So far we discussed about the Jewish monuments of Mala and their current status. However, Mala is not just about its Jewish heritage alone, the multi-religious culture and scenic beauty of the region are admirable. In a radius of one km, Mala has a synagogue (Jewish), a church (Christian), a temple (Hindu) and a mosque (Muslim), a unique feature very few sites in the world can boast about. In this context, a special mention should be made to the village of Chendamangalam in Kerala where also worshiping centers of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism exist within a short distance of each other. The major religious structures in Mala town are the Synagogue at the center, St. Stanislaus Forane Church at the north, Muhiyudheen Juma Masjid at the south and Mukunda Krishna Swamy Temple at the north-east directions. Suppose you measure the walking distance from Mala synagogue to these monuments using Google Map, the Masjid comes the nearest (180m) followed by the Church (350m) and the Temple (650m). Surprisingly, the distances are also identical in Chendamangalam when the Synagogue is used a central point to measure the distance to Juma Masjid-Kottayil Kovilakom (200m), Holy Cross Syro Malabar Catholic Church (350m) and Sree Krishna Swamy Hindu Temple (600m), but the settlements are older than Mala. The close coexistence of Mala`s religious centers is an ideal example of the multicultural harmony of the town. Historically, the gateway to Mala was through Malakadavu, the ferry slip which connected the town to the backwater system of Kerala and through that to the prominent trade centers. The following map will give you a better idea of the location of these sites in Mala.
1) Malakadavu
Before the modern road facilities became prominent in Mala, water transport was the major means of transportation for the public. It was also the main method for trading agricultural and livestock products, basic raw materials for construction works such as timber, bricks etc. Malakadavu connected Mala to Kottappuram backwaters located at a distance under 10 km through the stream Malachaal and from there to other parts of Kerala. It is even considered to be once the sub-harbour of the Port of ancient Muziris and some associate it with the "Manthai Perunthura" of Sangam literature (100 BC to 250 AD). Mala's easy accessibility to trade routes is suggested to be one of the reasons why Jews chose the site as their settlement. Until the mid 1960s, Malakadavu functioned as an inland waterways for transportation of cargo and passengers, the ferry was used for the last time by the Jews of Mala when they made Aliyah to Israel in mid 1950s.
2) St. Stanislaus Forane Church
The exact year of the establishment of this church is not known, but it was rebuilt in 1840 in the name of a Polish Jesuit saint, St. Stanislaus Kostka (1550-1568). He should be distinguished from the 11th century Polish saint and Bishop of Krakow, Stanislaus of Szczepanów or Saint Stanislaus the Martyr (1030-1079). Often claimed as the only parish in India having St. Stanislaus as the patron saint, the church under went a major renovation in 1953. The Church belongs to the Syro Malabar Catholic Christian community and comes under the Irinjalakuda Diocese. How did a Polish saint become associated with Mala is interesting. The nearby Jesuit seminary at Ambazhakkad (5km from Mala) that functioned from 1662-1773 would have played a key role, a possibility also supported by local legends. Equally intriguing is the name "Palashakkoottam" (Palasha=Polish; Koottam=Community) as the Jews of Mala were known by the Malabari Jews in Israel, and one reason suggested is the perception that they had a common Polish ancestor [Ophira Gamliel (2009), Jewish Malayalam Women's Songs]!
3) Muhiyudheen Juma Masjid
A certain tradition assigns a much early date to Mala Juma Masjid and according to that the mosque was established in 640 AD, which makes it the second oldest mosque in Kerala. In the Islamic oral traditions about Cheraman Perumal, who is said to have embraced Islam in the early 7th century, and in the list of the 10 celebrated early mosques of Kerala established by the Persian scholar, Malik Ibn Dinar (d. 748 AD) and his associates, Mala does not appear. Dinar is believed to have built the Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur in 629 AD, often acclaimed as the first mosque in India, but this is also legendary date, the earliest estimates put it at 9th century only. Although, there are no inscriptions or primary documentary evidences to support a 7th century date for Islam in Mala, the mosque is believed to be a few centuries old.
4) Shree Mukunda Krishna Swamy Temple
Established on March, 1910, the temple belongs to the small Gowda Sarasawat Brahmin community (GSB) of Kerala. The Konkani speaking GSB community live mainly in Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. From 16th to 18th centuries, when the Portuguese unleashed religious persecution in Goa, GSBs were one among the six Konkani communities who took refuge in Kerala under the tolerant Rajah of Cochin. The temple is managed by the Shree Prasadapureswara Devaswom, Mala and celebrated its centennial year in 2010.
With this post, I would like to wind up the chapter on Mala and its Jewish monuments. When I began writing about the lotus flowers of Mala synagogue on December 2019, my intention was to introduce the unique floral motifs that were distinct from each other. However, the more I visited and explored Mala, the more I realized that the experience should be shared and the result is this long series on the Jewish heritage of Mala. The whole process took about 3.5 months and it required 11 posts and over 200 images including maps, collages, photographs (personal) and pictures from other sources. The photographs I took were compiled from my visits to Mala from 2011 to 2020. I discussed about:
I-Mala Synagogue's 1) Interior, 2) Premises, 3) Wood Carved Lotus Flowers, and 4) Hebrew-Malayalam Inscriptions;
II-Mala Jewish Cemetery's 5) Current Status, 6) Timeline of Events, 7) Surviving Tombs and 8) Lost Tombs;
III-Mala's 9) Jew Street and 10) Jewish Population.
