Santa Cruz Basilica, feast day.

The feast week is on.. 

Onam Greetings

The most happiest Day of our Year. 

The Golden Sunlight of the Onam Morning.

The enchanting Flower Column. 

Sumptuous vegetarian Onam Sadya lunch. 

The after noon nap. 

Onam Kali. 

The Onam Games at Forum Mall. 

The Falcon Mall, Maradu

By far the Falcon Mall at Maradu is a cool place to go to in terms of distance, convenience and comfort, from Fort Cochin, for dinner and some cinema when one is staying in Kochi for more than two days. It also gives a visitor opportunities to interact with the locals outside the tourism circuit. The Daily Market there gives some good option for fresh spices at a local rate. Rest everything is a mall one might have experienced everywhere else. 

Mulakku Vadai

There is nothing like the global taste of the local delight. The aroma of Mulakku Vadai (Flour mixed with green chilli, onions and ginger) frying in the oil on a rainy day triggers a craving making the mouth water. A hot tea with milk along with the vadai will make the after noon perfect. 

Нет ничего лучше глобального вкуса местных деликатесов. Аромат Мулакку Вадай (мука, смешанная с зеленым перцем чили, луком и имбирем), обжаренная в масле в дождливый день, вызывает тягу к еде, от которой потекли слюнки. Горячий чай с молоком и вадай сделают послеобеденное время идеальным.Нет ничего лучше глобального вкуса местных деликатесов. Аромат Мулакку Вадай (мука, смешанная с зеленым перцем чили, луком и имбирем), обжаренная в масле в дождливый день, вызывает тягу к еде, от которой потекли слюнки. Горячий чай с молоком и вадай сделают послеобеденное время идеальным.

Kochi

Despite the rain, the day can be steaming in Kochi. Not far from the fort is the Hill Palace Museum. Nice place to dig deep into the history of the land. On the way back a stroll around the royal town of Tripunithura in the rain and a stop at the beautiful Syrian Church would make a memorable half day. 

Call or Message us. 

Pesah

The week of pass over, I was travelling through the villages of Andhra.
To be around our synagogue at Mattancherry on the auspicious day was my priority but unfortunately could not make it.

2nd March 2018

I wasn't  sure about going to Shri Nehemia  Mootha's tomb today for lighting my Sabbath candles. But by 4pm I had a strong urge to go and took a bus to Mattancherry across the river. When I reached Chakka Maadam, the evening sun was still bright and it was too early for the candles. I lit them anyway.

Being a Friday with the Dutch palace on their weekly holiday and the synagogue closed in the afternoon in preparation for the Sabbath, the touristic Mattancherry was hardly crowded. I walked through the empty old street to the Bazar where there was a small ally leading to the back water I had seen earlier which offered a captivating view of Sir Robert Bristow's Willingdon Island. 

After spending some time among the old buildings which are heaped in history, I walked back to the synagogue, hoping and praying one day the entire Mattancherry would be rebuilt to its old glory with its bazars bustling with activities and filled with international crowd as it once was, before it was too late. Some of the buildings have deteriorated so badly it's not possible to repair them. 

By the time I reached the synagogue, the Sabbath lights were already lit and the Shamash was getting ready to receive the members and hoping for the Meniyan for the Sabbath starting prayers. 

There was no Meniyan this week, the non-Jewish tourists kept coming to the synagogue even though it was closed and stood looking at the historic clock tower, the group of students from the RJ college of Architecture, Bangalore, was very eager to know about the synagogue and its history and kept asking questions to those who were willing to share the information with them. 

I was told a tourist couple who used to come to the synagogue regularly wont be coming anymore as they were returning. They waved me a sad good bye as they walked past me after the evening prayers. 

Farewell my friends, till we meet again. 

Sadly, I walked back to the Jetty and took the last ferry back to Ernakulam. We were lucky there was enough water at the low tide for the boat to moor at the jetty. There were few students from the Semester At Sea which is wharfed at Mattancherry wharf with me in the boat. I didn't knew the World Odyssey had called on our port and to see the ship all lit up at night took the farewell sadness away for a while. 

Sabbath Shaolom. Thank you Adonai, for one more Week!

Hotels around Mattancherry Synagogue

For the convenience of those who want to stay near the Synagogue for Sabbath. 

"A list of hotels for information purpose only."

Please check the ratings and comments of users at Trip advisor and other such service providing sites.

1. Daffodils Spice Court

217/A, AB Salem Road, Mattancherry, Cochin - 682002, Kerala, India

Tel.: +91 484 2221133 Mobile : +91 9497105133

email: info@daffodilshotelsandresorts.com

website: www.daffodilsspicecourt.com

Contact Person: Aneesh Antony

The closest to the synagogue, within ten minutes walking distance. 

2. The Waterfront Granary (A Museum Hotel)

6/641, Bazar Road, Mattancherry, Cochin -682002, Kerala, India

Tel.: +91 484 2211777/2211177 Mobile: +91 9847321333

email: fomwaterfront@gmail.com

website: www.thewaterfrontgranary.com

Contact Person: J. Uday Kumar (General Manager)

15 minutes through the Bazar Road, Mattancherry. Please note, Bazar Road is the oldest and perhaps the busiest street in the town, narrow and crowded with trucks, tuk tuks and people. After 6pm, the entire scenario changes, with the shops closed, bazar is no longer a busy area. On a Friday evening, its better to start early for the Synagogue or take a tuk tuk, its rather easy to walk back, by the time the prayers are over at Synagogue it will be around 7pm and the Bazar Road is bare and wide for an easy walk back. 

