COCHIN
IN THE 1930’S |
| The early township of Ernakulam was controlled by 5
Nair feudal chieftains who had suzerainty over the famous Siva Temple
and who fought between themselves for control of the temple. Many
wars were fought in Ernakulam during the Portuguese period and the
last war between Zamorin and Travancore was fought here in 1726. The
township as we see today was established in mid 19th century when
new Roads, buildings and commercial houses were laid. Railway came
to the town in 1902, municipality in 1910 and electricity in 1939.
The town flourished as the seat of the erstwhile Cochin Government
for many years till 1949 when Cochin State was merged with Travancore
and the capital was shifted to Trivandrum. |
| The whole conglomerate was a sleepy little village
where the sea once embraced even such centrally located places as
Kaloor. Canoes cruised along what is now the Mahatma Road. Come monsoon,
shoals of fish swam around the entire stretch, even around the St.
Albert’s School. |
| In that period, there were no black topped roads but
all covered with red earth and gravel. Every year the municipality
undertook repairs in the period December to April and in summer months
a municipal truck used to water the roads regularly to keep down the
dust. Most of the larger buildings in Ernakulam belonged to the Government
or the Palace and the rickshaw was the standard mode of transport
of most families. In fact, many families owned one. In British Cochin,
almost all the buildings belonged to the British merchant community
either as their offices, godowns or bungalows. In fact, the Northern
tip of British Cochin had the atmosphere of a cantonment, what with
well laid out roads, the colonial bungalows and the club centered
around the parade ground. |
| Government servants, Advocates, Teachers and Doctors
were held in great respect and everyone wore a suit with a hat to
the office or school/college. One could not see even the clerical
staff without at least a coat. |
| There was no M.G. Road, no bridges to the Island –
they came into being in 1940 – and the state band used to play
tunes in their colorful costumes twice a week in the band stand at
Durbar Hall - since demolished to build a stage for the visiting Russian
musical troupe – and the most important events of the town were
the Arattu in the Shiva Temple and the Maharaja’s College day
both of which were declared as local holidays. To buy anything from
a petromax to a match box one had to go to the Broadway and the Railway
station was at that end – now defunct Ernakulam Goods Station. |
| Even during the worst of monsoons there was no water
logging in the town but mosquitoes were around even then! - the only
thing that has not changed in the town. |
| This was the atmosphere in which Rotary was brought
in 1936. |
