Where the Jews Live on- Mattancherry, Kochi

"Jew Town in Cochin? Are you sure?" was the 1st question that popped in my head. But this was before i did some research and read about Mattancherry and Kochi. We were there for little over 2days and on the last day, decided to make a quick visit to the Jew town, specifically to explore the Synagogue and area around, maybe even try speaking to one of the Jews living there.

The place has a certain charm. Narrow lanes resembling a beautifully laid out cobbled street, with brightly painted walls, stores brimming with antiques on either side lead us towards the  one of the oldest Synagogues, heading to a dead end.   

Vehicles are not allowed inside, unless it is a two wheeler.  The stores have items literally spilling out into the streets, which leaves just about enough space for people to walk on. It feels like we are in a different country altogether, that is how different the atmosphere here is.

 

As I walked along the lane, I could feel a few eyes on us, probably thinking "ah, more tourists, wonder where they are from" Some smiled, while others just stared, as if looking straight through me.. kinda creepy!

 

Visitors were asked to leave all our belongings, including mobile phones and cameras with the storage space provided near the Synagogue and then enter the premises. The hall before the main synagogue showcases a brief history of the place, through photographs and content lining the walls. Built in  1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin, this is called the Paradesi Synagogue.  Situated in an area called Jew Town, this is probably the only one of the 7 synagogues that is still in use. In all, there are about 13 Jew families living in the area, and the lady we met at the entrance shooed us away saying "we have had enough of reporters and journalists prying into our lives, please leave us in peace"  

 

The Synagogue complex in all has 4 buildings and has been built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple, infact they share a common wall.Spent in all about an hour, the main synagogue is beautiful, decked with blue and white tiles, plenty of chandeliers hanging across the ceiling, and pristine... Luckily, there was not much of a crowd, but for a group who had come with a guide... And since i dint have my camera, there was no chance of taking any photographs inside the premises....

Just outside, in the path around the synagogue i spotted a few stones and pieces of wall with Jewish inscriptions on them. Wish i knew what they meant, there was no one around or no board that explained the words. And before i knew it, the lady at the entrance was beckoning me with her head, it was time to leave. I walked out with so many questions in my mind, but alas, they remain there.....

Photo courtesy: keralavillagehomestay.com

After gathering my bags and belongings from the storage locker, i strolled out of the street, wondering what history was hidden within these walls. As i reached the junction, i noticed that there were 2 paths ahead of me- one that takes me back to the palace, while the other heads towards the spice market and the Jew cemetery. And the latter is what i chose, keeping a watch on the time... :-)

Skywatch Friday- Through the ruins

With apprehension, i got out of the car and checked to see if the gates were open.. Phew, they were! This was my 2nd time here at Sadras Fort [well, technically 1st since the last time i landed here the gates were shut and i had an interesting encounter with an interesting character.. anyways, that is another story]... For now, i was eager to explore the grounds within the Fort... 

Sadras or Sadurangapattinam is a fortress town situated along the Coromandel Coast, about 70 kms south of Chennai. The Fort originally built by the Dutch for commercial purposesis today just a land of ruins. The fort walls have crumbled and so have the structures within. There was a huge granary, a stable and smaller structures that were apparently used to mount elephants. The British in their own style raided the fort around 1818 and took over possession. Today, this dilapidated structure is protected monument and cared for by the ASI. 

Near the entrance of the fort is the Cemetry, with tomb stones and an internal chamber that was part of a secret tunnel passage. As we walk through the narrow corridor, a sudden burst of sunlight caught us by surprise. What was once a majestic pillar is now only a small stump, with a gaping hole on the ceiling through which sun's rays sneak in...  

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Project 365 Skywatch Friday Day 50 Under the Sky

After the exhilarating boat ride on the Pulicat Lake, we went over to visit the Fort & Cemetery, or rather the ruins...

   

The Dutch Cemetery in Pulicat dates back to the 16th century, and today stands as it was back then. Situated amidst a market place, near where the Fort is said to have been, the Cemetery was built between 1606 and 1690 housing nearly 76 tombs and an underground secret passage that led to the fort ..  The tomb stones with inscriptions in Dutch were apparently carved in Holland and brought to India..

The tombs looked like the Coins on a chess board, some tall, some short and scattered all over the compound...   

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