KOCHI: Atlantis Junction near Ravipuram is famous for two things: the Cochin Shipyard and the long-pending railway overbridge project. It is also a place with one of the most amusing names in the city — one that traces back to the lost mythical city of Atlantis from Plato’s teachings.
Cutting the dive into Greek philosophy short, here is some interesting trivia: superhero Aquaman is referred to as the king of this submerged fantasy city, down under the Atlantic Ocean.Now, how did Kochi get an Atlantis of its own? The place got its name from an old hotel, according to Sebastian, a 74-year-old treasury officer, who used to live near Atlantis Junction.
“There used to be one Hotel Charmant, which was popular during colonial rule,” he says. “Foreign guests used to stay at the hotel, which was given the moniker ‘Atlantis’. “Later, the place also came to be known as Atlantis. When the Cochin Shipyard was built in 1972, the government took over the hotel and the surrounding land. Residents of the area were shifted to Panampilly Nagar.”
Francis K X, former councillor of Perumanoor (under which the area falls), corroborates the story. “I am not sure about Hotel Charmant. However, Hotel Atlantis was of the finest hotels in Kochi, and VIPs used to stay there,” he says.
“There isn’t much information available on who ran it. It was demolished in 1969 or 1970. The whole area was known as Perumanoor, and the hotel was a landmark building, about 60 to 70m west of the present-day Atlantis bus stop.