———————————————————————–
It’s been sometime since I did my last Kerala (Kochi) post. Contrary to what I promised – this Jew Town post is rather late. Ever since, I have done a few posts on other subjects (Vitamin D3, upcycling old book for Kids’s craft, reusing an old box for storing pens) but, I have to admit – this Jew Town post has taken for ever..

But then, however cliched it may sound – better late than never. So, folks, I hope you enjoy this post and the pics. And pls don’t forget to leave a comment so I know how you felt

Before I take you through a narrative journey, how about a visual treat?
Take a walk through this photo gallery to enjoy the flavours and colours of this historical little place called Jew Town.

—————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————–

————————————————————————————-

————————————————————————————-

————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————-
Why Jew Town?
In my previous Kerala post, I wrote about the awesome Cherai Beach Resort where we spent 4 heavenly days (and nights!). The first day that we were there, we just wanted to explore the natural beauty of that place. The next day, we went out into the Kochi town with plans to visit some specific landmarks. The Jew Town was one such which was on my mind even when I planned the Kerala trip. I am a suckler for antique, vintage, rustic and earthy. And I had read up that the Jew Town is soaked in all these flavours and a history dating back to the Biblical times, some scholars say.

The Arrival Of Jews in India
It’s said that in Kochi (known as Cochin earlier), the Jews have peacefully coexisted with the Hindus for centuries. India offered a safe haven to the Jews during the World War II. Much before that, it was around 70 AD that the Jews of Cochin, also known as the Malabar Jews, came to Kerala from Spain, Middle East and South Africa. They settled in the town of Kudungallur (formerly Port city of Cranganore), and the local Hindu emperor even granted them a principality.

In the 15th century the Crananore Jews had to flee when the local emperor attacked the principality in 1524, accusing the Jews of gaining an edge in the lucrative pepper trade. They sought refuge with the Raja (King) of Cochin, who vouched to protect them and also granted them land near his own palace, which came to be known as (and is still known as) Jew Town in Cochin. But, when the Portuguese gained control of Cochin, the Jews had to suffer persecution in their hands until 1660, when the Dutch displaced the Portuguese.

The ‘Pardesi’ Synagogue – One of the Oldest in the World
Under the Dutch patronage, the ‘Pardesi’ (foreigner) Synagogue was built in the Jew Town in 1568, adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple, on the land gifted by the Raja of Kochi, Rama Varma. The Mattancherry Palace temple and the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall.

Dwindling Jewish Population
Once a thriving trading community, now the Jews in Kochi are numbered. A Washington Post article, way back in 2007 declared that there were 11 Jews living in Kochi. They emigrated when Israel declared independence in 1948. When reading up about the Jews in Kochi, I stumbled upon this blog post that talks about the life, tradition and practices of the Malabar Jews.

———————————————————————
The Synagogue Lane – A Museum by itself!
When we went, we could not see a single Jew. The curio shops on both sides of the stone-paved narrow lane leading up to the Pardesi Synagogue were owned by Kashmiris, locals, Rajasthanis and more. True – not a Jew around and no one spoke the language, but the Jew town still has a distinct appeal – very different from the rest of the Kochi city. To me, the whole street lined up with these unique curio shops (once these were houses lived in by the Jews) with Jewish names, did not seem any less than a museum in itself. These shops/houses painted in bright blues and yellows and greens with slanting tiled roofs had an old world charm about them and a look that spoke of the people and the times.

———————————————————————-

Inside the Curio Shop in the Synagogue Lane
————————————————————————

Enjoying tea outside the curio shop as evening sets in..
—————————————————————————-

Charged Up!
—————————————————————————-

Traveling the World – is my KEY to happiness! What’s yours?
—————————————————————————-

A huge stone sculpture of Ganesha! What is it about Ganesha that’s beyond religion?
We all like to keep a Ganesha or two or may be more in our house, on work station, in car…!
He sure is Omnipresent, but his art-form is even more ubiquitous the world over!
—————————————————————————–
Noteworthy Aspects of the Synagogue
Scouring through the shops, clicking photographs and looking for a steal (which was elusive as the knick knacks were priced aimed at the foreign tourists!), we reached the end of the street where the
Synagogue stood. But, it was a tragedy of luck. The synagogue, that usually remains closed on Saturday and other Jewish holidays, closed unexpectedly that Tuesday for an out-of-turn prayer.

We could not get to see its much-talked-about and striking interiors. They say, the interiors make for a stunning piece of architecture. The elaborately carved teak arks, the arched brass pillars, Belgian crystal chandeliers and Torah gold crowns adorned with dazzling gems are splendid views. The floor is made of hand-painted white and blue porcelain tiles bought from China and each tile exhibits a different pattern.

But we did see the Clock Tower that stands tall at 45 ft displaying the 4 dials with numerals in Hebrew, Latin, Malayalam and Arabic.

Here, I would like to add some info if you ever plan to visit the Pardesi Synagogue.
1. The devotees or visitors are expected to enter the Jewish Synagogue barefeet.
2. The strict dress code requires men to be in trousers and full shirts and women to wear long skirts extending below the knee while visiting this place of Jewish worship.
3. Video cameras are not allowed.

