List of synagogues in Kerala


There are at least 8 known synagogues in Kerala in recorded history, even though most of them are not operating anymore.
One of these belonged to the White Jews of Cochin, while the other 7 belonged to the Malabari Jews.
Each of these is quite unique in its construction and architecture; nevertheless, they retain very similar aesthetics, blending in both the Jewish and Keralite traditions rarified over centuries.
Only the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry still functions as a synagogue and is a popular tourist destination. The Parur Synagogue, Chendamangalam Synagogue, Mala Synagogue and the Kadavumbhagam Ernakulam Synagogue in Ernakulam downtown are open to public visit, even if they do not serve their originally intended religious purposes anymore. They remain as souvenirs representative of Kerala's rich cosmopolitan heritage, religious tolerance and cultural magnificence.
Many old synagogues are completely lost, a notable example being the Kochangadi Synagogue built in 1344 mostly likely after the Jews had to abandon Muziris due to the great flood of Periyar river in 1341

List of Synagogues in Kerala

NameLocationPhotoCurrent state
Paradesi SynagogueMattancherry, KochiOperational
Mala SynagogueMala, ThrissurNon-operational for worship, open to visits
Chendamangalam SynagogueChendamangalam, North ParavurNon-operational for worship;
Open to public visits as .
Paravur SynagogueNorth Paravur Non-operational for worship;
Open to public visits as
Kadavumbhagam Ernakulam SynagogueMarket Road, Ernakulam;
At the center of the crowded market area
on west side of Market Road,
just south of where it intersects with 		Non-operational for worship ;
currently hosts a business "Cochin Blossoms" by the present owner Mr. Elias Josephai;
it is undergoing restoration as of 2018 ;
open to visits
Thekkumbhagam Ernakulam SynagogueJew Street, Ernakulam;
On the north side of Jew Street, between Market Road and Broadway and to the west of the Juma Masjid, a landmark mosque.		Non-operational for worship;
It has served as a gathering hall for community events in recent years.
Currently, it is a locked property; access has to be prearranged with the present owner "Association of Kerala Jews", who can be contacted through Mr. Elias Josephai, the caretaker of the nearby Kadavumbhagam Ernakulam Synagogue.
Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry SynagogueMattancheryNon-operational for worship; in ruins; served as coir storage facility; Heckal was moved to Israel and remains at the Synagogue in moshav Nehalim; interior moved to Israel, restored and displayed in Israel Museum at Jerusalem
Thekkumbhagam Mattancherry SynagogueMattancherryNon-operational and not existing anymore;

Bought by a Paradesi Jew after the congregation left to Israel in 1955,
it was later demolished to build a 2-storeyed house at the same site.
Through the efforts of anthropologist Professor David G. Mandelbaum and Seymour Fromer of the former Judah L. Magnes Museum, many relics from this synagogue have been preserved at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the University of California, Berkeley and the most important antiquity being the restored Torah Ark.

List of Lost Synagogues in Kerala

Many old synagogues are completely lost and their historic sites are not yet clearly identified or geo-located.
Some of the known ones from the 2nd millennium include:
All the 8 synagogues in Kerala built during the recent centuries have similar traditional architectural features that include: