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Paradesi Synagogue

1568 establishments in India16th-century synagoguesBuildings and structures in KochiCochin JewsMattancherry
Orthodox Judaism in IndiaOrthodox synagoguesParadesi JewsReligious buildings and structures completed in 1568Religious buildings and structures in Ernakulam districtSephardi Jewish culture in IndiaSynagogues in KeralaUse Indian English from July 2015
Jewish synagouge kochi india
Jewish synagouge kochi india

The Paradesi Synagogue aka Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue (Malayalam: പരദേശി ജൂതപള്ളി) is a synagogue located in Mattancherry Jew Town, a suburb of the city of Kochi, Kerala, in India. It was built in 1568 A.D. by Samuel Castiel, David Belila, and Joseph Levi for the flourishing Paradesi Jewish community in Kochi. Cochin Jews were composed mainly of the much older Malabari Jews and the newly arrived Sephardic refugees from the Portuguese religious persecution of Jews in Spain and Portugal. It is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. Paradesi is a word used in several Indian languages, and the literal meaning of the term is "foreigners", applied to the synagogue because it was built by Sephardic or Portuguese-speaking Jews, some of them from families exiled in Aleppo, Safed and other West Asian localities. The synagogue is located in the quarter of Old Cochin known as Jew Town, and is the only one of the seven synagogues in the area still in use, though the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue (1544 A.D) and Thekkumbhagam Synagogue (1647 A.D) (extinct) are much older and are the three synagogues in Mattancherry. The complex has four buildings. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land given to the community by the Raja of Kochi, Rama Varma. The Mattancherry Palace temple and the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Paradesi Synagogue (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Paradesi Synagogue
Synagogue Lane, Kochi Mattancherry

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 9.9572222222222 ° E 76.259444444444 °
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Galley 'c' seven

Synagogue Lane
628002 Kochi, Mattancherry
Kerala, India
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Jewish synagouge kochi india
Jewish synagouge kochi india
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Thekkumbhagam Synagogue

The Thekkumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue aka Thekkumbhagam Synagogue was a synagogue located in Mattancherry Jew Town, a suburb of Kochi, Kerala, in South India. It was built in 1647 AD. by the Malabar Jews, on land donated by the Maharajah of Cochin and was one of the oldest known synagogues in India. It was the fourth to be built in Mattancherry after they fled to Cochin from Muziris and it was one of three in the area, the others being the Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue (1539 AD) and the Paradesi Synagogue (1568 AD) of the Paradesi Jews of Cochin. The name of the synagogue is believed to refer to a much older synagogue that once stood in Kodungaloor. The Thekkumbhagam palli (synagogue) was built in typical Kerala-style Jewish architecture and was almost identical to the nearby Paradesi Synagogue though it had a much longer breezeway and a different design of gatehouse. A curious feature of the synagogue were four ostrich eggs that were hung for good luck.In 1955, the entire congregation made aliyah to Israel leaving the synagogue in the care of S. Koder of the Paradesi community to be taken care and maintained. In the 1960s, the synagogue was torn down and a two-story residential house was constructed. The only remaining relic from this monument is the hekal that was brought and is currently preserved in The Magnes Museum in Berkeley, California, USA.It changed hands again and now a heritage hotel is being constructed.

Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue
Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue

Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue aka Kadavumbhagam Synagogue ( Mal: കടവു൦ഭാഗ൦ മട്ടാഞ്ചേരി ജൂതപള്ളി or കടവു൦ഭാഗ൦ ജൂതപള്ളി ) is a Jewish synagogue located in Mattancherry, a locality in Kochi, in the coastal state of Kerala. It is one of the oldest extant synagogues in India, built in 1544 A.D. It was built by the Malabar Jews who are the oldest jewish settlers in India, believed to have arrived as traders in the ancient port city of Muziris. It was the second to be built in Mattancherry, after the Kochangadi Palli in 1344 A. D., and is one of three synagogues in the area. The others being the Thekkumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue (1647 A.D) (extinct) and the Paradesi Synagogue (1568 A.D) of the Paradesi jews of Cochin. The name of the synagogue is believed to refer to a much older synagogue that once stood in Kodungaloor. This synagogue is considered as one of the most ornately carved and decorated Malabar Synagogues in Kerala, particularly its wooden furnishes and interior sanctuary. The name means "by the riverside" and refers to a boat dock that stood opposite the complex until the 1960's. This palli (synagogue) was renowned for its divine miracles and stories associated and was revered by both the Malabar Jews and non Jewish locals.In 1955, the entire congregation made aliyah to Israel leaving the synagogue in disuse. It was initially encroached upon and later made into a warehouse for coir storage. The interior furniture and women's bimah were shipped and preserved in the Israel Museum while it's hekal is presently in moshav Nehalim in Israel.In September 2019, after decades of neglect, the entire front portion of the sanctuary collapsed in the heavy monsoon rainfall. After much public outcry, the Kerala Archaeology Department took possession of the monument to save it. Currently it is being restored to function as a heritage museum.

Coonan Cross Oath
Coonan Cross Oath

The Coonan Cross Oath, also known as the Great Oath of Bent Cross or Leaning Cross Oath, was taken on 3 January 1653, in Mattancherry, by a significant portion of the Saint Thomas Christian community in the Malabar region of India. This public declaration marked their refusal to submit to the authority of the Jesuits and the Latin Catholic hierarchy, as well as their rejection of Portuguese dominance in both ecclesiastical and secular matters. The Portuguese had established political and religious control over parts of India, seeking to enforce Latin Catholic practices upon the local Christian community, which followed its own traditions. At the Synod of Diamper in 1599, led by Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes, the Latin Church imposed several changes, including the use of Portuguese bishops, the Latin liturgy, Roman vestments, clerical celibacy, and the establishment of the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa, which also extended its jurisdiction to Cochin. The Saint Thomas Christians, whom the Portuguese referred to as "Nestorians," largely resisted these latinizations, as they were seen as an infringement on their longstanding religious customs. By 1653, dissatisfaction with the Latin Church's increasing control had grown significantly among the Saint Thomas Christians. The Coonan Cross Oath symbolized their collective resolve to break free from Portuguese influence. In response, the community elected Thoma I as their archdeacon and leader. They also sought to restore connections with older Eastern Christian traditions, rejecting the continued latinization efforts. Ahatallah was a Syrian bishop who had arrived in India and was viewed by many Saint Thomas Christians as a potential leader who could restore their traditional practices. His capture by Portuguese authorities, who feared his influence, and his subsequent disappearance fueled further resistance among the Saint Thomas Christians. Some accounts suggest that his fate played a direct role in prompting the Coonan Cross Oath, as the community feared the complete erosion of their traditions under Portuguese rule.