Boat Jetty, Park Avenue, Rajendra Maidan Stretch In Ernakulam, 1935 Photo
An old 1935 photograph shows the stretch of Park Avenue, Boat Jetty, Rajendra Maidan, and Subhash Park in Ernakulam (Kochi). The stretch faces the backwater seen on the left.
The serene Cochin backwaters enhance the charm of this historic area. Park Avenue is still popularly called Boat Jetty Road. In the near foreground, the Cochin Secretariat building can be seen. Which today functions as the District Court and Taluk Office. Hidden behind the dense trees is the Maharaja’s College, though not visible in this frame.
A life-size statue of a Cochin Maharaja stands near the left edge of the photo. Park Avenue Road connects several key landmarks of Kochi – towards the north, it leads to Broadway, Shanmughom Road, and High Court Jetty, while towards the south, it extends to Durbar Hall Road and M.G. Road.
The commissioning of Park Avenue was ordered in 1903 by Maharaja Rajarishi Rama Varma of Cochin, a ruler deeply fond of greenery and European-style boulevards. Inspired by what he witnessed in the USA and Europe, he envisioned a tree-lined promenade with shaded parks for public recreation. His diwan carried out this vision, creating what was then called Rama Varma Park, opposite the Shiva Temple.
After India’s independence, Rama Varma Park was divided into Subhash Park and Priyadarshini Children’s Park, with Rajendra Maidan adjoining it as an open ground for events and gatherings. This 1935 vintage photo captures the old-world charm of Cochin’s Park Avenue, a heritage road that remains one of the most scenic stretches of Kochi even today.
Did you know – on 15 August 1947, the Park witnessed two emotional scenes. One was the final lowering of the Cochin Kingdom’s flag, then again the raising of the newly independent India’s Tricolour flag.
From the collection – Vintage Oleograph Raja Ravi Varma “Vishnu On Sheshnag”
