Santa Cruz Basilica

Views:

Sight Address : Santa Cruz Basilica, a Roman Catholic Cathedral located at K.B Jacob road in Fort Kochi. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Santa Cruz Basilica, a church in Kochi, is one of the finest and impressive churches in Kerala. Kerala built originally by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558, was spared by the Dutch conquerors who destroyed many Catholic buildings. Later the British demolished the structure and Bishop João Gomes Ferreira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica by the Pope John Paul II in 1984. This magnificent church is a must see destination for tourists who come to Kochi.Santa Cruz Basilica, a Roman Catholic Cathedral is one of the finest and impressive churches in Kerala. It is a place of devotion as well as a center of historic significance, endowed with architectural and artistic grandeur and colours of the gothic style. Located close to St. Francis Church it is the ‘capital church’ of the diocese of Cochin.

Santa Cruz Basilica-kochi

HistoryEdit

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica begins with the arrival of Portuguese missionaries along with the second Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral on 24 December 1500. The King Unni Goda Varma Tirumulpadu (Trimumpara Raja ) of Kingdom of Cochin received them very warmly. This caused the Zamorin of Calicut to declare war against Kingdom of Cochin. But the Portuguese army under Commander Dom Afonso de Albuquerque who reached Cochin in 1503, defeated the enemies of the King of Cochin and in return he gave them permission to build a fort in Kochi.In 1505, Dom Francisco de Almeida the first Portuguese Viceroy got permission from the Kochi Raja to build a church edifice using stones and mortar which was unheard of at that time as the local prejudices were against such a structure for any purpose other than a royal palace or a temple. The foundation stone of the Santa Cruz church was laid on 3 May 1505, the feast day of the Invention of the Holy Cross, hence the magnificent edifice when completed was named Santa Cruz. This church was located on the eastern side of the present hildren’s Park, Fort Cochin.History cuddles you in very many ways in Fort Kochi. This versatile portion of Kochi takes us to a ride along the pages of past that is marked by historical edifices and structures. This time we are taking you to one such inimitable landmark where devotion embraces history, artistry, and architectural grandeur.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

9am–5pm (Sun 10:30am–1pm)

Closed OnEdit

Monday

Best Season to VisitEdit

September to May.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1 to 2 Hours.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Upstairs Italian Restaurant – Kochi ; Bastion Lane, Opp Santa Cruz Basilica ,Fort Kochi, Kerala. ; Ph/M – N.A. ; Food Serve – Cuisine:European,Italian

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : After reaching Cochin, you can hire a cab, taxi, bus or auto-rickshaw to reach here.

BUS : Kochi is well connected by bus services. KSRTC connects Kochi with all major cities in Kerala and with many cities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Deluxe Volvo buses are available in plenty at any time to Chennai, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Mumbai from Kochi.

Train : Kochi has three important railheads, namely, Harbour Terminus on Willingdon Island, Ernakulam town and Junction.

Air : Airport at Kochi is Nedumbassery International airport which is about 20 km away from Kochi. Taxi charge from Nedumbassery to Kochi is about Rs 300. This airport is well connected to all airports in India and also to many cities in abroad

Others : Autorickshaw : This is a cheap method of transport between attractions. You can find an auto stand at almost every bus stop, and at important places near junctions and residential areas. Make sure you agree on a fare with the driver before the journey. The govt fixed rates starts at Rs 10 for the first 1.25 km and Rs 6 per km thereafter with a premium of 15% at night (7PM-6AM).

Things to CarryEdit

Carrying camera , water, sunscreen, and Loose light weight cloths.

Safety / WarningEdit

Keep your mobile in silent mode.
Cameras and handbags are not allowed inside the Synagogue.
Kochi is infamous for mosquitoes, due to presence of large water bodies across the city. Make sure any room you book, has mosquito repellents or at least a mosquito net. Its always better to have any anti-mosquito creams or spice oil extracts like lemongrass oil to ward off mosquito bites.
Public smoking bans are strictly enforced in the city more so than in other regions. The High Court of Kerala has decreed a public smoking ban across the state. Smoking on the roadside, in shopping complexes, restaurants, and parks is illegal and police can charge Rs 500-1,000 for breaches.