Mattancherry (), is a locality in the city of

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is about 9 km south-west from the city center. It is said that the name Mattancherry comes from "Ancherry Mattom", a ''Namboodiri illam'' which the foreign traders then pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. The place where erstwhile 'Ancherry Mattom' located is now a Tamil Brahmin settlement.

Etymology

It is said that the name Mattancherry comes from "Ancherry Mattom", a ''Namboodiri illam'' which the foreign traders then pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. Another possible origin is from the Malabari Jewish community which states that the name Mattancherry comes from two words, "''Mathana''" (מתנה) meaning "gift" in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

and "''cheri''" (ചേരി) meaning land/Island in malayalam. According to Oral traditions, the land was granted to them as a gift from the Hindu Rajah, hence the name. Mattancherry Kuriachan Church by Augustus Binu

Mattancherry Kuriachan Church by Augustus Binu

Politics

Mattancherry is a part of the Kochi assembly constituency and

Ernakulam (Lok Sabha constituency) Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 20 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Kerala state in southern india. It comprises 7 legislative assembly constituencies. The constituency is dominated by Latin Catholics who constitutes ...

Notable Landmarks

Mattancherry is home to the

Paradesi Synagogue The Paradesi Synagogue aka Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue (Malayalam: പരദേശി ജൂതപള്ളി) is a synagogue located in Mattancherry Jew Town, a suburb of the city of Kochi, Kerala, in India. It wa ...

, India's oldest functioning synagogue,,

Mattancherry Palace The Mattancherry Palace is a palace popularly known as the Dutch Palace, in Mattancherry, Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala which features Kerala murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. The palace was included in th ...

Museum, Mattacherry Pazhayannur Royal temple. Our Of Life Church Mattancherry and Holy Cross Pilgrim Centre Mattancherry *

(

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Palace) - Mattancherry Palace was the residence of the kings of Kochi. The palace was built in 1555 by Veera Kerala Varma (1537-1565), the King of Cochin, who built the car and was renovated by the Dutch in 1663 and became known as the 'Dutch Palace'. Today, there are portraits of the kings of Kochi and many unique murals in India. *Church of our Lady of Health, ( ''Ingreja de Nossa Senhora do Resgate )'' *

Kochi Jain temple The Kochi Jain temple or Dharmanath Jain temple is a Jain temple in the Mattancherry in Kochi, Kerala. History Historically, Jains from Kutch & Saurastra used to come to Cochin, Kozhikode and Alleppey for business. This temple was built in ...

*Gujarati Street *Jew Town *

Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue aka Kadavumbhagam Synagogue ( Mal: കടവു൦ഭാഗ൦ മട്ടാഞ്ചേരി ജൂതപള്ളി or കടവു൦ഭാഗ൦ ജൂതപള്ളി ) is a Jewish synagogue located ...

* Thekkumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue * *

- The synagogue was built in 1568 by the Paradesi Jewish people of Kochi. It is also known as the Kochi Jewish Synagogue and the Mattancherry Synagogue. The synagogue is located at what is now known as Jewish Street in Old Kochi. The synagogue was built near the Mattancherry Palace on a site donated by King Rama Varma of Kochi to the Jewish community. There is only one wall between the palace temple and this synagogue. *

Way to reach

* Nearest airport:

Nedumbassery International Airport Cochin International Airport is an International airport serving the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Located at Nedumbassery, about northeast of the city centre, Cochin International Airport is first of its kind which is develo ...

- 22 km from Kochi. * Nearest railway station: Ernakulam Junction - 10 km from Mattancherry. * Nearest bus stand: Ernakulam

KSRTC KSRTC may refer to: * Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation * Kerala State Road Transport Corporation Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned road transport corporation in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one o ...

bus stand. City buses also ply from Mattancherry to Aluva,

Thripunithura Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...

Kakkanad Kakkanad is a major industrial and residential region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is situated in the eastern part of the city and houses the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark, Smart City and KINFRA Export Promotion Industri ...

, Edakochi and back.

Gallery

File:The Paradesi Synagogue during Covid-19 pandemic.jpg, The Paradesi Synagogue is one of the very few active synagogues in Kerala File:Intl Police museum.jpg, International Tourism Police Museum at Mattancherry File:Traditional Mattancherry Sweets.jpg, Traditional Mattancherry Sweets Gujarathi File:Our Lady of Life's Church in Mattancherry..JPG, The church of Our Lady of Life in Mattancherry, the site of the historical Coonan Cross Oath.

References

External links

* {{Neighbourhoods of Kochi Neighbourhoods in Kochi