Pallippuram Fort

 

Pallippuram Fort Pallipuram, Cochin, Kerala

History 

The vibrant history of Pallippuram Fort attracts the tourists and scholars alike. A number of scholars visit this place every year. The fort was built by the Portuguese in the year 1503. Since then, it stands majestically on the land of Cochin. It was one of the major forts in this area, so it changed hands very often. It was captured by the Dutch invaders, in the year 1661, who came to India looking for the Indian spices which were really popular in the Western countries at that time. Later, the fort was purchased from the Dutch, with the help of the tactical diplomacy of the Raja Kesava Dasan who was the ruler of the State of Travancore in the year 1789. In the end of the reign of the Travancore rulers, the fort came under the maintenance of Kerala State Department of Archaeology. The fort has seen a number of rulers and hence, holds a special place in the history of Kerala. It has seen the glory and fall of a number of rulers and clans. This piece of architecture has become an integral part of the story of grandeur and tussles between a number of Indian and foreign rulers.