Old Book – Cochin Saga By Robert Bristow
Title- Cochin Saga
Author- Sir Robert Bristow
Publisher- Cassell-London
Written by the great Robert Bristow himself on how he reclaimed the Willingdon Island in Cochin, now Kochi. He was a harbour engineer based in then Madras, now Chennai. This artificial island was named Willingdon Island after Lord Willingdon the then governor of British era Madras. Later the Viceroy of India. Who had given the go-ahead for this reclamation project.
Situated in the great Vembanad lake the project was completed in 1936. It became the world’s only small island where the three major types of transport are clustered in a single place. The harbour, airport, and railways. Two bridges linking to the mainland were also designed by the Britisher, these were the Venduruthy and Mattancherry bridges. The Venduruthy bridge lasted till the recent past and was scrapped after a new one came up.
The Mattancherry bridge is still going strong although a parallel bridge for heavier vehicles was built. It had a unique lift-span to allow ships to pass through see picture above. But the lift-span was discontinued in the 1940s itself. As the need for ships to cross over did not arise because the harbour did have the need to expand beyond this bridge. This old book- Cochin Saga was written very meticulously. Click on the photo for better view.
Read more Willingdon Island Kochi: The First Artificial Island in India. See also post Two British Era Bridges Cochin – 2 Old Postcards.
From the collection- Antique Painting of Madras Fort St George., Viceroy’s Viceregal Lodge Delhi – Old Photo 1910., Crawford Market & Tram In Mumbai- Old Postcard 1914., Queen Mary In Delhi – Old Print 1912
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, or stock photos or taken from other sources.
