KOCHANGADI SYNAGOGUE (1344-1789 AD)-the first synagogue of Cochin.

Which is the oldest synagogue in Kochi (Cochin)? Majority will give you the name of Paradesi synagogue. Ironically, Paradesi synagogue, built in 1568 is one among the youngest in Cochin, predated by several Malabari synagogues from Kerala! In 1344, only three years after the founding of the harbor town of Cochin/Kochi, a synagogue was constructed on its shores! The Kochangadi synagogue as it was known predates the Paradesi synagogue by 224 years!

Kochangadi now.

The place Kochangadi (Cochangadi) is located immediately south to Mattancherry (enlarge the map here) and is one of the oldest parts of Kochi, preceding the ‘Jew Town’ of Mattancherry and Fort Kochi (the oldest municipality recorded in Indian sub-continent). Currently Kochangadi is the 6^th administrative ward of Kochi Corporation. The road after the ‘Jew Street’ in Mattancherry is still called the ‘Kochangadi Street’. After the decline of Jewish community Kochangadi became a predominant Muslim center and continues till date. Today, the Jewish quarter of Kochangadi has completely disappeared and there are no Jews or Jewish buildings. Modern Kochangadi is more popular for the Chembattapalli/Chembittapalli (Shafi'i Jami') mosque, one of the finest surviving examples of the Muslim architecture of Kerala. Chempittapally (in Malayalam, ‘Copper roofed mosque’) was allowed to have its roof of the main hall sheathed with copper, a privilege only the Hindu Temples could boast earlier. It is a testimony to the tolerance and equality of the Kochi Maharaja, who gave the permission to do so. An Arabic inscription in the mosque dates its reconstruction in the year 926 of the Hijra (1519-20 AD).

Etymology of Cochin and Cochangadi

The term Cochangadi literally means “Small Market (Cochu Angadi)” in Malayalam, but an alternate view is that it refers to “Jews’ Market”! How is this inference made? In Cochin, a Jew was addressed by “Cocha” and a Jewess by “Achi”. Hence ‘Cochangadi’ becomes ‘Cocha Angadi’ and thus ‘Jews’ Market’. In addition, the term Cocha is believed to be derived from the Biblical ‘Cohen’, Hebrew word for ‘Priest’! Some identify the Jewish settlement Kunja-Kiri described by the medieval geographer Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) with Kochangadi. The word Kunja-Kiri is then a derivation from the Indian name ‘Konchi Ghari’ (Town of Konchi’) which in turn is said to denote Cochin or Koch-angadi. Alternatively, many others identify Kunjakiri with Chendamangalam.

Interestingly, Cochin was a nature’s gift to the Keralites. In 1341, a massive devastating flood in Periyar River silted the historic Cranganore port making it unsuitable for commerce, but creating a small harbor in the south named Cochin. The ancient port of Cranganore was banished to the footnotes of history. One of the origins for the name Cochin is thought to be from the Malayalam word ‘Cochu Azhi’ meaning ‘Small Sea or Lagoon’.  Many of Cranganore Jews moved to Cochin, where the flood had created a new port and they became one of the first settlers in the new town. The impact of the flood was so devastating that the people of the region commemorated the event as the beginning of a new era, calling it Puduvaippu (from Malayalam pudu, 'new' and vepa 'habitation') and started a new era beginning from 1341 AD. It should however be noted that Jews remained in Cranganore for an additional two centuries after Kochangadi was established. It was only when Muslims with the help of Calicut King (Zamorin) in 1524, and  the Portuguese in 1565  attacked Cranganore; Jewish presence in their first settlement in Kerala was terminated.

Who built the Kochangadi synagogue?

There are two prominent traditions about the construction of Kochangadi synagogue. 

