Fort Manuel or Fort Immanuel was the first Portuguese fort in Asia and was built in 1503 by the Portuguese in Kochi with the support of the Maharaja of Kochi. The ruins of the fort are present-day Fort Kochi and Bastion Bungalow is located in the northernmost bastion of this ancient fort. Located near Vasco Da Gama Square, the Bungalow is now a museum that houses artefacts, paintings, and infographics about the history of Cochin. The museum is constructed in a very Indo-European style with heavy Kerala and Dutch influence — large rooms and high ceilings. The museum is located on the top floor. Several rooms explain the history of Muziris to the Kingdom of Kochi and to the Portuguese, Dutch, and finally British influences in Kochi.
It is here where we learnt about how Fort Kochi got the Fort part in its name — from Fort Manuel. And also how Bastion Bungalow got its name — the fact that it was built over the Stormberg Bastion by the Dutch. You'll find information about how the original fort was later destroyed by the Dutch after they defeated the Portuguese. A whole room showcases the timeline of voyagers and explorers who visited the Cochin port. There's also a room dedicated to Hortus Malabaricus, a 17th-century botanical work by Hendrik van Rheede, the Governor of Dutch Malabar.