3. Fragrant Nature

Near State Bank of India Calvathy Bridge, Calvathy Bazar Road, Fort Cochin-682001, Kerala, India.

Tel.: +91 484 4156700 Mobile: +91 94977 15639

email: dhannia@fragrantnature.com

website: www.fragrantnature.com

Contact Person: Dhannia U.S. (General Manager)

A five star facility at 20 minutes brisk walking from the Synagogue. Being on the same road like The Waterfront granary, maneuvering Bazar Road during day time is a challenge. Tuk Tuk or other means of hired transport to Synagogue for the Prayer on the Friday evening and an easy walk back after 7pm. 

First tour of the year

Cherai, in the first week of the New Year. The super moon had its effect on the tides. Water was so high, there was not much beach to even walk on. 

Mattancherry - Ernakulam - Parur - Chendamangalam - Mala and Cherai Beach on the way back. 

It may not be possible to tour all these Jewish sites in a day and do it well. So we generally do Mattancherry and Fort Kochi a half day and start early the next day to visit the other monuments.

Sukkot

Ganapathy's Lemon, Valli Naranga or Ertog, mostly available at our Puja Material shops near temples.

In our temples we offer "Valli Naranga" to Ganapathi.

For the festival of Sukkot at the Synagogue Ertog is an integral part of the Lulav (the four kinds bound together). This year the man who supplies the Ertog said his plant has dried out last summer and no fruit is available.
For the Sukkot booth decoration we found some at Venu's shop at Thripunithura East Fort near the temple.

The fact that the Ertog is used in temples for Ganapathi worship was a learning experience for us.

Its popularly known as Ganapathy's lemon.

Yom Kippur

The old board that is hung outside our Mattancherry Synagogue announcing the synagogue is closed to tourists on that day.

Care taker Joy at the door to turn back the hundreds of tourists who came visiting. This year's Yom Kippur coincided with  a local holiday (Vijaya Dashmi) the monument attracted large tourist crowd.

Over 200 years old, our clock tower has been part of every celebration, but now with a handful of members in the community and the few tourists who attended the service, the tower stood nostalgically reminiscing a glorious past when the Synagogue was full and cheerful with grown ups and children. 

Our synagogue was closed to tourists on Yom Kippur which started on the Sunset on Friday evening and lasted till the sunset of Saturday evening.

Yom Kippur is considered to be most important of the holidays when believers are considered to be the most closest to God.

It was on this day, the tenth day of the month of Trishei, Moses came down from the Mount Sinai with the stone tablets containing the laws of life for his people.

On this day of fasting, everyone atone for their sins and begs pardon for going away from G-d.

On the eve of Yom Kippur the heart breaking Kol Nidrei prayer brings all the believers to the synagogue as it is the prayer which makes all the believers as one as they begs together for the mercy of The One G-d for the times they have moved away from Him due to circumstances out of their control.

On the day of Yom Kippur the prayer starts in the morning then it continues in the afternoon till the evening when shofar will be blown announcing the end of Yom Kippur after the sunset.

On this day the believers are considered to be like angels, close to G-d, they dress like them in white.

Standing outside the Synagogue in the evening I could hear the Shofar blowing announcing the end of Yom Kippur and the majestic clock on the tower, which has witnessed and was part of the festivities for more than two centuries chime away the hours, nostalgically.

Rosh Hashanah

Our Synagogue in Mattancherry will be closed for  the Rosh Hashanah holidays for a few days from September 21, 2017.

Rosh Hashanah is the New Year celebration of Jews living all around the world. It starts on the sunset 29 the of Elul, the last month and goes on till the 2^nd of Tishrei, the first month of the year.

The celebration and festivities are in the memory of the day when God created Adam & Eve, which also coincides with the day Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac on God’s command.

The New Year also marks the beginning of the high holidays which extend upto Yom Kippur which falls after the tenth day from the New Year.

The rituals of the festival include the sounding of ‘shofar’ (the Ram’s horn, much like our conch shell in temples), candle lighting, special meals including ‘Challah’ bread along with sweet delicacies. No creative work is allowed on these two days.

The sweet delicacies include the tradition of dipping challah bread in honey instead of salt and eating apples with honey. In some places Pomegranate are eaten symbolizing the hope that the good deeds and merits in the New Year be as many as the seeds of the fruit.

Some traditions include eating the head of fish or Ram in the hope of being the head of things rather than the tail in the New Year.

In these days, God is declared the King of the world in the belief that the existence of the world depends on the desire of the God to have a world and those who acknowledges His supremacy assures a place in the world.

The high holidays include Yom Hazikaron – Day of remembrance, Yom Hadin – the day of judgement and Yom Kippur which comes ten days later from the New Year’s Day. The high holidays are collectively referred as Yamim Nora’Im.

The greetings on the occasion means “may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year”

Le Shanah Tovah tikatev vetichatem (for male)

Le Shanah Tovah tikatevee vetichate mee (for female)

Civet Coffee

Coorg Consolidated Commodities have started manufacturing the world's most expensive Coffee. Though India is the third largest producer of Coffee in the world, this new start up is the first one to try making coffee from the excrement of a cat which the world considers as the best coffee.
Civet loves the ripe coffee berries and feast on them. It actually eats only the fleshy part and sends out the nuts covered in its digestive enzymes as Civet excretion. These are picked by farmers and processed. The enzymes give the nut the special flavour the rich world has fallen in love with.
Civet coffee is priced between ₹20000-₹25000 for a kilo at present.
CCC is selling it locally at Mahindra's Madagiri resort in coorg. The area comes under the Nilgiri-Coorg circuit of Karnataka tourism.