Harbour Of Love

Sharks, they say, are innate travellers. We take ours on a coastal journey.

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As you scroll through social media bios, the one word that’s likely to appear the most is ‘love’. Some people love food, some love to travel, and a large percentage of the online crowd loves to share their experiences. And it’d be untrue if I said I don’t love the idea of taking a road trip. And not just any road trip, my fellow car enthusiasts, this one involves scaling the southern part of India through the winding roads next to the endless expanse of water. Sounds intriguing? You bet. With us on this scenic voyage of ours is a new friend that I’ve made. It’s called the Mahindra Marazzo, and as most of you have learnt already it’s a neat bit of kit, this car. More about it as we find our way through but first let’s get on with the journey.

It all starts in what’s referred to as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Kochi, or Cochin as it was called earlier, has been an important city for coastal India. Not only was it instrumental in trade, it was also one of the first cities that were colonised by Europeans. The presence of old churches (in fact the oldest European church in India is in Kochi) and the overall architecture is a testament to that. While mainland Ernakulam has everything you’d expect in a modern city, Fort Kochi and the adjoining area of Mattancherry are a tourist delight. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is also held here, which ensures that people who have a fine taste in art, find a way to come to Kochi. Fittingly, adding further to the coastal city’s beauty is its wall art. And being a coastal city, Kochi has a fair deal of fishing activities. Which means as soon as you head towards the beach, you’d find a barrage of Chinese fishing nets. It’s a surprise that something of such a utility can actually look this good.