No matter how many times you have ambled through the ancient alleys of Jew Town, it never fails to leave you spell bound. It could be an artifact, cafe, or nugget of history hitherto unknown, that makes you want to linger a little longer.
Just a few kilometres away from Fort Kochi, Synagogue Lane in Jew Town, Mattancherry, straddles the old world and the new in curious ways. The best way to find out is to explore it on foot and without a fixed agenda.
Despite this though, there are sights that one cannot miss. Here is our list:
The sculpture of a wooden ram at an antique store on Synagogue Lane
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The antique trail
A six-foot-tall wooden ram, towering over a collection of assorted antiques, is the showstopper at The Classic, a 60-year-old antique shop at Jew Town. When Prince Charles was in Fort Kochi, as part of his India visit in 2013, he was “especially fascinated by this one”. Sourced from Tamil Nadu, this supposed ‘vehicle of Veera Bhadra Swamy [a local deity]’ called Shevai, is just one of the many interesting objects in this shop. Figurines, paintings, lamps and sculptures that date back years have been preserved. “The price depends on the object’s vintage nature, not size,” says Suja Sunil, the shop attendant. Jew Town is full of such antique shops where one could pick up a totem from the past for anywhere between ₹2,500 and ₹25 lakh.
Old photographs at Sarah Cohen’s home in Jew Town
| Photo Credit:
Thulasi Kakkat
A home that was
Sarah Cohen’s home and embroidery shop is now a little museum of memories. Sarah, a prominent member of the Kochi’s Jewish community, died in 2019, leaving her shop to Thaha Ibrahim, who was like a son to Sarah and her husband Jacob. They took him in as a boy, when he sold postcards outside their shop. Thaha takes forward Sarah’s hand embroidery legacy, which she taught him. He preserves the sanctity of the traditional designs that were passed down to him. The little green building with a low ceiling maintains Sarah’s hand embroidery, linen, towels, kippah, table runners and some of her belongings such as kitchen utensils, prayer books and old photographs of Sarah and Jacob.
A work at Little Queen Embroidery
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Threads that connect
Little Queen Embroidery shop in Jew Town is for those who love embroidery. For those familiar with the work, there is everything from cross stitch to herringbone, shadow work, French knot and the rare petit point done on delicate white organdy table runners, coasters, table mats, napkins and dresses. The shop, set up easily over 50 years, preserves the old world charm of embroidery and lace work, a tangible cultural legacy left by European colonisers in Kochi. The owner of the shop, Thomas PE, is eager to explain the different stitches to visitors. He has a unit, which employs women who do this embroidery.
Mandalay Hall in Jew Town
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The house that witnessed the last Jewish wedding
This 18th century building, one of the few remaining Jewish homes in Kochi, was constructed in the Dutch Burgher style, brought in by the Sephardic Jews (who arrived in Kochi after they were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 15th Century). This building is especially significant as it witnessed the last Jewish wedding in Mattancherry in 1978 (Glennis Simon, who was residing in Mandalay Hall then married Leslie Salem at the Paradesi Synagogue, a Jewish Synagogue). Today, it has been carefully restored and run as a luxury boutique art hotel — The Postcard Mandalay Hall.
AB Salem House in Jew Town, Mattancherry
| Photo Credit:
Thulasi Kakkat
The house of Jewish Gandhi
A 350-year-old mansion that belonged to Abraham Barak Salem, a prominent Jewish lawyer, politician, and Indian freedom fighter popularly known as the ‘Jewish Gandhi’, was renovated and opened as a heritage guest house in 2023. Thoughtfully restored, this house with 10 rooms, allows one to experience the history and culture of Kochi’s earliest Jewish settlers.
Spices on display at the Mattancherry market
| Photo Credit:
Vibhu H
A whiff of spice
What makes a stroll down Jew Town all the more special is the invigorating scent of spices. Extending to the road, the stalls selling different varieties of spices including black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and star anise, are a hallmark of this heritage port town. Mattancherry’s spice trade history dates back centuries. With the decline of the Muziris port, Mattancherry emerged as the centre for spice trade, even hosting the world’s first pepper exchange. Right from the 15th Century, it has attracted communities from far and wide, who have taken up crucial roles in the spices business. When you visit, be sure to pick up your favourites. Take in both the scent of spices, and years of storied history.
Published – December 26, 2025 06:46 pm IST
About the Author