Days and Time: Remains Open from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 3 pm to 5 pm, The Synagogue is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

————————————————————————–

—————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————-

Celebrating India’s Diversity
With this jaunt down the lane of history it left some nice, warm, proud feelings inside me.
The Jew town is a testimony to the fact that India has always encouraged the synthesis of different religions, races and communities.

No wonder then that the Jews who lived here considered themselves as Indians first. Here, they spoke Judeo-Malayalam (Malyalam is the local state tongue). In Mumbai, where there is still a cluster of Jewish population, the Jews speak a diluted version of Gujarati (another Indian language).
Living in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual land, we grow up to respect and appreciate the beauty of diversity.

—————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————-
All photos in this post are copyright Rashmie Jaaju. Pls do not copy or print in any media form without my explicit permission. Thanks for your cooperation.

It was around 3 years back that we went to Naukuchiatal for a 4-day extended weekend jaunt. But with the memories still so vibrant (of some adventures as well as misadventures!) and the photos leaping out of my laptop every time I go back to my archives, I had to do a post of that trip!

My daughter (Pari) was almost 6 months old then but she was the most notorious kid when it came to zzzs She would sleep intermittently for a few hours at night and even then, would be least bothered about compensating during the day. With a full time day job (from home) and tackling the nights with an almost nocturnal kid, I needed a break for the sake of humanity! To restore my sanity…

Heading off to the hills seemed a perfect antidote to our stressed city life. We decided to do a family trip to Naukuchiatal by road. Chose to skip Nainital because peace was what we required then. Nainital gives Delhi a run for its money for the crowd and decibel levels.

The Lake-shaker!
Nau-kuchia-taal (nine-cornered-lake) is in the lake district of Nainital in the foothills of Kumaon (part of Uttarakhand in North India). The area surrounding Nainital is aptly called the ‘Lake District’ as there’s a generous sprinkling of lakes all over this region! As if nature had a shaker full of lakes and sprinkled on this green salald-like Kumaon region. (see info on how to reach etc at the bottom of this post)

From the eye (nain)-shaped Nainital to the interconnected 7 lakes of Sattal, from the nine-cornered Naukuchiataal to the biggest Bhimtal with an island in the centre, you can spot a lake in every nook and corner of this Himalayan land!

“The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty – to think, feel, do just as one pleases”

The road journey from Delhi was very lively with we stopping over for frequent “dhabe ki chai” (tea), parathas, pakoras and photography (my bro and me). This meant that we had overstretched by at least a couple of hours.

So, after a 9-hour car journey – wherein, the last stretch meant negotiating treacherous gyrating curves , but devouring gorgeous views of the Himalayas, dealing with that repulsive motion sickness but inhaling moisture-laden purest of pure oxygen, we finally were there where we could see the heavenly view of the Sattal lake.

The Magic of Himalayas….
It was a celestial feeling! Avie (my hubby) and I held out Pari to the cool moisture-laden breeze to have her lungs filled with the air so fresh and pure.

We could see that even Pari felt exalted being surrounded by the greenest of green and dense oak and pine forests at an altitude of 1370 meters above sea level!

We stayed that evening at the http://www.kmvn.org guest house which wasn’t welcoming enough to say the least. However, it was only for a night and we managed. We decided to have a Kumaoni dinner in the nearby tiny market.

In the middle of 70 acres of Oak forests….

In the morning, we set off for Naukuchiatal. The kmvn guest house in Naukuchiatal was much better than Sattal’s but one look at the Lake View resort and we fell for it.

Built facing the Naukuchiatal Lake itself, the resort is set amidst 70 acres of dense Oak forests. The rooms offer a fascinating view of the lake and the surrounding nature. The forests around the resort are frequented by hundreds of migratory birds.

The resort’s architecture has a very open, spacious feel to it. Every room opens into the lush green slopes overseeing the lake. The rooms are aesthetically done and are filled with natural sunlight. The place exudes exotic fragrance and colours of the vibrant Rhodenderons, Himalayan Blue Poppy, the brilliant blue Bell flower, Balsam, Cobra Lily, blue Geraniums and many many unusual species of Himalayan flora.

And then…we rejoice in the ethereal beauty of the lake….

A few hops down the flight of stairs and we stood mesmerized before the shimmering waters of the huge Naukuchiatal lake. The tranquil blue waters were breathtakingly beautiful and held us spellbound!
We couldn’t wait to go knee deep and strip ourselves of all the weariness.

I feel that we beings have an innate desire to get intimate and bond with water in its natural form – be it river, stream, lake or sea! We let go of our adult controls and become child-like and fancy free at the sight of the blue waters!

The Naukuchiatal lake is considered the deepest amongst all the lakes in the Kumaon region. They say, it’s fed by an underlying spring. We were cautioned not to venture too far without guided help. We hopped on to a boat (Shikara) and all of us tried our hands at rowing. This was a pretty large boat and there were 5 of us, so it wasn’t easy…

‘Nirvana’ is here…!