I) The most popular is about Joseph Azar who fled to Kochangadi after having a quarrel with his brother Aaron Azar, the 72^nd and last Jewish leader (Prince or King?) of Cranganore and established the synagogue in 1344. The first Jewish leader of Cranganore was Joseph Rabban, who received the famous copper plates (dated 4^th to 10^th century AD!). The exact circumstances that lead to Joseph Azar’s flight are not clear as several theories have emerged. 

i) Conflict over succession among brothers, Joseph Azar and Aaron Azar, leading to the intervention by neighbors that finally results in the eradication of Jewish autonomy in Cranganore and beginning of Kochangadi congregation.

ii) A quarrel initiated by wives that led to a fraternal struggle. Joseph Azar kills his elder brother Aaron Azar and flees with followers to Kochangadi.

iii) After a chieftainship dispute broke out over who controls the Jewish principality of Anjuvannam, Joseph Azar and followers get ousted to Kochangadi by his brother with the help of a local Hindu King.

iv) A civil war incited by neighboring kings eliminates Jewish monopoly of Cranganore and both brothers from the royal lineage of Anjuvannam escape to Kochangadi and establish a new Jewish community.

v) The strife between the White (Paradesi) and the Black (Malabari) Jews. The Jewish leader of Cranganore with the support of White Jews and local Hindu King expels Joseph Azar and his followers, the Black Jews.

Whatever the circumstances were, Joseph Azar fled from Cranganore to Kochangadi and established the first Jewish congregation of Cochin in 1344. Traditions record he swam to Cochin with his wife on his back. Moses Pereyra de Paiva, the Dutch Jew who visited Cochin in 1686 even claims to have seen the tomb of Joseph Azar at Cochin! When the Paradesi community wanted to depict their history in ten symbolical paintings during the time of the quartercentenary celebrations of their synagogue in 1968, Joseph Azar was drawn swimming with his wife on his shoulders (the 8^th painting displayed in the courtyard of Paradesi synagogue). The caption below the painting reads, “Destruction of Cranganore by the Moors and Portugese in 1524. Joseph Azar, the last Jewish Prince, swam to Cochin with his wife on his shoulders. The Jews placed themselves under the protection of the Maharajah of Cochin". See here for the photograph from jewsofcochin.blogspot.com. Note that the event is dated to 1524 instead of 1344.

II) The other tradition on the origin of Kochangadi community is attributed to the Jews of Palayur or Palur, one of the four ancient Jewish settlements of Kerala. Ruby Daniel remembers about a song the women of Mala Jewish congregation have about the building of their synagogue, which says that the first Jews arrived in Palur, and due to certain unknown reasons they had to flee to Cranganore. One batch of Palur Jews presumably migrated to Kochangadi and established the synagogue (Daniel, Ruby and Johnson, Barbara C., Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers (1995), Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, p.128).

Kochangadi synagogue-Malabari or Paradesi Monument?

It is generally accepted that Kochangadi synagogue was a Malabari and not a Paradesi monument. But, the Paradesis have a different version. According to them, Joseph Azar, the descendant of Joseph Rabban, the first Jewish King of Cranganore was a Paradesi (White) Jew; a claim Malabari Jews vehemently deny. For Paradesis, the leading families who moved to Kochangadi from Cranganore, viz. the Zakkais and the Aarons, merged with the newly arrived Spanish and Portuguese Jews to Cochin in 1511, formed their congregation in Mattancherry. Moses Pereyra de Paiva, an Amsterdam Jew of Portuguese descent visited Cochin in 1686 and published his ‘Noticias dos Judeus de Cochin’ in 1687, where he lists the names of 25 heads of Cochin Jewish families at that time. He mentions about descendants from Zackay/Zakkias (the family of Joseph Azar) and Aaron stocks, the first families who came from Cranganore to Cochin. According to him the Zakkias were branco (pure white) and Aarons were not! We have evidence for a group of Paradesi Jews from Cranganore moving to a place called Sinhora Savode  (Saudhi) near the western shores of Cochin, in late 15th century, who remained for fifty years before moving to Mattancherry (Jacobus Canter Visscher, Letters from Malabar (1723), English translation by H.Drury, p.115). Similarly, Baruch Joseph Levi, the first Mudaliyar of Paradesi Jews, is said to have restored the Kochangadi synagogue in 1539.

