Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 22, 2021

Kochi: As the tourism department and other stakeholders are set to welcome visitors arriving in a cruise ship, for the first time after the pandemic, on Wednesday with much euphoria, two major tourist destinations in Mattancherry will remain shut. Visitors wont be able to enjoy the beauty of the architectural marvel, mural paintings and other historical objects inside the 453-year-old Jewish Synagogue and 476-year-old Dutch Palace in Mattancherry. The synagogue remains closed due to the Jewish festival Sukkot. Moreover, the road leading to the monument has been dug by the Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) to lay underground cables and later to pave the stretch with stones. Shopkeepers are unhappy with the slow pace of work. Hundreds of tourists reaching Kochi in the cruise ship will flock to Fort Kochi and Mattancherry on Wednesday. But the road leading to the synagogue is in bad condition due to the ongoing works. Though the drainage works in Jew Town had started in February this year, it has not been completed so far. Also, many allied works are pending. There is lapse in work at Mattancherry Jew Town, which is an important tourism destination, says Junaid Sulaiman, secretary of Kerala handicraft welfare association, Jew town. Meanwhile, a CSML spokesperson said the current works on the road leading to the synagogue was not part of the beautification project initially. The work was taken up considering the importance of the area. The work got delayed due to shortage of underground cables. We will complete the works by September 30, said a CSML spokesperson. While Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials said they have not received any approval from the state archaeology department to open the Dutch Palace. We are ready to open the palace. Since it is a closed environment, we are awaiting permission from the state archaeology department. We have written to the department seeking clarity on opening museums. Once it is opened, only those vaccinated with both doses will be allowed to enter the monument, said an ASI official. Fort Kochi councillor Antony Kureethara said archaeological monuments should be opened to revive tourism in the area. All stakeholders, including government officials, should come forward to open up all the structures related to tourism. Visitors travelling to the area by vehicles without entering the monuments, will not bring any good to the tourism sector, Kureethara said.

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Synagogue, Dutch Palace wait for nod to reopen - Times of India

Category: Synagogue
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