ASTUDYONTHECULTUREAND ARCHITECTUREOFTHEJEWISH COMMUNITYINMATTANCHERRY
SOORAJKS
MARIANCOLLEGEOFARCHITECTUREANDPLANNING KAZHAKUTTOM
soorajsabu328@gmail.com
Abstract:Thestudyentitledas‘Astudyonthecultureand architectureoftheJewishcommunityinMattancherry’isa completerecordofthelifeandcultureoftheminiscule Jewishcommunitythatwereapartofthetowns history.Theinitialpartofstudydealswiththeconcept, philosophies,evolutionandelementsofJudaism.Beingone oftheancientmonoestheticreligion,Judaismhasspread acrosscountriesanditslittleinfluencecanbeseeninthe townofMattancherrytoo.TheJewishhomesand synagoguesinMattancherryarefineexamplesofthe culturalpluralismthatexistedintheKeralasociety.These historicallysignificanttowniscurrentlyinastateof underutilizedconditionAnalysingthepresentconditions andconservationstrategiesofthegovernmentandgiving recommendationsarethefinaloutcomeofthestudy.
Keywords:CochinJews,Synagogues,StarofDavid, Palli,Conservation,Jewtown
1INTRODUCTION
1.1Background
ThehistoryoftheJewishpeopleisoneoftheextreme persecutionandresiliencewithwhichtheymaintained theircultureandidentity.TheJewsareanethno-religious groupandanationoriginatingfromtheIsraelitesand HebrewsofthehistoricalIsraelandJudea.Theirfaithis monotheismandreligioncalledJudaism;peoplewholive withtheHolyScripturesareofsuggestivethatJudaismisa conversationbetweenGodandman.
Mattancherryistheepitomeofminglingofculturesand religionsfromalloverworld;JewsfromIsrael,Muslims fromArabcountries,ChristiansfromEuropeandthe residentHindupopulation,allfoundithomeunderthe Cherrakings.ItisalsohometoKonkanicommunitywho migratedherefromGoaforfearofconversionsatPortugue hands,TamilspeakingcommunityandaKannadaspeaking communitybesidestheGujaratis.Onceahubofthespice trade,thispartoftheislandoftengetsupstagedbyits coolerneighbourFortKochi.YetMattancherrywasoncea famedspiceandteatradingcentretillthelate20thcentury. Today,ithastransformedintoameltingpotcoastal enclavewheredifferentcultures,beliefs,customs,and faithssprawltogetherinharmony.IthostsseveralJewish placesofworship,suchastheParadesiSynagogueandthe KadavumbhagamSynagogue,aJewishcemeteryaswellas
aJewtown.ThehistoricJewTownistheheartofthe once-thrivingJewishcommunityandapopularspotfor touriststoday.
1.2Needofthestudy
TheheritagetownofMattancherryhasanimmense relationwiththeJewishcultureandcommunity.Itisnow losingitsimportanceandneedstobepreserved.
1.3Methodology
Mystudywasdivideintotwosections.Thefirstportionis mainlytheoreticalresearchfrom books,articles,newspapers,internetetcontheJudaism,its evolution,history,philosophies,architecture,peopleand culture.Itispurelybasedontheavailableexisting resourcesandalsofromdifferentsocialmedias.Thesecond partconsistsofLivesitevisitsintheJewTown, Mattancherry.Meetingandinterviewinglocalitestoknow aboutthehistoryandcultureoftheplacewasonemethod adopted.Photographicstudyandmappingweretheother strategiesused.Documentationandrecordingwerealso doneaspartofthestudy.
2DATAANALYSIS
Thefirstchapterwasbasicallyanintroductiontothe historyofJewsofCochinandhighlightingtheimportance ofMattancherrytown..Thesecondchapterliteraturereview mainlyfocusedontheorigin,historyandphilosophiesin Judaism.ItalsodealtwiththeJewishculture,religion, andarchitectureprevailinginthedifferentpartsofthe world.Thedifferenceinconstruction,materials, architecturalstylesofthesynagoguesetcwasanalysedThe thirdchapterisaninsighttothehistoryofCochinJews.It studiesindetailtheirmigration,society,andthecausefor thedecline.Thefourthchapterintroducesthesiteofthe study-theJewtown.Inthischapter,adetailedstudyofJew townisdone.Thevariousbuilttypologies,evloutionpfthe town,majorheritagestructures,etcwasstudiedin detail.Someoftheuniquearchitecturalelementswere measuredanddocumentedforpreservingitsvalue.Thelast partofthechapterdealswiththeculture,traditionand customsthatexistedintheJewishsocietyandwastruly uniquetothem.Thefinalchapterwasananalysisonthe stepstakenbygovernmentforconservationandasa
conclusiontothestudytheexistingbuildingswere classifiedonthebasisofthedegreeofdamageandthe conservationvalueitupholds.Somerecommendations werwalsogivenattheendofthestudyforfuture conservationpolicies.Thestudywassuccessinfindingout someunrecrodeddataaboutthecustoms,architectureand lifeoftheCochinJews.
