At the utmost end of Jew Street in Mattancherry, resides the most ancient Jewish Synagogue, also known as Mattancherry Synagogue or Paradesi Synagogue. The word “Paradesi” is being used in many Indian languages which means “foreigner”. Fort Kochi is a place of a cultural blend, as it was the land where people from Spain, Portugal and other regions came in and left their precious marks in the land. Jewish Synagogue was built in 1568, by Malabar Yehudans or Cochin Jewish Community. The Jewish community came to Kochi from their homeland – Israel and conducted spice trade in Fort Kochi.
The Jewish Synagogue is built on the land gifted by King Rama Varma, the former ruler of Kochi, near Mattancherry Palace temple with both these buildings sharing the same wall. It is said that this synagogue is among the seven synagogues built in the region, yet it is the only one remaining to date. It is the oldest existing synagogue in all the Commonwealth nations.
The Jewish synagogue is situated at walking distance from the bus stand or the boat jetty through different shops and stores in Jew street selling different kinds of items. Upon reaching the synagogue, the gorgeous clock tower built around 1760 is clearly visible near the high white facades. The clock was built by a Jewish businessman, Ezekiel Rahabi. Out of the four faces of the clock, the side facing the Palace showed time in Malayalam. The Roman Numeral side of the clock was for the traders and for the remaining two sides, one had writings in Hebrew and the other remained blank.
One can only step inside Mattancherry Synagogue barefooted. The moment you step inside, your eyes get stuck on the hanging glass chandeliers dating back to the 19th century carefully imported from Belgium. The floors are an artistic marvel with blue- willow patterned floor tiles that are hand-painted by the Chinese artists imported from Carton in China. Right in the centre of the hall, there is a pulpit with brass rails. The first five books of the Old Testament are preserved as four scrolls of Torah encased within silver and gold. There are two golden crowns on display that were gifted by the kings of Cochin and Travancore. One can also see carved teak artworks inside the Synagogue. The 4th-century copper plates gifted by the king of Cochin with old inscriptions written within are also on display for the visitors. Another peculiarity is the oriental rug presented by the last Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie.
With rare antiques, artefacts and varied architecture, Mattancherry Synagogue remains to dwell as a charm of Fort Kochi visited by hundreds of tourists per day. The synagogue is a historical monument standing as an epitome of the Jewish community who once lived in huge numbers facilitating spice trades. There are still some descendants of the old Jews scattered here and there in Kochi yet in very few numbers.
