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{{Short description|Former synagogue in Kochi, Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Thekkumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue
| religious_affiliation = [[Orthodox Judaism]]
| image =
| image_upright = Heckal of Thekkumbhagam Palli in Magnes Museum, USA
| caption = Heckal of the synagogue in the Magnes Museum
| location = [[Mattancherry]], [[Kerala]]
| geo = {{coord|9.956668|N|76.259727|E|display=inline,title}}
| rite = [[Sephardic law and customs|Sephardi]]
| country = [[India]]
| consecration_year =
| functional_status = Extinct
| leadership =
| website =
| architect =
| architecture_type = [[Synagogue]]
| architecture_style = Cochin Jewish architecture
| groundbreaking =
| year_completed = 1647
| construction_cost =
| date_destroyed = 1960
| facade_direction = East
| capacity =
| length =
| width =
| width_nave =
| height_max =
| materials =
| specifications = no
}}
The '''Thekkumbhagam Mattancherry''' '''Synagogue''' aka '''Thekkumbhagam Synagogue''' was a [[synagogue]] located in [[Mattancherry]] Jew Town, a suburb of [[Kochi]], [[Kerala]], in [[South India]]. It was built in 1647 AD.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Waronker|first=Jay|date=20 October 2010|title=The Synagogues Of Kerala, India: Their Architecture, History, Context, And Meaning|url=https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/17604|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book| first1=Ruby | last1=Daniel | first2=Barbara C. | last2=Johnson |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1243580690|title=Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish woman remembers|date=2002|publisher=Varda Books|isbn=1-59045-649-1|oclc=1243580690}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book| author=Pereyra de Paiva, Mosseh | url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/233661908 | title=Relacion de las noticias de los judios de Cochin | date=1687 | oclc=233661908}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Jussay|first=P.M.|date=1990|title=The Origins of the Kerala Jews – An Evaluation of their Traditional Sources|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44148189|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|volume=51|pages=66–74|jstor=44148189|issn=2249-1937}}</ref> by the [[Malabar Jews]], on land donated by the [[Maharaja of Cochin|Maharajah of Cochin]] and was one of the [[List of synagogues in Kerala|oldest known synagogues in India]]. It was the fourth to be built in Mattancherry after they fled to [[Kingdom of Cochin|Cochin]] from [[Muziris]] and it was one of three in the area, the others being the '''[[Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue]]''' (1539 AD) and the '''[[Paradesi Synagogue]]''' (1568 AD) of the [[Paradesi Jews]] of Cochin.

The name of the synagogue is believed to refer to a much older synagogue that once stood in [[Kodungaloor]]. The Thekkumbhagam palli (synagogue) was built in typical Kerala-style Jewish architecture and was almost identical to the nearby [[Paradesi Synagogue]] though it had a much longer breezeway and a different design of gatehouse.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Nathan.|first=Katz|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/246707556|title=The last Jews of Cochin : Jewish identity in Hindu India|date=1993| publisher=[[University of South Carolina Press]] |isbn=0-87249-847-6|oclc=246707556}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=S.|first=Koder, S.|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/3415398|title=History of the Jews of Kerala|date=1974|publisher=[publisher not identified]|oclc=3415398}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Isaac.|first=Rabinowitz, Louis|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1116199220|title=Far East mission.|date=1952|publisher=Eagle Press|oclc=1116199220}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> A curious feature of the synagogue were four ostrich eggs that were hung for good luck.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Growing up Jewish in India: Synagogues, Customs, and Communities from the Bene Israel to the Art of Siona Benjamin|isbn=9789389136814|last1=Soltes |first1=Ori Z. |year=2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Isaac.|first=Rabinowitz, Louis|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1116199220|title=Far East mission.|date=1952|publisher=Eagle Press|oclc=1116199220}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":1" />

In 1955, the entire congregation made [[aliyah]] to [[Israel]] leaving the synagogue in the care of S. Koder of the [[Paradesi Jews|Paradesi community]] to be taken care and maintained.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":5" /> In the 1960s, the synagogue was torn down and a two-story residential house was constructed.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":6" /> The only remaining relic from this monument is the ''hekal'' that was brought and is currently preserved in The Magnes Museum in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], [[California]], [[United States|USA]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

It changed hands again and now a heritage hotel is being constructed.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />

==See also==
* [[Cochin Jews]]
* [[Chendamangalam Synagogue]]
* [[Muziris]]
* [[List of synagogues in Kerala]]
* [[History of the Jews in India]]
* [[Gathering of Israel]]
* [[Judaism]]
* [[Anjuvannam]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Kochi (India)}}

[[Category:1647 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:1960 disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1647]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1960]]
[[Category:Synagogues in Kerala]]
[[Category:Mattancherry]]

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Thekkumbhagam Synagogue - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Add new article