Third edition of Cochin Heritage Carnival begins with a call for future of the past

Kochi: The third edition of the Cochin Heritage Carnival, a unique event aiming to create awareness on the rich socio-cultural heritage of Kochi, was launched here on Saturday (December 14) with an intriguing panel discussion on the past and present of the city.

An initiative of the Kochi Heritage Project, the heritage carnival which will be on till December 29. The event comes with a lineup of activities for both children and adults. The main venues are Pepper House (Fort Kochi), the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Mattanchery), and Nosh Haus (Jew Town).

The inaugural panel discussion on ‘Our Past Needs a Future Too’ featured Dr Kocha Varma and Usha Varma who have documented the history of the erstwhile Cochin royal family, RJ Anjali Uthup and journalist-researcher Renjith Leen. Kochi Heritage Project founder Johann Kuruvilla moderated the session.

The programmes scheduled as art of the event include an exhibition featuring old Kochi-based photographs and artefacts and an expo on the communities of Mattancherry by renowned documentary photographer Biju Ibrahim.

Heritage and food walks exploring the city’s history and culinary legacy are among the highlights of the programme. Workshops on traditional toy making, calligraphy, photography, pottery, storytelling, and loom weaving will also be held. A unique Mattanchery heritage musical event and stand-up comedy show on nostalgic Kochi are also lined up.

The other highlights of the carnival includes a special food experience exploring Portuguese Christmas tradition. Community Kitchens serving delicacies from Kutchi, Latin, Konkani, Mappila, Gujarati, and Anglo-Indian cuisines from home-made kitchens will also be set up as part of the event.

The Cochin Heritage Carnival was started in 2022 by Kuruvilla, a native of Fort Kochi and an avid traveller, as an extension of his social media project called Cochin Heritage Project which he launched in 2018.

“In 2022 I felt there was a need to have a celebration of our culture and heritage in Kochi. The Cochin Carnival is already there but that is more of a commercial event which doesn’t have any special event focussing on promoting heritage. That is why I thought we would curate a list of experiences that shed more light on the history and heritage of the city,” Kuruvilla told Onmanorama.

The maiden edition featured mainly a calligraphy workshop and nature walk and it went on to have 15 events the next year.
For more details and booking slots for this year’s events, visit https://urbanaut.app/partner/cochinheritagecarnival. Spots for most of the activities are limited.