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| Cochin set on a cluster of islands and
peninsulas is a blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English
country village. Here you can see the oldest church in India,
winding streets crammed with 500 year old Portuguese houses, cantilevered
Chinese fishing nets, a Jewish community whose roots go back to
the Diaspora, a 16th century synagogue and a palace built by the
Portuguese and given to the Raja of Cochin. The Mattancherry Palace
was built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to the Cochin
raja, Veera Kerala Varma (1537-61), as a gesture of goodwill.
It was substantially renovated by the Dutch after 1663, hence
its other name, the 'Dutch Palace'. The most important feature
of this palace, however, is the astonishing murals in the bedchambers
and other rooms, which depict scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata
and Puranic legends connected with Siva, Vishnu, Krishna, Kumara
and Durga. These murals are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful
and extensive to be seen anywhere in India.
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