Discover Jew Town, Kochi’s rare blend of Jewish history, Kerala crafts, and enduring legacies that celebrate coexistence and craftsmanship.

1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale: A Fusion of Time
2. Muziris: Where Civilisations Met the Sea
3. Jew Town: Where Sanskrit Met Hebrew
4. The Paradesi Synagogue: Light and Legacy
5. Little Queen Embroidery: Bruges Lace and Petit Point
6. Sarah Cohen’s Embroidery Shop: The Last Jew of Kochi
7. IRS Natural Incense and Perfume Oils: Make Your Own Perfume
8. How to reach Kochi
9. Where to stay in Kochi

I recently watched the movie Param Sundari on Amazon Prime. As it progressed, I thought to myself what a convulated experience of green, stunning Kerala. Even Siddharth Malhotra’s good looks couldn’t keep me glued. This was exactly the same feeling I had after my story on Kerala was published in 2016.

Every traveller has a dream; mine was Kerala. I was working with a travel magazine then, and thanks to the Kerala Tourism Board, I was sent for a preview of the preparations for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2016. Somewhere between the salt air, the scent of spices, and a shack that scandalised locals when I downed five glasses of toddy with spicy fish, I realised that this trip wasn’t a “dream come true.” In my dreams, Kerala was a slow, cinematic, panoramic experience, not a 3-second silly reel hook (which is how Param Sundari portrays it). I think directors shouldn’t imitate jumping jack Instagram when making films, they are two different storytelling mediums.

My storytelling medium was the written word. I didn’t do justice to Kochi, to its historic Jew Town, or the ancient seaport of Muziris. As a journalist, you’re trained to smell out stories, but mine didn’t touch any of the five senses. My editor wasn’t on the same wavelength, time was short, the budget tight. I hadn’t bought a DSLR or trained my eye for photography. Years later, as I searched online, I found the stories I had glimpsed now told by other media houses. Still, I never forgot those stories and preserved my recordings. So here I am, penning them a decade late.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale: A Fusion of Time

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) began on December 12, 2012, celebrating a blend of the ancient and the contemporary in public spaces. Indian and international artists converge here, showcasing works across mediums such as painting, sculpture, film, installation, performance art.

This unique art show is replete with seminars, musical performances, talks and more. But as I haven’t seen it, can’t say it.

During my trip, I just caught a glimpse, a few artworks in progress and even lesser artists at work. But what lingered: the stunning view of the Malabar Coast from Fort Kochi. The USP of KMB is that art isn’t confined to galleries, it breathes all around in courtyards, godowns, and sea-washed walls.

To know more, visit kochimuzirisbiennale.org.

Muziris: Where Civilisations Met the Sea

Located about 30 km from Kochi, Muziris was once a flourishing seaport and financial centre in the 1st century BCE, a vital link between the Indo-Roman and Indo-Greek trade routes. Legend says it vanished after the Periyar River flood of 1341 CE.

This ancient port is believed to have been home to India’s first church (Mar Thoma), first mosque (Cheraman Juma Masjid), and the oldest European monument — the Portuguese fort.

You can read more about it here: A Guide to Muziris Heritage Project, Kerala.

I had not wanted to place KMB (but had to) as the mainstay of the story, as it had been written about many times; my heart lay in Jew Town, an emblem of communal harmony and prosperous coexistence.

Jew Town: Where Sanskrit Met Hebrew

The historic enclave lies between the Mattancherry Palace and the old spice market. Its cobbled lanes are lined with antique shops, art galleries, and colonial-era buildings that whisper stories of another time. Jew Town’s origins date back to 1524, when the King of Kochi, Bhaskara Ravi Varma, granted land to Jewish refugees fleeing Kodungallur after conflicts with the Portuguese.

These settlers, the Paradesi (foreign) Jews, brought with them not only faith and resilience but also trade and artistry. For centuries, they thrived in Kochi’s spice trade, dealing in pepper, cardamom, and textiles. Here, Sanskrit met Hebrew, Malayalam mingled with Ladino (a language born of medieval Spanish and written in Hebrew script).

Though the Jewish population dwindled after the establishment of Israel in 1948, the echoes of their heritage still linger. Jew Town remains a living museum of Kerala’s layered past.

The Paradesi Synagogue: Light and Legacy

The highlight of my walk was the Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth, established in 1568.

I was surprised that everyone walked in barefoot, just like a Hindu temple. It is a living synagogue, but we went in the afternoon, and there were only a couple of tourists.

Inside, I stood transfixed by hand-painted blue-and-white Chinese tiles, Belgian glass chandeliers, and a gold pulpit that shimmered in the afternoon light. I longed to attend a prayer session, but the silence too was sacred.

As we wore our shoes, stomachs grumbled. We didn’t have any recommendations for eating out. We just trusted our prayers and entered Sree Ganesh restaurant, close to the synagogue, to be rewarded with a yummy dosa for lunch.

Little Queen Embroidery: Bruges Lace and Petit Point

Satiated, we had a full market on either side. Uncertain about where to begin, what to see, who to talk to, we looked both ways and then in front. The quaint blue board with ‘Little Queen Embroidery’ helped me make a decision to cross the road.

