
There are many synagogues in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
, although many no longer function as such and today vary in their levels of preservation. These buildings dating from the mid-sixteenth through the mid-20th century once served the country's three distinct Jewish groups—the ancient
Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews (also known as Malabar Jews or Kochinim from ) are one of the oldest groups of History of the Jews in India, Jews in India, with roots that are claimed to date back to the time of King Solomon. The Cochin Jews settled in the King ...
, and
Bene Israel
The Bene Israel (), also referred to as the "Teli, Shanivar Teli" () or "History of the Jews in India, Native Jew" caste, are a community of Jews in India. It has been suggested that they are the descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes via t ...
communities as well as the more recent
Baghdadi Jews
Baghdadi Jews (; ) or Iraqi Jews are historic terms for the former communities of Jewish migrants and their descendants from Baghdad and elsewhere in the Middle East. They settled primarily in the ports and along the trade routes around the In ...
.
The Jews in India had very peaceful existence compared to Middle East and Europe where they were persecuted repeatedly. They built numerous synagogues throughout India and almost all of them exist to current day. Most of Jews in India voluntarily made ''
Aliyah
''Aliyah'' (, ; ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel or the Palestine (region), Palestine region, which is today chiefly represented by the Israel ...
'' after creation of
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
but a sizable Jewish community remains who use these synagogues actively, the ones not used for praying are now museums of Indian Jewish history.
Origins
The
Jews of India waited centuries to build their first synagogues, praying in temporary structures or private houses. The buildings that were eventually built vary greatly in their scale, style, and visual orientation. Some, particularly those belonging to the Baghdadi Jews based in
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
,
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
, and
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
, are grand and built in various Western styles using fine materials and elaborate detail. Constructed by the Baghdadi Jewish community who first came from Iraq, Iran, and a handful of other Near Eastern countries and settled in India permanently beginning in the 18th century is a
Neo-Baroque Neo-Baroque may refer to:
* Neo-Baroque music
* Neo-Baroque painting, a painting style used by Christo Coetzee and others
*Baroque Revival architecture
* Neo-Baroque film
*the Organ reform movement
The Organ Reform Movement or ''Orgelbewegung'' ...
synagogue in the Fort section of Mumbai, a
Renaissance revival
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of ...
one in central
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
and, in English tradition, a
neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
structure in fine condition sitting within an open site in the Camp area of Pune. The largest synagogue in Asia outside Israel is considered to be in
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
(Ohel David Synagogue).
Found within all Indian synagogues is a central bimah (platform where the religious service is led), a Sephardic Jewish tradition. Other features of Indian synagogues are free-standing wooden benches, a profusion of hanging glass and metal oil lanterns, large shuttered windows with clerestories, a chair for the circumcision ceremony and one for the prophet Elijah, and separate seating areas for men and women.
Synagogues by type
Cochin
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, in far south-western India, has eight remaining buildings. The
Kochangadi Synagogue (1344 A.D. to 1789 A.D.) in
Kochi
Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
in the Kerala, built by the
Malabar Jews
Cochin Jews (also known as Malabar Jews or Kochinim from ) are one of the oldest groups of Jews in India, with roots that are claimed to date back to the time of King Solomon. The Cochin Jews settled in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, ...
, is the oldest in recorded history. It was destroyed by
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
in 1789 A.D. and was never rebuilt. An inscription tablet from this synagogue is the oldest relic from any synagogue in India. Only one, in Cochin's (
Kochi
Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
) Jew Town, is a functioning house of prayer. It dates from 1568, although portions of the compound of parts were added later or altered over the years.
Synagogues have rarely conformed to stylistic rules anywhere in the world or, as a building type, been resolved in unique or recognizable terms. Most of the buildings in India are no exception. In contrast are the synagogues built by the Cochin Jews of Kerala, India. Influenced by Indian building traditions coupled with the influences of visiting merchants and imperialists over the centuries, the Cochin synagogues constitute wonderful examples of the vernacular "''thachusasthra''" design of Kerala. Until the 16th century and the arrival of the Portuguese in India, roofs of local buildings were often bamboo framed and covered with thatched palm leaves—this technique continues to be prevalent in Kerala's villages even today. The roof system would have been set on mud walls or atop simple masonry walls that were finished in smooth veneers. In time, this construction technique was replaced with wood framed roofs (often teak) covered with flat terracotta tiles together supported by thick laterite stone walls (a local material) veneered in "''chunam''", a polished lime plaster. The local components were thus fused with foreign building techniques introduced by outsiders, namely the Portuguese and later the Dutch. These influences also impacted synagogue architecture and were combined with the Jewish ritual and liturgical requirements.
