From the 16th century, the Kadavumbagam synagogue was on the edge of the Jewish neighborhood in the Indian city of Cochin. It was built over the ruins of an even older synagogue. It had a beautiful ceiling made of carved wood that looked like the motifs in the nearby mosques and Hindu temples.
As far as local legend goes, the Jewish community in Cochin has been around for about two thousand years. It began in Cranganore (Shingly) on the southwest coast of India. In the 14th century, it moved to Cochin and other cities near it. The Kadavumbagam synagogue, which was built by a group of people called Malabaris, was one of eight synagogues in this part of the country.
