Why in news
With more people wanting to see the ‘fort’ on the Fort Kochi beachfront that saw the footfall of three colonial powers.
The Portuguese, The Dutch and The English.
History buffs are seeking steps to conserve the laterite-brick remnants of Fort Emmanuel that was built along the beachfront by the Portuguese in 1503.
The fort, which was a bastion of the Portuguese, is said to have begun from Bastion Bungalow, which is now a heritage museum.
Fort extent up to the southern end of the beach from where INS Dronacharya, Navy’s gunnery school, begins.
History has it that Fort Emmanuel was built as a symbol of the strategic alliance between the maharaja of Kochi and the monarch of Portugal, after whom it was named.
By 1806, the Dutch and later the British destroyed most walls and bastions of the fort.
Most remnants of the fort remain submerged along the coast, while visitors will be lucky if they get to see it when the waves subside.
Fort Emmanuel
Location: Fort Kochi Beach, Kochi, Kerala, India
Significance
First Portuguese fort built in Asia.
Symbol of the alliance between the Maharaja of Kochi and Portugal.
Ruined remains stand today.
History
Built in 1503, named after King Manuel I of Portugal
Reinforced in 1538
Captured by the Dutch in 1663 who destroyed most of the fort.
British captured it from the Dutch in 1795.
Current Status: Ruins remain, some relics are in the Indo-Portuguese Museum nearby.
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