Kochi Things to Do

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Those can be found along the shore line in Cochin. The only time I have seen these nets before was in China, and this is the only part in India where these nets are used. Because of the size between 6 and 8 people are used to "operate" these nets when they are full. I have seen the operation once, and was astonished how "chaotic" it works... I guess it takes a system that we don't understand.

The centre stretches via various streets and is the business district for the surrounding area. Many shops, a few restaurants and bars as well as banks and insurance buildings can be seen. The city is famous for spices since the early Portuguese times and one can get good deals with curries and other "hot" affairs. One rule applies for all of India as well as Cochin - if you buy something negotiate, negotiate and negotiate... it is the way of life!

The inside of St. Francis Church is very simple if one compares the church to similar buildings in Europe and one imagines what important explorer lay here buried for so many years. Work started on the church in the middle of the 16th century and both the Dutch and Portuguese used this church. Most tumbstones from those times have been removed and memorial plates can be seen on the outside of the church of the various dignitaries that served this community.

Behind the synagogue one can find various tomb stones of citizens of the Jewish community that was buried here. Some of those tomb stones are more than 150 years old. Since the community has become smaller and smaller it is doubtfull if many more will use this graveyard in the years to come.

Quiet an amazing site is the clock tower situated in Jewtown. All letters are in Hebrew and the clock was built in the 19th century. It towers above the narrow road leading to the synagogue. This is a sign how important Cochin was as melting pot between the Portuguese, the Indians and the Jewish community. A virbrant and cosmopolitan city.

Neat old houses line Jewtown and many of those buildings were built by the Jews that had immigrated here. Today one will find many little shops, a tourist business and various crafts man that work here. An attractive area that is not very busy and good to be explored.

KOCHI: A permanent exhibition on `Chennamangalam Synagogue: Jewish Community in a Kerala Village' was opened at the renovated synagogue in Chennamangalam, about 25 km from here, on Friday.
The exhibition has been put up under the aegis of the Koret Foundation, The Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture, the departments of Archaeology and Tourism, Government of Kerala, and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This is a coming together of the past and the present and Israel attaches great importance to this special relationship with India, said Daniel Zohar Zonshine, Consul General, Consulate General of Israel, Mumbai.
He said that the Government of Kerala had renovated the synagogue and appreciated the gesture that brought the two people together. Mr. Zonshine was present along with a nearly 100-strong group of Jews from Kerala, especially from around Chennamangalam, who had left for Israel about half-a-century ago.
Among those who came on Friday were Kastiel J. Pnina and Yossi Oren from Chennamangalam.
This verdant village can also boast of one of its sons Bezalel Eliahu who is a prize-winning agriculturist.
Among the pieces on exhibition is a copy of the English-Malayalam-Hebrew primer, pictures depicting the Jewish lifestyle, festivals and rituals. A relief in wood over the synagogue door is a major attraction.
A tombstone outside the renovated synagogue at Chennamangalam has Hebrew inscription dating back to 1269 making it the oldest Hebrew text in India.
Jews have lived on the Malabar coast for centuries. Some believe that they were here from the time of King Solomon while others say they arrived on the coast after the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem

Given my curiosity about bookstore, i was drawn to this one just opposite the synagogue. The collection was sufficient with some reprints of hard to get historical texts on Kerala. By looking through the titles I realized that the owner must be a lover of books, and asked the attendant about the owner. He said, wait here a minute and disappeared and came back a litle later, Mr Neroth would be pleased to see you upstairs in his office. Thus began a good friendship with Mr Neroth.