Synagogues in India

[KB335ci2]

Thanks for the photos, Hindustani.

As I've said before, thank God for multi-religious India. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a nation that stands for a single religion. That's just awfuly medieval and disgusting.

[Kappa21]

Post some more pictures..

I wanna go to India one day...very nice country..has alot of Jewish things to see, as well as other magnificent treasures

keep up the good work....

[Hindustani]

Originally Posted by KB335ci2

Thanks for the photos, Hindustani.

As I've said before, thank God for multi-religious India. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a nation that stands for a single religion. That's just awfuly medieval and disgusting.

Single religion causes more damage to country if its close to 100%. Various sects & beliefs will end up causing more bloodshed within the religion for domination. sorta like darwinian philosophy of survival of the fittest.

Multi-religious country forces compromises & understanding to live together under one roof. Thus, negating inter-religious conflicts like shia-sunni, catholics-prostastants, caste system conflicts or even politheistic conflicts.

Modern day post independence India has benefitted hugely with multi-religious culture. Only drawback has been the religious rioting fueled purely for political gains. Once the normalcy is established, it has strenghtened its democracy & overall economy as well.

[India101]

Originally Posted by IndiansUnite

Magen David Synagogue, Byculla, Mumbai
copyright Humayunn N A Peerzaada

Here's an interesting photo of it from 1861 -



The interior of it -



Link

[India101]

Originally Posted by Hindustani

Kenneseth Eliyahu Synagogue--kalaghoda--Bombay--India (One of Bombay's Oldest)

Some old pics of it from 1888 -



The interior -



Check the link bellow for more info on Judaism in India:
Link

[Rekarte]

I did not know he had Jewish presence in India, interesting ...

[Shaktiman786]

Interesting, and most of all, beautiful. It seems like every religion of the world is present in India!!!

[sudheeshnairs]

Originally Posted by Rekarte

I did not know he had Jewish presence in India, interesting ...

The Cochin Jews, one of the five 'native Jewish communities in India, arrived 2,500 years ago and settled down in Cochin, Kerala as traders.

The oldest of the Indian Jewish communities is in Cochin. Traders from Judea arrived in the city of Cochin, in what is now Kerala, in 562 BC. Most Jews, however, came as exiles from Israel in the year 70 C.E. after the destruction of the Second Temple[2] The distinct Jewish community was called Anjuvannam. The still-functioning synagogue in Mattancherry belongs to the Paradesi Jews, the descendants of Sephardim that were expelled from Spain and Holland in 1492

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History..._Jews_in_India

[India101]

Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue


Interior
image hosted on flickr

Copyright sbroide

[bains1971]

Great picture very colourful. thanks for the postings.

[Kappa21]

I once had a girlfriend who was Indian-Jewish. Didnt last long...but she fed me well with Indian-Jewish fusion cuisine YUMMMMMMMMMMMY!

any Jewish-Indian girls interested in the hebrew-hammer?

[India101]

Really dissapointing that we only have 33 Synagogues in India, and most of them are in a terrible condition.

[India101]

Here's an example:

Gate of Mercy Synagogue, Mumbai


(C)Nichalp

[India101]

Kenneseth Eliyahu Synagogue

image hosted on flickr

IMG_2428 by Dan Fimm, on Flickr

[Kappa21]

Looks old but nice!

[dumbassmus]

Jews live in India?

[KavirajG]

Originally Posted by dumbassmus

Jews live in India?

LOL! Judaism in India can be traced back to more than 2000 years ago.

The Cochin Jews arrived in India 2,500 years ago and settled down in Kerala as traders. They were followed by the Bene Israel Jews who settled in Maharashtra some 2100 years back.

The Baghdadi Jews arrived in Mumbai from Iran, Iraq and other Arab countries in the mid 18th century to escape religious persecution.

Judaism in India is one of the most successful story of religious tolerance ever documented. This was in great part due to the fact that Hinduism and Judaism do not actively seek converts and the good relations established between the Jews and Hindu monarchs at that time.
In 379 CE, The Hindu king Sira Primal who was also known as Iru Brahman, issued what was engraved on a tablet of brass, his permission to Jews to live freely, build synagogue, own property without conditions attached.

The only hints of anti-antisemitism reported were during the Portuguese rule beginning in the 16th Century.

The Baghdadi Jews established prosperous communities in many Indian cities and were successful in fields such as trade and later on in the Army.

In the 20th Century most Jews left for Israel but many chose to settle permanently in India.

So as a legacy for the good-founded history of Judaism in India, the synagogues and other heritage structures must be preserved.

[India101]

Originally Posted by Kappa21

Looks old but nice!

Well it is 130 years old

And it's due for another facelift.

[flyinfishjoe]

That Kenneseth Eliahu Synagogue has been surrounded by armed guards since the 2008 terror attacks. They glared at me menacingly when I tried to take pictures, haha.

Originally Posted by dumbassmus

Jews live in India?

[dumbassmus]

And why didn't all those Islamic dynasties throw em out? Just asking.