Kochi - Pardesi Synagogue

Pardesi Synagogue was originally built in 1568, destroyed by the Portugese in 1662 and rebuilt by the Dutch in 1664. Located in the Jewish quarter of Kochi, Pardesi Synagogue features a gold pulpit, hand-painted floor tiles, Belgian chandeliers, interlocking pews and a ladies gallery. The upstairs balcony is required for women as they worship separately according to the Orthodox rites. Ezekial Rahabi brought the floor tiles from China and no two are alike; he also donated the clock tower in the 18th C. It features numerals in Hebrew, Latin, Malayalam and Arabic.

Within Pardesi Synagogue is an elaborately carved teak Ark that contains scrolls from the Jewish Torah and gold crowns, set with gems, from the royal family of Cochin