While Paradesis claim descent from the Jews of Cranganore, there is substantial evidence to suggest that most, if not all, the Paradesi families only arrived in Kerala after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492) and Portugal (1497). Certain questions remain yet to be answered. Is there any convincing evidence for the Paradesi Jews living in Kochangadi in the 14^th century? If the Kochangadi synagogue was a Paradesi monument, why was the foundation stone of the synagogue brought to the Malabari Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry after it was destroyed?

Decline of the Kochangadi synagogue.

After its establishment in 1344,  the Kochangadi synagogue was restored in 1539 by Baruch Joseph Levi, the first Jewish Mudaliar. From the writings of the Dutch Commander of Malabar, Adriaan Moens (1770-1781), it can be concluded that the 'Kochangadi Synagogue' was intact at least until 1781 AD. The synagogue was apparently damaged after Tipu Sultan’s army destroyed the monument during the Second Anglo-Mysore War in 1789. Adding to that, Muslim dominance in the area may have forced the Malabri Jewish community to move further north to Mattancherry where the Paradesi community lived. Ruby Daniel discusses the rift between the Jews and the Muslims in the area and remembers a few folklore and miracles associated with this conflict. She summarizes, “Anyway, the Jews found it difficult to stay there any longer. So they left the place” (Daniel, Ruby and Johnson, Barbara C., Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers (1995), Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, p.128). The Kochangadi Jews are thought to have moved to Mattancherry no later than 1795.

Foundation Stone of the Kochangadi synagogue.

The only physical evidence available for the Kochangadi synagogue’s existence is its mural slab kept in the eastern wall of the courtyard of Paradesi synagogue. According to Bar Giora Naphthali, after the Kochangady synagogue was destroyed in 1789, the foundation stone was brought and attached to one of the walls of Kadavumbhagom synagogue and somehow forgotten, but it was accidentally re-discovered in 1818, when plaster fell from the walls (A Note on the History of the Synagogues in Cochin, 1958). J B Segal, also narrates the same incident and  believes the synagoue was abandoned in 1795 (The History of the Jews of Cochin, 1993, p.31). Here is a photograph of the Hebrew stone inscription. The foundation stone of Kochangadi synagogue dated 1344 (Jewish year 5105) is the oldest relic preserved from any synagogues in India.

English translation: 

‘This building was built, a holy dwelling, a place for the eternal spirit, in the year 5105. Great it will be, this honored house, the last from the first. Created on Tuesday, 5 Kislev, a house of God’.

Locating the Kochangadi synagogue

Do we have any clue where the Kochangadi synagogue existed? According to Ruby Daniel, after the synagogue was demolished and abandoned, only a piece of wall was left standing in that compound. She recalls Muslim community living in the vicinity sometimes lighting up a lamp there. In her words, “A Muslim woman who lived nearby swept and kept the place around it clean. It was worth her while. I have seen that piece of wall years ago, but I don’t know if it still stands today” (Daniel, Ruby and Johnson, Barbara C., Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers (1995), Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, p.128). If Ruby Daniel remembered the synagogue compound existing in early 20^th century, I believe there will be some among the locals who still have a memory of the site where the synagogue once stood.   

A very interesting detail about the synagogue's location is recorded in an article by E. I. Hallegua that appeared in the 1906 edition of the 'Jewish Chronicle' (Malabar Jews-I, October 5, 1906-Jewish Chronicle, p. 20). He describes that the Cochin Angady (Kochangady) Synagogue was established in 5105 A. M. (1345 AD), about a mile south of the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue (Mattancherry) and writes "at present only the four walls attest the site of its grandeur". This is a very crucial information. Not only it gives a precise location of the synagogue, but also attests the fact that the synagogue's four walls were intact in early 20th century. Another insight is from Rabbi Louis Rabinowitz who visited Cochin in 1952. We don't know what he meant by "of the 1344 Angadi edifice only ruins remain," (Far East Mission, p. 134)-perhaps he was only mentioning about the foundation stone of the Kochangadi Synagogue, if not, we have to assume that the ruins of the synagogue were visible until the mid-20th century!

