Indo Portuguese Museum

Located in Fort Kochi, the Indo-Portuguese Museum is a perfect specimen Portuguese influence in art and architecture of Kerala in general and Kochi, in particular. The Portuguese were inevitably linked with the south-western city of the peninsula, Kochi. The museum serves as an important and thrilling center to discover the Indo-Portuguese art heritage, making attempts to keep the ancient time alive and fresh. The Indo-Portuguese museum is the outcome of tireless efforts of late Dr. Joseph Kureethra, the former Bishop of Kochi. Another objective of building this museum was to precisely bear the legacy of his times so that the following generation can gain knowledge from their ancestors. The Bishop established the Indo-Portuguese Museum to shield his own archdiocese from jeopardy and to preserve some of the most important and priceless collections for posterity.

The fact that Indo-Portuguese Museum is the first of its kind that stores artifacts and scriptures of theological importance, adds to its popularity amongst oncoming tourists and visitors. The museum is strategically divided into five main sections, namely, Altar, Treasure, Procession, Civil Life, and Cathedral, each displaying different items based on nature. The antiquities displayed here simply prove the idea of Indo-Portugal cultural harmony. The museum houses some beautiful and outstanding collections, known for their artistic and architectural wonder, bearing the mark of strong Portuguese influence. Some such magnificent pieces include a 19th century chasuble from the Bishop's House, a 16th century piece of altar made from teak wood from the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Processional cross which is a combination of silver and wood dating back to the 17th century, the 18-19th century Indo-Portuguese Monstrance from Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private foundation of public utility, whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science, has made wide contributions to the rich collection at the Indo-Portuguese Museum. Sculptures, precious metal objects, and vestments are some of the artifacts contributed by the foundation, apart from those from the Cathedral of Santa Cruz and other churches of the Kochi diocese. To cut short, the museum is, undeniably, one of those unique and rare symbols in the annals of Kochi, which bear the rich heritage of Indo-Portuguese culture and artistic influence.