Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out! Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, thoug...
“Maritime
Museum”
announced a board. “It is closed today” said our auto driver, and we reluctantly
turned the other way. The next morning, however, before heading out of Fort
Kochi, we decided it was time to try the museum once again. “There is nothing
much to see” lamented our driver of the day, but we insisted, and, in the
pouring rain, arrived at INS Dronacharya, which is home to the Southern Naval
Command (SNC) Maritime Museum.
INS
Dronacharya is
the Gunnery school of the Indian Navy, and the museum is located in two
magazines used for storage of ammunition by the British during World War II. The
grounds are
used to display artifacts too huge to fit inside. I wonder, though how they
manage to maintain them with the kind of weather Kochi has. It poured cats and dogs
while we were there, and it was summer, not even monsoon!
Inside,
the walls are
lined with paintings, maps and replicas of documents detailing the birth of the
Indian Navy and its transformation over the centuries.
Our
attention was
captured by this plaque, explaining the Indian Navy’s motto, and its origin….
Take
a closer look
at this replica of Rajaji’s letter, suggesting the same…
Meanwhile, Samhith had found something more
of interest to him – a section devoted to the maritime history of the region,
depicted through murals and figurines.
A
whole wall is
dedicated to the Kunjali Marakkars, the admirals to the Zamorins of Calicut.
The
murals
depicting the evolution of Kochi as a port, and fort, reminded me of Bassein
Fort, also a Portuguese stronghold, and I ruminated on the similarities between
them.
The murals aren’t works of art, but they do
depict the history in an attractive manner, and especially help in engaging
kids!
Another
section focuses
on naval history of India before the Europeans arrived here. There are maps of
ancient ports and trade routes in Southern India, as well as maps of important
forts along the western coast.
Across
the museum are
timelines of the evolution of the Indian Navy – extremely interesting, but for
the fact that it does not include the seafaring ventures of the Indus Valley
Civilization or the Chola Navy, and other such pre-Colonial naval milestones
(which find mention in some sections of the museum, and could easily have been
included).
The
museum is a
treasure trove of information of India’s glorious naval history – a must visit
if you are in Fort Kochi!
Information:
- Location: The Maritime Museum is located quite near the beach, at INS Dronacharya. There are plenty of boards directing you here.
- Timings: The Museum is closed on Mondays and Public Holidays. On all other days, it is open from 09:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and again from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
Related Posts:
- Part 1: First Impressions
- Part 2: Chinese Fishing Nets
- Part 3: Indo – Portuguese Museum
- Part 4: St. Francis Church
- Part 5: Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
- Part 6: Mattanchery Palace
- Part 7: Jew Town and Synagogue
- Part 8 : A Boat Ride
- Part 9: 3 Cafés, Three experiences
Unfortunately it was my own younger brother who spoke the Auto Drivers words to me. Next time I will overrule him.
ReplyDeleteUsually, PNS, when someone says there is nothing to see, there is something interesting that no one has noticed!!! you should certainly go visit the museum on your next visit. Would love to see what you notice there!
DeleteI had been to Fort Kochi several times. Never knew of this place before.
ReplyDelete