In Kerala, members of the three monotheistic Semitic religions, Jews Christians and Muslims have coexisted peacefully and lived close by, but within self made boundaries. The seven Churches established by St: Thomas in Kerala; all were near a Jewish colony, except the one at Nilackal. Similarly, we have proofs for Muslims and Jews together in Madayi and Chendamangalam. In Chendamanagalam, Jewish and Muslim cemeteries still exist in one compound without any boundary in between! In a similar fashion, the Jew Town of Mattancherry and the predominantly Muslim dominated Kochangadi lie side by side.

Map 1. Modern Kochangadi region

Courtesy, google maps.

The city layout of Kochangadi has not changed much due to the less interference from the colonial powers who controlled only the other parts of Cochin, mainly Fort Kochi. If you look the following modern google map, three main east-west streets can be seen intersecting Kochangadi. Their courses have probably remained the same for many years: 1) Muslim Street (today Maulana Azad Road)-the most prominent road located on the west side; 2) Kochangadi Street-the eastern street is a continuation of Jew Street from north and runs parallel to the sea; 3) Dar al Salaam Road-the central street which is the epicenter of all Muslim institutions in Kochangadi viz. Dar al Salaam School, Zain al din Mosque and Chembittapally.

 

Map 2a. Map of Cochin (Kochi) in 1755

Map 2b. Enlarged view of Mattancherry-Kochangadi region

In this 1755 map of Cochin, "Ville De Cochin”, issued by Jacques Nicolas Bellin and engraved by J. V. Schley, several individual houses, towers, garden plots and churches can be clearly seen. One can easily identify the fortified city of Fort Kochi in the north and Mattancherry and Kochangadi regions towards the south. If (1) is the Mattancherry Palace and (2?) the Paradesi synagogue (the map need not be drawn to a scale), the whole Jew Town of Mattancherry appears strangely vacant! Instead, if 2(?) is the Mattancherry Palace, there is no Paradesi synagogue depicted in the map! In the Kochangadi area, assuming Chembittapally is (3), can we locate the synagogue? Since the Kochangadi synagogue was intact until 1789, could one of the buildings in the residential complex near the mosque facing the sea shore (encircled yellow in the map 2b) represent the Jewish sanctuary?  

As we know that the three synagogues of Mattancherry (Paradesi, Thekkumbagam and Kadavumbagam) align in a line (see 3, 6 and 11 here, and the Map 1 above) and are near the sea, could the Kochangadi synagogue also be placed as a continuation, and east to the mosque towards the sea? Ruby Daniel mentions in her memoir (p.10) that the synagogue was a few furlongs to the south where Jew Town of Mattancherry ends. There is a high chance that the synagogue and mosque were close to each other. Hallegua's pointer that the synagogue was one mile south of the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue nicely corroborates with this location. It is said that the Jews of Cochin donated wood for the construction of Chembittapally in Kochangadi! Most probably, the Kochangadi synagogue was located somewhere between the Dar al Salaam Road and Kochangadi Street, which continues from the Jew Street of Mattancherry (yellow dotted circle in map 1).

The Historic ‘Kadavumbagam Synagogue’ of Mattancherry (1544).

Every day hundreds of tourists flock to visit Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest functional Jewish monument in India. But how many of them realize that not far from this famed monument lies a more ancient synagogue? Perhaps the skeletal remains of this unmarked and ill-maintained structure are so obscure and ordinary looking that many travel books and tourist guides fail to even mention its existence! Known as the Kadavumbagam (Riverside) synagogue of Mattancherry, this Malabari Jewish monument was built before the Paradesi synagogue. At its height of glory the monument was a much larger and grander structure with its fame reaching even outside India. How big was the synagogue? Late Ruby Daniel, a Cochin Jew who lived in Jew Street before migrating to Israel, quotes in her memoir about an old Jewish folk song, where the number of seat holders attending prayers in the Kadavumbagam synagogue was 800! 

The Kadavumbagam Jews before emigrating to Israel.

The Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry is at the southern end of the Jew Town and it takes less than 10 minutes to walk from the Paradesi Synagogue which is at the other end. In fact, the original Jew Street of Mattancherry stretched from the Kadavumbagam Synagogue to the Paradesi Synagogue with the Thekkumbagam Synagogue in between. All the houses in the narrow Jew Street near the Kadavumbagam Synagogue belonged to the Malabari Jews, while the ones towards the middle of the street were the Meshuhararim residences. Today, none of them are in Jewish hands as all left for Israel. The upper section of the Jew Street had the more wealthy Paradesi homes, and a few are still with the surviving Jews. The Jewish Year Book (1907/08) observes that the Kadavumbagam synagogue was managed a century before by four trustees, viz.  Elias Moses Madai, Joseph Isaac Nahamia, Elijah Sadill Isaac and Elijah Nahamiah Jacob, and had enough funding to do charity work for the poor. 

However,  David G. Mandelbaum (1939) gives us a different picture about the community in early 20^th century: “At the lower end is the Riverside (Kadavumbagam) synagogue of the black Jews, named after an earlier structure in Cranganore. The houses of the black Jews (Malabari Jews) extend up the street for perhaps five hundred yards. Most of them have an open veranda in front, in which the head of the family sells his fowls, eggs, and produce. In back of the shop are the living quarters which must be entered through the veranda, for the houses are jammed one against the other. Sandwiched between Jewish homes are houses belonging to Moslem merchants and Hindu artisans, for poverty and the extinction of family lines have necessitated the sale of some Jewish houses to outsiders”.

Reference:

Mandelbaum, David G. “The Jewish Way of Life in Cochin”, Jewish Social Studies, Vol. 1, 1939, pp. 423-60.

History of the Kadavumbagom Synagogue, Mattancherry.

According to Jewish traditions (mostly Malabari), the Kadavumbagam Synagogue was built after their first synagogue in Cochin, the Kochangadi Synagogue (est. 1344) became functionless. However, the Kochangadi synagogue functioned until the late 1780s or early 1790s, when it was destroyed by Tipu Sultan. The Paradsei version can be summarized from the words of late S. S. Koder: 'As a result of the Moorish attack on the Jews of Cranganore in 1524, more Jews escaped to Cochin. They found the Cochangadi Synagogue too small. Another Synagogue the Kadvobagham Synagogue was therefore built in Cochin by Baruch Levi, the father of the first Mudaliyar in 1544 and completed in 1550'. 

STRUCTURE OF THE KADAVUMBHAGOM SYNAGOGUE OF MATTANCHERRY

The original synagogue complex had a two-storey gatehouse, a Beit Midrash (Hebrew school), a connecting breezeway and a main sanctuary. The synagogue had direct access to the sea and even a landing site for boats, located 50 meters in front (east) of the monument. There was a market in front of the synagogue according to Ruby Daniel (Ruby of Cochin, p.44). Today, only the sanctuary building remains and the rest all have disappeared. The gatehouse and breezeway were demolished in early 1960s while the Jew Street was expanded and altered. We know that the Hebrew school was attended by Malabari Jewish children from both Kadavumbagam and Thekkumbagam communities of Mattancherry. 

Legends and folklores about the Kadavumbagom Synagogue, Mattancherry.

The Kadavumbagam Synagogue is attributed with several miracles when it was in use. “Therefore if anyone became ill, or was embarking on a dangerous journey, or lost something and wanted to recover it-or when a woman was soon to give birth-it was customary to bring a gift or donation to this synagogue and to pray for one’s well-being”, says Ruby Daniel. She remembers even non-Jews bringing a glass of oil for the synagogue’s lamp as a gift. She also describes an incident where a boy dies in an earthquake in Quetta, Afghanistan; and the father sends money to Mattancherry every year on his death anniversary so that his son's name is remembered in the famed Kadavumbagam synagogue!

There is also an interesting story about the person who purchased the synagogue and converted it into a factory for ropes and mat. It goes like this; being a Hindu he hung the idol of his God over the synagogue door, only to find it lying on the floor in pieces next day morning. He repeats the process and the result was the same each morning. Eventually, his sons began to die and only then he realized that he had to leave the synagogue.

The Kadavumbagam Synagogue of Mattancherry after the Jews left.

