The Paradesi Synagogue aka Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue 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.
The Jewish synagogue was built in 1568, almost 1500 years after the beginning of the Jewish connection with Kerala. It was built on the land, adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace, given by the erstwhile king of Cochin. The Malabari Jews or Yehudan Mappila (also known as Cochin Jews) formed a prosperous trading community of Kerala, and they controlled a major portion of worldwide spice trade. In 1568, Paradesi Jews constructed the Paradesi Synagogue adjacent to Mattancherry Palace, Cochin, now part of the Indian city of Ernakulam, on land given to them by the Raja of Kochi. The first synagogue in India was built in the 4th century in Kodungallur (Cranganore) when the Jews had a merchantile role in the South Indian region (now called Kerala) along the Malabar coast. When the community moved to Kochi in the 14th century, it built a new synagogue there.
The synagogue, the oldest in the Commonwealth, was built by the Jewish community of Cochin. In 1662, it was destroyed by the Portguese and then reconstructed, two years later, by the Dutch.
The Jewish Synagogue is built with a mixture of European and the traditional Kerala architectural style. A number of artifacts and relics are preserved in the chambers of the monument. A number of Scrolls of Law, several gold crowns, Belgian glass chandeliers and a brass railed pulpit have been stored in the chambers of the Synagogue. It houses the 10th-century copper plates of privileges given to Joseph Rabban, the earliest known Cochin Jew. These two plates were inscribed in Tamil by the ruler of the Malabar Coast. The flooring of the monument is adorned with hundreds of Chinese porcelain tiles, which have been beautifully hand-painted.
The most admirable part of the synagogue is its clock tower inside the premises of the Synagogue. The clock tower, which stopped working, has been repaired under the direction of World Monuments Fund. A medieval tablet from the old Synagogue is placed on the outer walls of the Synagogue. It bears an inscription in Hebrew.
The Mattancherry Synagogue is not only a place of historical and architectural importance but also a symbol of the diverse cultural heritage of Kochi and Kerala, making it a must-visit destination for those interested in history and culture.
