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Paradesi Synagogue, in the southern Indian port city of Kochi, is the oldest synagogue in India as well as the entire British Commonwealth. Founded in 1568 by Spanish and Dutch Sephardic Jews, the synagogue has a highly decorative interior that reflects the tastes and traditions of the many cultures that flourished along trade routes in the region. (...)

Paradesi Synagogue, in the southern Indian port city of Kochi, is the oldest synagogue in India as well as the entire British Commonwealth. Founded in 1568 by Spanish and Dutch Sephardic Jews, the synagogue has a highly decorative interior that reflects the tastes and traditions of the many cultures that flourished along trade routes in the region. European, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian designs are all found within the synagogue. Paradesi is the only one of seven synagogues in Kochi’s Jewish quarter still in operation. In its current state, the complex consists of four buildings enclosed within large compound walls. For much of its early history, the synagogue served a community of foreign-born spice dealers (the word paradesi literally means “foreigner”). The congregation’s original building was destroyed by the Portuguese in the 17th century but was later rebuilt in its current form.