The clouds were leaning over the lake waters for a glimpse of their own reflection while the mist was blinding their view. It was breathtakingly beautiful and a soulful feeling being in the lap of nature.

We negotiated the periphery (4 kms) of the lake to catch a glimpse of the Himalayan birds, butterflies etc, we ventured right in the middle to hang our feet and splash, we parked the boat at the edge of a jutting rock trying to count the 9 corners, which we could.

The legends have it that whoever manages to view all nine corners of this lake in one glance, attains ‘Nirvana’. Now, we could not manage this but the whole experience of being so close to the pristine waters was nothing less than ‘Nirvana’!

My brother and I spotted a Kingfisher miles above us and we kept everyone else mediating on the boat while we tried to capture it to the best of our ability.

The resort had a private access to the lake which meant that we never missed an opportunity to hop away and go knee deep, or just sit there, or trek along the periphery of the lake. Fishing here is a great stress buster for many but then we coming from a very vegetarian mindset stayed away from this activity!

Engulfed in spiritual peace…

Just looking at the vast expanse of the blue waters and the dense greens surrounding it gave me a euphoric feeling. I felt so much at peace with myself. It was as if I had discovered a new life and me.

Here, I felt the joy of being alone and yet felt connected with some supreme power. I felt the power and bliss of motherhood. I had left the physical as well the mental chaos behind me. This is the magic of the Himalayas…..

Trekking through the glorious greens…

The next day and the day after that, we trekked through the dense oak and pine forests, explored the nearby village with wooden roof huts, caught glimpses of wild Himalayan birds, spotted exotic flora (some poisonous ones too) and fauna and also did some horse riding.

The Monsoon rains (it was August) being in full glory, we couldn’t do paragliding, which is another adventure activity one can enjoy in Naukuchiatal.

But….something else was in store…!

The day we had to return, it had been raining like there’s no tomorrow. We delayed our departure by a couple of hours but the rains were in no mood to stop or even become less intense. We could not have postponed to next morning as all of us had bosses to answer to! So, however much we were shocked at our decision later on and even to date, at that point, we decided to go ahead. The return journey through the Himalayan curves is something that we will remember, with goose pimples, forever!

The fury of monsoons…

We had gone a few miles ahead when we could sense there was more than just rain pelting at our car roof. The high ridges all along the road were being mobilized due to incessant rains and the debris were crashing and falling. My brother, who was at the wheels, was keeping a brave front, maneuvering the curves and now trying to duck the debris.

But this was just the beginning. A few meters down and some boulders came almost crashing in. Our hearts leapt out! While we avoided yelling and cursing (except for some occasional uncontrollable shrieks) so that the person who was driving could stay calm, there was a deathly look on everyone’s face. We also considered returning or parking somewhere, but roads behind had fallen apart and there was not a sign of human dwelling.

A thin line between life and….

My bro kept moving ahead with gusto. And then, the coup de grace. The curve ahead was almost hanging precariously! A large part of the road had been smashed by a boulder and due to the impact, that already narrow bend had its outside curve completely chopped off.. That meant that if we tried to negotiate that hacked weak curve, chances were it would refuse to take the weight and the car would go crashing down the ridge – more than 1300 meters deep into the dense thick forest!

Fingers Crossed…

We had to decide and fast! All we ladies got off the car so we would cross the curve and get on the other side. Once we crossed one by one, the debris pelting on our heads, I with a 6 month old in arms – my brother and hubby were now left in the car facing the moment of their lives, for their lives. We were praying in our hearts… Those few seconds, we were frozen to death. And then they were there on our side of the road. There wasn’t much time to rejoice. We still had our fingers crossed. God only knew what would ensue next….

But thankfully, we had crossed that vulnerable stretch. After an hour or so, at the Kathgodam rail head, we stopped for some refreshments and to catch our breath!

Where Next in the Himalayas?

It was a vacation that both dreams as well as nightmares are made of! But today, I wish to remember only the soul stirring beauty of the magnificent Himalayas with much fondness.

I am fortunate to live only a few hours’ drive from such angelic beauty of nature. The Valley of flowers is my next dream destination in the Garhwal hills of the Himalayan range. I hope I can experience it soon and come back and share wth you all…

Some facts and how to reach Naukuchiatal:

- Nearest Rail head: Kathgodam (online booking can be done here: http://www.irctc.co.in)
- Distance from Kathgodam – 25 Kms
- Trains: Ranikhet express from Delhi

Places around Naukuchiatal:

- Pandegaon: Only 4 kms from The Lake Resort is the ‘take off” point for Paragliding
- Bhimtal: 4 kms
- Nanital: 22 kms

Some relevant related links:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Flowers_National_Park
• http://www.naukuchiatallakeresorts.com
• http://www.kmvn.org

Some more related pics from my bro’s (Manish Jaju) flickr photostream:
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/manishjaju/3255744959/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/manishjaju/3256576714/

Leave your precious comment!
—————————————————————————————————–
All content and pictures in this post (and blog) are copyright of Rashmie Jaaju and should not be copied in any manner without my prior explicit permission.