Paradesi Synagogue
The
Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth
of Nations, located in Kochi, Kerala, in
South India.
Constructed in 1567, it is one of seven synagogues of the Malabar
Yehudan or Yehudan Mappila people or
Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom
of
Cochin.
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 Spanish-speaking Jews, some of them from
families exiled in Aleppo, Safed and other West Asian localities. It is also
referred to as the
Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the
Mattancherry
Synagogue.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. The complex
has four buildings. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on
the land given to the
Malabari Yehuden or " Yehuden Mappila"
community by the Raja of Kochi, Rama Varma. The Mattancherry Palace temple and
the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall.
No comments:
Post a Comment