Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica - Cochin

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica is among the oldest churches in India and is also one of the eight Basilicas in India. 

It was built by the first Portuguese viceroy, Francesco de Almeida, when he arrived in Kochi way back in 1505. On 3 May that year, during the feast of the "Invention of the Holy Cross", the foundation stone of this church was laid and upon completion, it was christened as Santa Cruz Cathedral. 

Later on, when the Dutch conquered Cochin in 1663, they ruined all Catholic establishments except this particular cathedral and the famous church of St. Francis. In those days, the Santa Cruz Cathedral was used as an armory. It was, however, later shattered in 1795, after the British took over the city. An elaborate granite pillar of this monumental cathedral was what remained after the destruction of the Santa Cruz Cathedral. The pillar is still kept on the southeastern corner of the present Basilica. 

When Bishop Dom Joao Gomes Ferreira was appointed as the prelate of Cochin in the year 1887, he took up the initiative to rebuild this Santa Cruz Cathedral. His efforts, however, could only be realized during the reign of his successor, Dom Mateus Oliveira Xavier. Dom Sebastiao Jose Pereira, the Bishop of Damao, sanctified the new cathedral on November 19, 1905. Recognizing its historic significance, Pope John Paul II raised the status of Santa Cruz Cathedral to a Basilica, on 19th December 1984. 

Recently in 2004, this cathedral completed its five centuries of existence. The architecture of the basilica is a blend of the Indo-European and the Gothic style. The making of the pulpit and the wooden paneling of this cathedral is very impressive. Moreover, the Italian paintings dating from the time of the original foundation of the church adorning the interiors of the Santa Cruz Basilica give it a completely magnificent look.

Jewish Synagogue -Cochin

Jewish Synagogue

Jewish Synagogue or the Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi in South India. It was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin. It is also referred to as the Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue. The synagogue is located in the quarter of Old Cochin known as Jew Town, and is the only one of the seven synagogues in the area still in use. The complex has four buildings. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land given to the Malabari Yehuden community by the Raja of Kochi, Rama Varma. The Mattancherry Palace temple and the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall.

The Paradesi Synagogue, in a corner of Jew Town, is more than a hundred years old and houses many rare antiques.  The synagogue that woos many visitors, add to the quaint charm of Mattancherry.  The synagogue, the oldest in the Commonwealth, was built by the Jewish community of Cochin. In 1662, it was destroyed by the Portguese and then reconstructed, two years later, by the Dutch.

The word Paradesi means foreigner in many Indian languages. It refers to the White Jews - A mixture of Jews from Kodungalloor, Middle East and Europe.

Enter the synagogue and the large main hall arrests your attention with display of rare antique objects that add to the grandeur of the place. The light falling through the large open windows make the sight of chandeliers and lamps more delightful. These glass chandeliers dangling from the ceiling belong to the 19th century and were imported from Belgium.

The floor of the synagogue itself is a showpiece with the paving of hand-painted blue willow patterned floor tiles. These ceramic tiles were brought from Canton, China in the 18th century by Ezekiel Rahabi, a renowned Jewish businessman. Each tile is different from one another in its design and it never fails to capture the admiration of the visitors. The marvellous construction of the synagogue is revealed in all its features including the splendid pillars.

A pulpit with brass rails is built in the center of the room. An exclusive gallery for women with gilt columns, a carved teak ark etc can be seen in the synagogue.  The teak Ark houses four scrolls of Torah (the first five books of Old Testament) and they are encased in silver and gold. Two gold crowns presented to the Jewish Community by the Kings of Kochi and Travancore are also kept here.

Another valuable possession of the synagogue is the copper plates belonging to the 4th century with inscriptions in Malayalam. The inscriptions describe the privileges granted to the community by the erstwhile Cochin king. It is written in kannadiyezhuthu script or mirror image writing. An oriental rug gifted to the Jews by the last Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie is also kept in the synagogue. 

Bible Tower- Thrissur

Bible tower

The Bible Tower is the tallest church tower in Asia. It is situated in Thrissur. It can be seen from anywhere in the Thrissur Town. The height of the tower is about 260 feet.  It was inaugurated on 2007, January 07. His Excellency Most Reverend Dr Pedro Lopez Quintana dedicated the Bible Tower for the World peace.

Bible Tower is well known for its heights. The wooden door is in scripted with bible words which revels the whole life of Jesus and the life of the early church in different materials. The infancy of Jesus is represented in Wooden Carvings. The healing of the sick is depicted in Stain Glass.

 The miracles of Jesus is represented in Bras etching is shown. There is an oil painting which tells the passion of Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is depicted in bright canvas, and mural paintings on the Life of St. Thomas.

Lourdes Cathedral - Thrissur

Lourdes Cathedral

Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral is situated in the heart of Thrissur town. The exterior of this church features an Indo- European façade with pink spires. The main attraction is an underground shrine which is a masterpiece of architectural designing.  Fr. John Maliekal is said to have planned and constructed this church. 

The centenary of this church was celebrated during the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Thrissur in 1986. The Cathedral church attracts thousands of pilgrims every month.

Thrissur district was under the control of Dutch and British invaders. During their period they had created several beautiful churches.  The Lourdes Cathedral is one of in it.  This is one of the largest Churches in Kerala.