It turned out to be a treat with handmade laces and embroidered home linen and clothing. It reminded me of all those royal balls I’d read about in historical romances by Barbara Cartland and Victoria Holt. After looking around, I realised the shop had been graced with the presence of King Charles (then Prince of Wales) in November 2013. I was on royal ground now.

The owner, Thomas P.E., was a delight to talk to, going into details about the craft of near extinct lace making and embroidery that is limited to a few craftswomen now. Lace making travelled to India with Franciscan and Carmelite nuns. The British loved lace, and the industry thrived during the British Raj.

Showing us the various pieces, he talked about the intricacies of Bruges Lace. This crochet technique, inspired by Belgian lace, is made from crocheted tapes or ribbons. While it is dying in India, lace making in Bruges, Belgium, is a huge draw.

With Thomas I learned about how to make a classical French knot, an intricate and delicate process. Then there was Venetian lace from the 18th century, which reached Cochin with Portuguese missionaries, Italian and Belgian nuns.

Lace is made with bobbins and each design needs a certain number, could be 28, 60, 80, even as high as 120. He had 268 women working on the products through his NGO.

Lace making is a slow process and each woman was able to make only 8 cm a day! Some lace makers still thrive in the convents. The centre at St. Elizabeth Convent in Kattiparambu has been around for over 100 years.

He lamented the loss of the beautiful craft to less earnings, more time consumption and need for strong attention to detail. A lace maker earnt around INR 1890 daily, while a city worker would earn much more.

Another beautiful embroidery was Petit Point. This is made with different sized needle points, probably the smallest point in the world. One pattern could have as many as 3,200 points. He had a heritage piece of 4,200 points with him! What made me gasp was that petit point crafts are also exhibited at the Louvre Museum, Paris (It’s true, I looked up the museum site). A good piece would probably take two months to make.

Introducing me to more embroidery, he showed me the beautiful Herringbone stitches. In this delicate work, the back and the front look exactly the same.

While Cross Stitch is common, but in the work done by the expert women, even the back is as clean as the front. Not a single knot was visible.

So, going by the hard work done by these women and the fact that this is going to get tougher to find, I am happy that bought two small cloth coasters.

You can read more about Bruges lace and embroidery in Kochi here: Once a hub of handmade Bruges lace, Kochi is now a centre of embroidery

Sarah Cohen’s Embroidery Shop: The Last Jew of Kochi

A few steps away stood another story — Sarah Cohen’s home and embroidery shop. It felt straight out of an Enid Blyton book, charming and intimate with cats, plants and colourful doors.

In 2016, Sarah Cohen, then 94, was the last living Jew in Kochi. I didn’t speak with her due to her memory and other age-related issues. However, her aide, Thaha Ibrahim, was very forthcoming about the shop, Sarah’s origins and his role. Sarah passed away in 2019, leaving her house and shop to him, a Muslim boy who had once sold postcards nearby. I learned this during my web search.

His story unfolded like a parable of kindness. Taken in by Sarah’s husband Jacob Elias Cohen in 1982, he grew into the family they never had. Fulfilling Jacob’s last wish, Thaha cared for Sarah until her passing. She now rests in the nearby Jewish Cemetery. It’s an unusual story that makes you believe in humanity; people are willing to take care of each other despite the religious differences. The Cohens didn’t migrate to Israel because they were rooted to India after settling here in 1942.

Adept at shadow embroidery, she taught the craft to many young girls in the neighbourhood. Her shadow embroidery, especially the Challah covers she created with Hebrew motifs, was exquisite. Each piece took four days and cost ₹1,000 back then. I’m glad to have a piece of embroidered history with me.

She had converted her living room into a shop. Her living quarters, a nice big room and kitchen, had a bed in the centre. Thaha and I sat by the window which overlooked the busy street. Thaha went onto to familiarise me with the history of Sephardic Jews and their passage to India from Spain via Turkey, Baghdad. Then, I learned about the importance of Challah, the braided bread that is offered at Shabbat meals.

Thaha Ibrahim runs the shop with the same old principles, going by the story I read on the web.

You can read more about Sarah Cohen and her shop here: Saving Sarah: The last Jewish embroidery shop in Kochi

IRS Natural Incense and Perfume Oils: Make Your Own Perfume

I bought some incense sticks from IRS and even learned how to make them, thanks to the director Irfan Shariff. His wife, Sumaiya, decorated my hand with a flowery henna motif.

There were just shops and shops. But I can never forget the souvenir masks, cow masks at that. Come to think of it, I should’ve got stories around the making of those traditional cow masks.

I also explored the International Tourism Police Museum where I was the lone tourist. In the old Jew Town post office, I bought a cancellation of the Magen David for INR 5!

Jew Town, Kochi reminded me that stories, like lace, are woven slowly, with patience and love. It’s the amalgamation of cultures that defines the passage of time. And stories are forever, they could be in the moment, in the past, in memories and in the making.

How to reach Kochi

The nearest international airport is at Nedumbassery, about an hour’s drive from Kochi.

Where to stay in Kochi

• Bolgatty Palace & Island Resort (KTDC)
• Cherai Beach Resorts
  For those who prefer staying in the thick of the heritage circuit, Fort Kochi offers charming homestays and boutique hotels.

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2025.

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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Ratna Prabha.