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Old Malabar Hotel In Cochin Ernakulam- 5 Old Photos 1948
There are five old 1948 photographs of the earlier Malabar Hotel of Willingdon Island Cochin or Kochi. The predecessor to the present Taj Hotel a five-star hotel under the Taj Group of Hotels. To know about Malabar Hotel, first, we need to know more about its location Willingdon Island. An artificial island created by Sir Robert Bristow, a harbour engineer in the then British India era of 1930s.
Willingdon Island located near the northern part of Kerala’s great backwaters the Vembanad Lake. See my post- Princely State of Cochin And Harbour – Old Map 1833. The Southern Naval Headquarters is located on this island. So also a large port, a railway terminus, and an airport, the island became a hub of activity just before the 2nd world war.
Willingdon Island came under the control of Cochin Port Trust, the opening of government and private offices would follow. Commercial establishments opened up. Malabar Hotel was built by the port to cater to the passengers of shipping liners. The first passenger liner berthed in 1936. In fact one of the photographs shown here has a jotting on the back “S S Explorer March 10, 1948.”
Most likely jotted by a passenger of the liner SS Explorer that may have berthed at the port. Later the establishment would change hands possibly twice, once when it was named Maharaja’s Hotel although not much evidence found but only on hearsay. The second was when the Taj group took over in the 1980s and running it ever since. Read also- Cargo boats to overhead metro: a history of Kochi in movement.
Did you know- crisscrossed with backwaters Kochi has a government-run passenger boat service that operates just like a regular bus service with nominal ticket charges.
From the collection- 1971 Raja Ravi Varma Commemorative First Day Cover., George Bernard Shaw Famous Author In Mumbai – Old Photograph., General Post Office Bangalore – Old 1900 Postcard., The Outskirts Of Delhi Jama Masjid – Old Print 1800s., Buick Cars In Madras – Old Photo 1929
