A friend, Theo, who was visiting us from overseas is fond of visiting historical places. That gave us an opportunity to make a day outing, the first after the COVID season.
We set out to visit the Jew town in Fort Kochi. The usual sight of crowded streets was not what we found. The road leading to the the synagogue street looked bare with pedestrians or vehicles.
As we entered the synagogue street, there were some people, but only few overseas visitors. The usual shopping activity in the antique shops, shops that sold handicrafts and spices was missing.
Being a Saturday the Jewish synagogue was closed. The Paradise synagogue is an international tourist attraction as it is the oldest synagogue in any common wealth country. Following that, we went to the Bolgotty palace for lunch, that too after two years!
The palace grounds overlooks the backwaters. The tourist boats were back in good numbers giving an impression of tourists returning to their favourite leisure time activity in Kochi.
The place grounds looked well maintained and the golf course around the place looked ready for golfers on Sunday. The plants and trees had flowers on them. It was a pleasant afternoon in cool weather with cloudy sky, giving us a feel of the relaxation we needed!
We came back thinking of the closed shops in the Synagogue street, shops without customers and the Bolgotty palace grounds without people strolling and playing. The restaurant had several tables unoccupied while we were there, which is different from the Saturday lunch time in the pre-COVID times.
We continue to face social uncertainties, as merchandise is badly hit and people are weary of spending money on outings and eating out! Th asocial wellness is what contributes to the healthy fabric of relationships and coherence. This is at risk!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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