3CONCLUSION
TheJewsplayedaprominentroleinthesocio-cultural realmofKochi.Wecannotignorethecontributionsofthe Jewishcommunitytothestate’scultureanddevelopment.
WhentheseCochinJewsimmigratedtoIndiatoavoid religiouspersecution,theywerewelcomedwithopenarms andcelebratedfortheirdiversity.Theybondedwiththe localcommunitythroughreligiouspracticesandshared culinarytraditionswithoneanother,inspiringJewishIndiancookbooksandrecipes.ThusJewishtraditionis veryveryspecialtoCochin.Manycommunitiescame togetherinKeralafortrade,andthatsupportingcultureis felteverywhere.
WhentheJewsarrivedinKochi,itwasamarshyland.It wasthemwhodevelopedthetownasatradecentre.They broughtbusinesstothetownandestablishedtraderelations worldwide.Theleadersofthecommunitystillcherishtheir valuablecontributionstothissmalltownofKerala.They helpedthespicetradeflourishhere.Amajorityofthem boughtvasttractablelandsinwhichtheygrewcoconuts, paddyandarecanuts.TheErnakulamMarketwasunderthe controloftheJewishcommunitytill1935andwashanded overtherightstotheKochiMunicipalityin1935.
Afterrealizingtheimportanceofthisculturallysignificant region,theDept.ofTourismunderGovt.ofKeralahas includedtheJewtownintheFortKochi-Mattancherry heritagezonein1990.Theheritagetowntagwillhelpin conservingtheexistingheritagestructuresandenabling themtoupgradeinfrastructureinthearea.Itwasplannedto conservetheexistingheritagestructuresinMattancherry andFortKochionthelinesofMuzirisHeritageproject, whichdocumentsthe1,000-year-oldhistoryofoldMuziris Town.Thiswasoneofthebiggestheritageconservation projectsconceivedtoprotecttherichculturalandnatural heritageofFortCochinandMattanchery.Theprojectwas initiatedbythec-hedandtheUNESCOhasgivenfull supportandassistanceinthepreparationofDPRforthe aboveandtheimplementationofthesame.
Thesalientfeaturesofthisventurewere:
Preservationofthedelimitatedterritoryoftheheritage zoneanditssustainablemanagement.
Assessmentandsharingofqualitiesandvaluesofthe heritagearea.
Conservationofthehistoricfabricoftheoldtownwhilst improvingandpromotingthesiteasabustlinglivingand workingcity.
Recommendations
ProtectingtheexistingJewishheritagefromdamageand illegalactivitiesofpublic.
Implementingregulationsforpreventingunauthorized constructionsintheJewtownforpreservingitsantiquity.
Developmentscominginthetownshouldfocuson preservingtheexistingelementsandsymbolismsofthe Jewishculturewhichhasbegundepletingfromthetown.
DocumentingtheexistingJewishstructuresisaneedofthe timeforitsarchitecturalandhistoricalvalues.
LinkingtheotherheritagezonesinKochitoMattancherry forpromotingandgainingawideacceptanceoftheJewish heritageinMattancherry.
ConservationagencieslikeINTACHandASIshouldtake specialinterestinpreservingthisone-of-akindheritage town.
Creatingawarenessamongthelocalpeopleof Mattancherry,abouttheimportanceofthesurrounding heritageandpreservingthemthroughtheircollective efforts.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Atfirst,Iwouldliketoexpressmyspecialthanksandgratitudeto myguideAss.Prof.Ar.VivekVenugopalforgivingmethebest andpossiblesuggestionstocompletemystudy.Iwouldalsolike toextendmygratitudetoourPrincipalProf.Ar.SujaKartha mamourHOD,Ar.GangaKrishnan,AsstProf.Anupriyaand Ass.Prof.RishieJohnKurienfortheirvaluablefeedbacks throughouttheentireprocess.
Secondandmostimportantly,Iwouldliketoexpressmygratitude toMr.TahaIbrahim,alocalhistorianandthepresentownerofthe SaraCohen’sHomeinJewTown,Mattancherry.Sincerethanks toautodrivers,theartgallerycurator,theroadsidevendorsand theold-agedpeoplewhohassharedtheirlittleknowledgewith me.Sincerethankstomyparentsandfriendsandeveryonewho stoodbehindmeandhelpedmetocompletethestudy.
REFERENCES
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