Mattancherry synagogue which is also known as the Paradesi Synagogue was constructed in the year 1568 by the Jewish community in Cochin. Hence, it is also referred to as the Cochin Jewish Synagogue. It was built on the land that was gifted to the Jews by the Cochin King. It is located in a place called Jew town. The word meaning of Paradesi is ‘foreigner’. This name is given to the Synagogue because this was initially used by the Jews from Cranganore, Middle East and Europe. It lies next to the Mattancherry palace. It comprises of 4 buildings.
This synagogue functions with a minyan which is the only one of its kind in Kochi. As a result of the influence of Hindu culture the devotees can enter the synagogue only with barefoot. Some factors that are unique to this Jewish community are that they use separate colors of cloth for each festivals, distributing grapes soaked myrtle leaves during festivals etc. The Paradesi synagogue house several valuable articles such as the scrolls of Old Testament written in Hebrew, gold and silver crowns gifted by the Raja, glass chandeliers etc. The copper plates with Tamil inscriptions which were given to the earliest Jew, Joseph Rabban is found here. The flooring is done with Chinese hand painted tiles. Each tile is of different design and do not resemble one another. There is a clock tower that was added to the building in the 18th century. It keeps ticking even today and is the most visible part of this synagogue.
St Francis Church
St. francis church is situated at 2 kilometers west of Mattancherry Palace. It is the first and oldest european church built in India (Christanity was in India centuries before europeans came, so were churches). The church was built by the Portuguese in the year 1506 with the permission from Raja of Cochin. After the attack of the Dutch on Cochin, the church came under their control. Later the Dutch were defeated by the British who were later given the ownership of the church.
Vasco Da Gama, the first european to land on India, was originally buried in this church in 1524, but the remains of his body were removed to Lisbon after fourteen years.On the Southern side of the church the grave stone of Vasco Da Gama can still be seen. The church also has a cemetery of other portuguese people at that time.
Today this church at Fort Cochin is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India but its ownership still remains under the North Kerala Dioces of Church of South India. The church is still operational and has services on sundays and other important days.
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