After the Malabari Jews of Mattancherry left for Israel in 1955, the synagogue was first entrusted to the Paradesi Jewish community. The synagogue was later rented and then sold to non-Jews. It became a woodshop, a workshop for producing ropes and mats, and even a warehouse for storing areca nuts and dried shrimps! Today, the building is padlocked and empty. The synagogue is for sale as of 2010 and has some disputes over its ownership and hence very difficult to access. Here is a photo of the synagogue taken in 1990 before it was dismantled and taken to Israel. You can see the intricately wooden-carved ceiling and the women's gallery. Also look for the bundles of rope stored inside the synagogue after it was turned into a factory!

 

Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry in 1990. Photo courtesy, The Jews of India-a story of three communities (1995), Orpa Slapak ed., The Israel Museum-Jerusalem, p.60. Photo credited to Jorg Drechsel.

Journey of the ‘Holy Ark’ of Kadavumbagam Synagogue from Mattancherry to Jerusalem.

What happened to the ark of the Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry after Jews left for Israel? The Kadavumbagam 'Torah Ark' of  Mattancherry was installed inside the synagogue in 1940s after its previous ark was damaged by humidity. As the Kadavumbagam Jews left India in 1955 and the synagogue became disuse, this newly installed ark which was said to be a replica of the pre-1940 Heichal, was sent to Israel sometime between 1955 and 1957. The exact order of events once the Ark reached Israel is not very clear. It is generally believed that the Cochin Jews failed to claim the Ark from the customs in Haifa Port, and as a result it was allocated to a German Jewish orthodox community in Moshav Nehalim in central Israel. A different version is that they were not in a position to build a synagogue immediately on arrival to Israel, and therefore  the Ark was donated willingly to the Nehalim community. For those who want to see the original ark of Kadavumbagam synagogue, here is a photograph taken in 1984 from the Moshav, published in 'the Jews of India-a story of three communities' (1995), Orpa Slapak ed., p.56.

How to locate the ‘Kadavumbagam Synagogue’ of Mattancherry?

See '11' and '5' in the maps here and here, respectively. Using the Dutch Palace or Mattancherry Palace (the palace of Kochi Maharaja) as a reference point, if a straight line is drawn towards south, all three synagogues of Mattancherry will align in a row, at a distance of 75 meters (Paradesi), 175 meters (Thekkumbagam) and 575 meters (Kadavumbagam), respectively from the palace. As you walk from the Paradesi Synagogue towards south along the Jew Street, skip the two side roads to your right (west), the first is A.B. Salem road and the other joins at a junction where you can identify the 1831 Jewish building with a large Star of David atop. Continue walking the Jew Street further south and after approximately 200 meters ahead you will be able to identify a huge derelict white building on to your right (west) side with flaked and soiled lime plaster walls. The front walls are painted yellow and the main entrance is enclosed by a dark-red steel roll-up door. The old building with its exposed wood rafters and gabbled terracotta roofs can easily be overlooked. The structure looks so ruined, shabby and overgrown with weeds that it is hard to believe it was a synagogue once.  The pad-locked synagogue is very difficult to access today, although there is nothing worth to see inside. For those who are adamant to see the interior, Cochinsyn.com has two photographs uploaded here.There are not many good landmarks to identify the synagogue. You can look for two small shops; ‘M.S.M Stores’ opposite and ‘Alfiya Stores’ just before the synagogue on the same side (west) in the Jew Street.

Walking the Jew Street from the 1831 Jewish building (1st Photo below) to the 'Kadavumbagam Synagogue' of Mattanchery. The distance is roughly 200 meters.

For the 1831 Jewish building, see my earlier upload here

Location of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry. The synagogue is in Jew Street, opposite to 'Global Enterprises' and 'MSM Stores'; or just after 'Alfiya Stores' while you come from the Paradesi synagogue side.

Eastern (front) side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry. Infront of the synagogue was a Hebrew school, a double-storey gatehouse and an open way to the sea. All gone now!

Northern side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry.

 

Southern side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry.

Western (back) side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry.

Demolition active in the Kadavumbagam Synagogue compound, Mattancherry.

 

Photos taken on January, 2011.