Cochin synagogues are unique in the world in that they feature two
bimahs. The primary one can be found within the sanctuary's main level where men have always sat. The second, used during holidays and special events, is found on the gallery level adjacent to the space dedicated for women's seating.
Baghdadi
Baghdadi synagogues, some built with the support of the
Sassoon family
The Sassoon family were a wealthy Baghdadi Jews, Baghdadi Jews, Jewish family dynasty, associated with finance, banking, capital markets, the exploration of oil and gas, Judaism, British Conservative Party, Conservative politics, opium trade wit ...
, all have particularly large
Holy Ark
A Torah ark (also known as the ''hekhal'', , or ''aron qodesh'', ) is an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls.
History
The ark is also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' () or ''aron ha-Ko ...
s where the
Sefer Torah
file:SeferTorah.jpg, A Sephardic Torah scroll rolled to the first paragraph of the Shema
file:Köln-Tora-und-Innenansicht-Synagoge-Glockengasse-040.JPG, An Ashkenazi Torah scroll rolled to the Decalogue
file:Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Inte ...
s are stored. From the Ark's outside, the doors appear to cover a standard-sized cabinet typical to most synagogues around the world. Once the doors are opened in Indian Baghdadi synagogues, however, a sizeable walk-in room is revealed that is ample enough to store as many as one hundred Torahs.
Bene Israel
Synagogues used by the Bene Israel Jews who settled in Mumbai,
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...
, and Pune in the very late 18th to early 19th centuries tend to be smaller. Since the Bene Israel Jews were by far the largest of the three groups of Indian Jews, they built the most synagogues. The first dates from 1796 in Mumbai, although this building, Shaar HaRahamim, was rebuilt in the mid-19th century. The architecture of most Bene Israel synagogues is rarely stylistically pure and hence hard to define or label, although there are examples of buildings built in the 1930s by the Bene Israel communities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad that are pure
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
. A few, particularly those built by the Bene Israel Jews in the coastal
Konkan
The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...
Region of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
during the 19th century, are interesting blendings of colonial influences, vernacular building traditions, and Jewish liturgical requirements. At one time more than a dozen synagogues existed in these small coastal communities where communities of Jews lived, including at Pen,
Alibag
Alibag, also known as Alibaug (Pronunciation: �libaːɡ, is a coastal city and a municipal council in Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It is the headquarters of the Raigad district and is south of the city of Mumbai. Alibag is part of the ...
,
Panvel
Panvel () is a city and taluka in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It is highly populated due to its closeness to Mumbai. Panvel is also governed for development purpose by the body of Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Panvel Municipal C ...
and
Mhasala, but today many are closed or marginally operating due to the much dwindled Jewish population.
Synagogues by state
Gujarat
Magen Abraham Synagogue
The Magen Abraham Synagogue (; ) is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Old Town neighbourhood of Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India. , it was the only synagogue in the entire state. It was built in 1934 using ...
in
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...
is the only synagogue in
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
.
The current Jewish population of India is likely less than 4,500. The number of Cochin Jews remaining in India is approximately 50, Baghdadi Jews number no more than a few hundred, and the balance are Bene Israel.
Kerala
Chendamangalam and Paravur
There were several Jewish communities north of Cochin, and their presence in this area goes back to at least the 11th century. Several synagogues were built over the years, two of which have recently been restored, in the towns of Chennamangalam and Pavur.
There was a Jewish presence in Chennamangalam (Chendamangalam) well before the current structure was built. Following a 17th-century plan devised by a local and tolerant leader in the town of
Chennamangalam
Chendamangalam (or Chennamangalam) is a small town and a panchayat in Paravur Taluk, Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India.
Location
It is about 23 km from Ernakulam. It has three rivers, seven inlets, hillocks and large e ...
, four religious structures were built: a church, mosque, Hindu temple, and another Cochin synagogue. All still stand today, altogether rebuilt or much altered. By the turn of this century, this synagogue, which sat unused for many years with no Jews to use it, was in dire need of attention. In 2005, the Indian Department of Archaeology with funds mainly from the Department of Tourism restored the small white-washed structure. An international team made up of Professor Jay Waronker of the US, Dr. Shalva Weil of Israel, and Ms. Marian Sofaer of the USA were responsible for the planning of a permanent exhibition in the spaces of the synagogues. These highlight the history and architecture of the Chennamangalam Jewish community and other Cochin Jews. The museum, which opened in February 2006, is open daily, except Sunday.
