Bastion Bungalow: The District Heritage Museum of Kochi

Located on the River Road fort Kochi, Bastion Bungalow is one of the most famous and beautiful sites to see in the city of Kochi. This heritage is a great example to feel the essence of Dutch architecture and culture.

Bastion Bungalow; Image source: New Indian Express

Located on the River Road Fort Kochi, Bastion Bungalow is one of the most famous and beautiful sites to see in the city of Kochi. This heritage is a great example of feeling the essence of Dutch architecture and culture.

Bastion Bungalow is situated in Kochi, Kerala. This sea-facing Dutch heritage is located near the Vasco Da Gama square in Fort Kochi. When the Portuguese discovered the first sea route to India in the year 1498, they had control over the coastal Malabar region. In the year 1505, the Portuguese built a fort and named it after King Immanuel. The fort was called Fort Immanuel. The main motive behind the construction of this fort was to safeguard their trading activities. Fort Immanuel consisted of seven bastions, watch towers, and many other buildings which served different purposes.

In the year 1663, when the Dutch captured Kochi from the Portuguese, they destroyed most of Fort Immanuel as they were more interested in trading than expanding their empire. Out of the seven Bastion, they demolished six of them, leaving the seventh bastion– the Stromberg Bastion which later came to be known as the Bastion Bungalow which was the northernmost bastion of the fort.

The name – Bastion Bungalow is derived from its location at the old Fort Immanuel which was the site of the Stromberg Bastion.

The Bastion Bungalow served as a residential building during the British period.

The Bastion Bungalow is built in a circular order and has beautiful verandas on all four sides of it. Even though it was originally constructed by the Portuguese, the Bungalow has more Dutch influence on it as all the new additions were made by the Dutch. This architectural marvel is a great example of the Indo-European architecture style with the complementing mix of laterite stone, bricks, and wood. The verandas are open, inviting the natural sunlight and breezy wind, and the tiled roof with geometric patterns. The verandas on the first floor are completely made out of wood and the view of the city of Kochi from there is absolutely breathtaking.

It is believed that beneath the bungalow, there is a secret tunnel but no such thing has been found yet.

­As the Kerala Government took on the initiative to preserve the historical significance of the region, they converted a part of the bungalow into a museum that was opened in February 2016. It was named the **District Heritage Museum **showcasing the essence of Kochi as a mercantile trading center.

The curators of the museum were extremely sure of how they wanted to make the museum unique and accessible to the public. They were very adamant that whatever that is on display must be useful and aspirational to the visitors. The curators very carefully selected the documents, paintings, pictures, and all the other historical elements showcasing Portuguese, Dutch, and British history in an appropriate manner along with the history of the city of Kochi.

The museum is constructed in an Indo-European style while being heavily influenced by Kerala and Dutch styles of architecture. The rooms of the museums have huge ceilings to give breathing space to the room. The theme of the museum is very clear– it is to explain the history of the city of Kochi from the beginning of the time of the rule of the Muziris to the Portuguese, Dutch, and Britishers.

Currently, along with the museum, the bungalow is also the official residence of the sub-collector. From the moment it was constructed till it was converted into the District Heritage Museum, the Bastion Bungalow went through a lot of major modifications. The Bastion Bungalow has seen the entire history of the city of Kochi, from the Muziris to the Portuguese to the Dutch to the Britishers and now even modern India.

Bastion Bungalow before the renovation; Image source: Wikimedia