Willingdon Island, strangely, still remains off the tourist track. Despite its proximity to mainland Ernakulam and the very touristy Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, this man-made island is not very much on the tourist radar. Ironically, a lot of tourists stay in the couple of luxury hotels on this island but rarely do they venture out to explore its historicity.
More than its history the island presents a different lifestyle and experience. Life here moves at a relaxed pace unlike the hurry and noise that choke the mainland across the shimmering backwaters. Yes, the number of permanent citizens on the island is comparatively less. But Willingdon Island does infuse a charm that can grow on you.
Close to the Embarkation Jetty is a well-laid out promenade that runs the length of a road, neatly lined with benches and trees . At the end of this road is the Cochin Port Trust Park. It is a typical children’s park with all the works. In one corner of this park stands Dorothea, a beautiful launch that was once Sir Robert Bristow’s (the architect of the island and port) personal boat. An important piece of Kochi’s history that, like so many other landmarks on the island, is overlooked.
Though Cochin port has a long and interesting history and has been visited by famed travellers and ruled by colonial powers for long, its real reformation was done by Bristow, the Harbour Engineer, specially deputed for this project. He was the architect of the present modern port, which developed during 1920-1940. His was a daring engineering feat, cutting across the rock-like barrier of sand and silt at the mouth of the harbour to open up the present port located on Willingdon Island, which was reclaimed from the backwaters with dredged soils.
“Bristow landed at the old Ernakulam railway station, another heritage structure that now lies in utter disuse, sometime in the early 1920s. He drove to the High Court boat jetty, which is no longer there and boarded a boat, which, if I remember right, was called Vasco that was to take him to his destination. It took Bristow nearly 12 years to complete his mission. And today we have Willingdon Island, named after Lord Willingdon who commissioned this project, a tribute to human endeavour. It also stands testimony to Bristow’s commitment and engineering acumen,” says local historian V.N. Venugopal.
In fact, by 1930-31, the port was formally thrown open to the vessels with the completion of the bridges connecting the port with the mainland and the Mattancherry Wharf. On August 1, 1936, Cochin was declared a major port. The Harbour Administration was taken over by the Government of India and Bristow was appointed the first Administrative Officer of the Port. Today, the island is home to the Cochin Port Trust, Southern Naval Command, Customs offices, export-import offices, warehouses, hotels and business centres.
Forgetting to mention Dorothea when one talks of the origins of this island will amount to sacrilege. She was an integral part of its history. A 20-ft boat made of solid teak with shining brass trimmings, Dorothea was commissioned in 1927. It was named after Bristow’s sister, who it was said, was very close to him. Bristow used this launch to carry out the initial surveys and also during the construction of the island. “Later, Dorothea was commissioned as the Cochin Port Trust Chairman’s launch. This boat has the rare distinction of having ferried three Prime Ministers of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952, Indira Gandhi in 1966 and Rajiv Gandhi in 1988. When Pandit Nehru travelled in it for the first time he was accompanied by Indira Gandhi, Rajiv and Sanjay. Dorothea also carried Mother Teresa in 1988,” informs Dr. C. Unnikrishnan Nair, Traffic Manager, Cochin Port Trust.
Dorothea now rests in a small, man-made pool, inside the park. She remains the only ‘visible’ memory of Bristow and his monumental work. “In fact, long back, I had written to the authorities concerned about setting up a statue of Robert Bristow on the island he created. There is no tangible monument for this man. The only memory is perhaps Dorothea, which, I hope, will be preserved,” says Venugopal.
The Cochin Maritime Heritage Museum that functions on the island under the Bristow Memorial Society with support from the Cochin Port Trust, has a collection of photographs and furniture used by the Bristows.“We could not move Dorothea to this museum as the open space outside where it could have been placed has many uses and takers. We have been taking care of it well. As it is built of very good teak that part of it is okay. It is only the brass trimmings and other metal parts that need regular anti-rust coating. The intention to place it in the park was to create awareness among children about its history and the history of the island,” says Unnikrishnan Nair.
The old Cochin Harbour Terminus railway station that is no longer in use, the previous Cochin airport, the majestic Cochin Port Trust office building, the wharf, there’s so much Willingdon Island can offer the tourist. But perhaps the USP will be sitting on one of the promenade benches in the evening with Dorothea in the background watching cruise liners, ships and the regular ferry chugging along with the city lights gleaming from the mainland across.
