Cochin Calling - A Guide Book to Cochin

Government of Cochin

Published by Government of Cochin, Cochin, 1938

About this Item

Colour illustrated wraps 14x21cm. Printed by Associated Printers, Madras, and The Viswanath Press, Ernakulam. (2), 64pp + approx (40)pp unindexed b/w photo plates + approx (36)pp local adverts distributed throughout + b/w folding "Road and Rail Map of Cochin State". Wraps fair with loss along the edges, reinforced internally with archival tape, with the previous owner's small ink stamp to the front (Lieutenant Surgeon C.I. Griffiths, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve). Interiors good or better. Very rare, with Worldcat and Library Hub locating 2 copies (OCLC 499184277: BL, Concordia Seminary). The Princely State of Cochin had developed into a major deep water port and commercial hub during the 1920s-30s. During WW2 it provided a strategic base for the Royal Navy and its Volunteer Reserve. Its Maharaja at this time was HH Sir Sri Rama Varma, and his Diwan (PM, chief executive, and point of contact with the British) Sir RK Shanmukham Chetty, portraits of whom feature at the front. This opens with a general description, history, government, and survey of the population, its languages, education, communities, and local entertainments. The communities part has sections on Christians, Ezhuvas, Nayars, Thiyas, Muslims, depressed classes Pulayas among them being the largest, Nambudiris, and Jews. The local entertainments include religious, semi-religious, and secular. The rest takes the form of a tour from the Port of Cochin "the Queen of the Arabian Sea" to the border of the State. This includes the port, towns, villages and countryside including beauty spots, places of interest, temples and other major buildings, cultural activities, transport links etc.

Seller Inventory # 6571

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Cochin Calling - A Guide Book to Cochin
• Publisher: Government of Cochin, Cochin
• Publication Date: 1938
• Language: English
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good