synagogue’s quatrocentennial, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi attended the celebrations and wished a hearty ‘mazel tov’. Pictured here is the poster of the 400th-anniversary celebrations in Mattancherry from this very day 50 years ago.