It is a miracle that the Jewish monuments of Mala still survive intact after decades of neglect and apathy from the local guardians. One particular photograph I would like to bring into your attention is the one taken in 1995 by Lekar Boris for 'Center for Jewish Art', Israel. The image is from the Azara (ante-room) of the synagogue and what is shocking is the writings on the wall. An election campaign slogan in the name of one of Kerala's most well known veteran political leader inside a synagogue! Its a long way from there to 2017 when Mala Synagogue and Jewish cemetery were declared protected monuments by the Government of Kerala. I believe it was worth a journey to know more about Mala's Jewish heritage and I hope to come up with more stories about the other Jewish monuments of Kerala in upcoming future uploads.
1) Synagogue; 2) Jewish Cemetery; 3) St. Stanislaus Forane Church; 4) Shree Mukunda Krishna Swamy Temple; 5) Muhiyudheen Juma Masjid; 6) Malakadavu
Before the modern road facilities became prominent in Mala, water transport was the major means of transportation for the public. It was also the main method for trading agricultural and livestock products, basic raw materials for construction works such as timber, bricks etc. Malakadavu connected Mala to Kottappuram backwaters located at a distance under 10 km through the stream Malachaal and from there to other parts of Kerala. It is even considered to be once the sub-harbour of the Port of ancient Muziris and some associate it with the "Manthai Perunthura" of Sangam literature (100 BC to 250 AD). Mala's easy accessibility to trade routes is suggested to be one of the reasons why Jews chose the site as their settlement. Until the mid 1960s, Malakadavu functioned as an inland waterways for transportation of cargo and passengers, the ferry was used for the last time by the Jews of Mala when they made Aliyah to Israel in mid 1950s.
Malakadavu & Malachaal near the Synagogue
Photo: January, 2017
Photo: November, 2019
Photo: November, 2019
Malachaal near the Jewish Cemetery
Photo: January, 2017
Photo: January, 2017
The exact year of the establishment of this church is not known, but it was rebuilt in 1840 in the name of a Polish Jesuit saint, St. Stanislaus Kostka (1550-1568). He should be distinguished from the 11th century Polish saint and Bishop of Krakow, Stanislaus of Szczepanów or Saint Stanislaus the Martyr (1030-1079). Often claimed as the only parish in India having St. Stanislaus as the patron saint, the church under went a major renovation in 1953. The Church belongs to the Syro Malabar Catholic Christian community and comes under the Irinjalakuda Diocese. How did a Polish saint become associated with Mala is interesting. The nearby Jesuit seminary at Ambazhakkad (5km from Mala) that functioned from 1662-1773 would have played a key role, a possibility also supported by local legends. Equally intriguing is the name "Palashakkoottam" (Palasha=Polish; Koottam=Community) as the Jews of Mala were known by the Malabari Jews in Israel, and one reason suggested is the perception that they had a common Polish ancestor [Ophira Gamliel (2009), Jewish Malayalam Women's Songs]!
An Old Photograph of the Church. Photo Courtesy: http://stanislausforanechurchmala.com/
Photo: January, 2017
Photo: January, 2020
Photo: January, 2017
Photo: January, 2017
3) Muhiyudheen Juma Masjid
A certain tradition assigns a much early date to Mala Juma Masjid and according to that the mosque was established in 640 AD, which makes it the second oldest mosque in Kerala. In the Islamic oral traditions about Cheraman Perumal, who is said to have embraced Islam in the early 7th century, and in the list of the 10 celebrated early mosques of Kerala established by the Persian scholar, Malik Ibn Dinar (d. 748 AD) and his associates, Mala does not appear. Dinar is believed to have built the Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur in 629 AD, often acclaimed as the first mosque in India, but this is also legendary date, the earliest estimates put it at 9th century only. Although, there are no inscriptions or primary documentary evidences to support a 7th century date for Islam in Mala, the mosque is believed to be a few centuries old.
Photo: January, 2017
Photo: January, 2017
Photo: January, 2020
Established on March, 1910, the temple belongs to the small Gowda Sarasawat Brahmin community (GSB) of Kerala. The Konkani speaking GSB community live mainly in Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. From 16th to 18th centuries, when the Portuguese unleashed religious persecution in Goa, GSBs were one among the six Konkani communities who took refuge in Kerala under the tolerant Rajah of Cochin. The temple is managed by the Shree Prasadapureswara Devaswom, Mala and celebrated its centennial year in 2010.
Photos: January, 2020
With this post, I would like to wind up the chapter on Mala and its Jewish monuments. When I began writing about the lotus flowers of Mala synagogue on December 2019, my intention was to introduce the unique floral motifs that were distinct from each other. However, the more I visited and explored Mala, the more I realized that the experience should be shared and the result is this long series on the Jewish heritage of Mala. The whole process took about 3.5 months and it required 11 posts and over 200 images including maps, collages, photographs (personal) and pictures from other sources. The photographs I took were compiled from my visits to Mala from 2011 to 2020. I discussed about:
I-Mala Synagogue's 1) Interior, 2) Premises, 3) Wood Carved Lotus Flowers, and 4) Hebrew-Malayalam Inscriptions;
II-Mala Jewish Cemetery's 5) Current Status, 6) Timeline of Events, 7) Surviving Tombs and 8) Lost Tombs;
III-Mala's 9) Jew Street and 10) Jewish Population.
It is a miracle that the Jewish monuments of Mala still survive intact after decades of neglect and apathy from the local guardians. One particular photograph I would like to bring into your attention is the one taken in 1995 by Lekar Boris for 'Center for Jewish Art', Israel. The image is from the Azara (ante-room) of the synagogue and what is shocking is the writings on the wall. An election campaign slogan in the name of one of Kerala's most well known veteran political leader inside a synagogue! Its a long way from there to 2017 when Mala Synagogue and Jewish cemetery were declared protected monuments by the Government of Kerala. I believe it was worth a journey to know more about Mala's Jewish heritage and I hope to come up with more stories about the other Jewish monuments of Kerala in upcoming future uploads.
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