Similarly, in the nearby town of Pavur (Paravur), the abandoned synagogue was restored and opened as a museum in 2015. The building combines Jewish tradition with Keralan vernacular architecture. In the courtyard there are a commemorative stone dating back to the construction of the current building in 1620.
Maharashtra
The state of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
has ten synagogues, particularly in
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
(previously called Bombay),
Thane
Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...
, and the neighbouring Konkan region. Bombay's oldest synagogue, the
Gate of Mercy Synagogue was built in 1796. Other famous synagogues in Bombay include the
Magen David Synagogue in
Byculla
Byculla (ISO: Bhāykhaḷā; pronunciation: ʱaːjkʰəɭaː is an area of South Mumbai.
Location
Byculla is neighboured by Nagpada and Mumbai Central and Mahalaxmi on the west; Agripada, Jacob Circle on the north-west: Chinchpokli to t ...
and the
Knesset Eliyahoo
The Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue (), also Knesset Eliyahu and the Blue Synagogue, is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 55, Dr. V.B. Gandhi Marg, in the Kala Ghoda neighborhood, Fort (area), Fort ...
in
Fort
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
.
Ohel David Synagogue
Ohel David (Tabernacle of David) Synagogue, also called Laal Deval or Laal Deul is a synagogue in Pune, India.
History
The construction of the synagogue started in 1863 by philanthropist David Sassoon and was then completed by his successors ...
and Succath Shelomo Synagogue are the two synagogues in
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
.
Tamil Nadu

The
Madras Synagogue
The Madras Synagogue () is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Chennai (formerly known as Madras), in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Completed in 1644, by Jacques de Paiva, a Paradesi Jew, it is the only synagogue in ...
is the only synagogue in Tamil Nadu, it was built by
Jacques (Jaime) de Paiva (Pavia)
Jacques (Jaime) de Paiva (Pavia, Paivia), a Paradesi Jews, Paradesi Jew of Madras, was a Portuguese Jewish diamond and coral merchant from History of the Jews in Amsterdam, Amsterdam belonging to the Western Sephardim, Amsterdam Sephardic commu ...
a
Paradesi Jew of
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
. Madras Synagogue was also known as the Esnoga, or Snoge, ''Esnoga'' is synagogue in
Ladino
Ladino, derived from Latin, may refer to:
* Judeo-Spanish language (ISO 639–3 lad), spoken by Sephardic Jews
*Ladino people, a socio-ethnic category of Mestizo or Hispanicized people in Central America especially in Guatemala
* Black ladinos, a ...
, the traditional Judaeo-Spanish language of
Sephardic Jews
Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...
.
Jacques (Jaime) de Paiva (Pavia)
Jacques (Jaime) de Paiva (Pavia, Paivia), a Paradesi Jews, Paradesi Jew of Madras, was a Portuguese Jewish diamond and coral merchant from History of the Jews in Amsterdam, Amsterdam belonging to the Western Sephardim, Amsterdam Sephardic commu ...
was originally from
Amsterdam Sephardic community.
Jacques (Jaime) de Paiva (Pavia)
Jacques (Jaime) de Paiva (Pavia, Paivia), a Paradesi Jews, Paradesi Jew of Madras, was a Portuguese Jewish diamond and coral merchant from History of the Jews in Amsterdam, Amsterdam belonging to the Western Sephardim, Amsterdam Sephardic commu ...
came to
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
for trading in
Golconda diamonds, precious stones and corals, he developed very good relations with the rulers of
Golkonda
Golconda is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparudra in the 11th century out of mud walls. It was ceded to the Bahmani ...
and maintained trade connections to Europe.
See also
*
Judaism in India
*
List of synagogues in India
Further reading
* Weil, Ilana 2009 "The Architecture o fhte Paradesi Cochin Synagogue." in (ed) Shalva Weil's ''India's Jewish Heritage: Ritual, Art and Life-Cycle'', Mumbai: MargPublications
irst published in 2002; 3rd edn.
* Weil, Shalva. 2011 "In an Ancient Land: Trade and synagogues in south India", AsianJewish Life
* Weil, Shalva. 2009 "Kerala to restore 400-year-old Indian synagogue", The Jerusalem Post.
* Weil, Shalva. 2006 (with Jay Waronker and Marian Sofaer) The Chennamangalam Synagogue: Jewish Community in a Village in Kerala. Kerala:Chennamangalam Synagogue.
References
External links
Chabad-Lubavitch Centers in IndiaIndian Jewish community and their Synagogues in IsraelNeveh Shalome Synagogue - KolkataPhotos of Synagogues in CalcuttaBeth-El Synagogue - KolkataMagen David Synagogue - Kolkata
{{Synagogues in India
Synagogues in India,