Six Jewish Families & Paradesi Synagogue

Tourists are familiar with Fort Kochi & its renowned Jewish Synagogue in Jew Town, Kerala. The Jewish population numbering 250 in the fifties has now dwindled to six families & the number doesn't exceed 26 in the whole of Kochi. Migration to Israel is the prime reason for the fall in number. The oldest living member was 96 years old Sarah Cohen who looked after the embroidery & design of clothes worn during the important Jewish ceremonies & festivities. The magnificence of the synagogue built in 1568 can be gauged from the fact the blue-n-white floor tiles were imported from China, while the candle lamps came from Belgium. The hand knit Oriental rugs were bought from the last Emperor of Ethiopia. Religious services are conducted by the elders as there is no rabbi, with ten Jewish male members needed to conduct a ceremony at the shrine. An inscription at the entrance mentions the shrine - the dwelling place of God was built in the Hebrew year of 5015. The Synagogue together with the Chinese Fishing Nets & Tomb of Vasco Da Gama reflect the glory of a bygone era & accentuates the importance of Fort Kochi as an international center for trading & assimilation of cultures.

Make your next holiday destination - Gods' Own Country, Kerala. From: September to March

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