Jewish Synagogue will be closed to visitors and tourists during Passover.

The Jewish Synagogue , one of the most important tourist attractions in Cochin will be closed to visitors & tourists from Friday the 6th of April 2012 to Saturday the 14th of April 2012 due to the Jewish festival of Passover.

Inside Jewish Synagogue

This Jewish Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth and was built in the year 1568 by Cochin Jewish community. This Synagogue has the scrolls of the Old Testament , several gold crowns received as gifts and many Belgian glass chandeliers. The copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the Kochi rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles are well preserved in the synagogue and are of interests to the tourists. This synagogue is also known as Mattancherry Synagogue.

During the war of 1662 the synagogue was partially destroyed but was rebuilt by the Dutch soon. A clock tower was also added between 1998 and 1999. The synagogue stays open from 10 am to 12 noon and from 3.00 pm to 5 pm on all days except on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

What Is Passover?

Pass over is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Pass over, an eight day festival is celebrated  from the 15th through the 22nd of the month of Nisam in the Jewish calendar. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God saw the distress of Israel people and given numerous warning to  Pharaoh , the King to release the Israelite slaves. Pharaoh refused to listen to his command and then God sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops. The tenth and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this,the Lord “passed over” these homes, hence the name of the holiday.

In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten and thus it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread", which is a symbol of the holiday.

The first two days and last two days are full-fledged holidays. Holiday candles are lit at night, and kiddush and delicious  holiday meals are enjoyed and  do not go to work.The middle four days are called chol hamoed, semi-festival days, during which work is permitted.

Kerala Travel Mart 2012

The seventh edition of the Kerala Travel Mart, KTM 2012, will be held at Le Meridien International Convention Centre, Cochin, from 27th to30th September, 2012 announced by Mr. K.P Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.

KTM launched in 2000, is the only tourism event in the sub-continent that brings together the business organizations and entrepreneurs behind travel and  tourism products and services in Kerala. It is organized in partnership with Kerala Government. It is today the largest gathering designed, to facilitate meetings involving Buyers, Sellers , Media, Govt. Agencies and others. It gives the participant a first-hand experience of the destination, attractions and the USP of the destinations.

After 12 successful KTM’s we expect around 500 international Buyers from almost 50 countries and more than 1000 domestic buyers from India to participate in this edition.” Said Mr. Anilkumar on inaugural ceremony.

At KTM 2012, there will be 125 Tables, 290 modules and 12 Houseboat parking bays. Membership is open to any tourism service provider, in Kerala, which is approved by the Managing Committee. The Buyers registration has commenced, where as the Sellers registration will begin in May 2012.

Your Moment is Waiting- Kerala Tourism Bags Silver Prize at ITB Berlin

Kerala Tourism bagged a silver prize at the prestigious Golden Gate Award at ITB Berlin travel show.

Kerala Tourism's ‘Your Moment is Waiting' won the Silver Prize in the Print Campaign Category at the Das Golden Stadttor (Golden Gate) Awards that honour the best creative of the global tourism industry every year.  The gold in the category went to Malaysia. A true testimony that Kerala Tourism is now in the World Map..

Tourism Director Rani George who is heading the delegation to the festival received the award.. The print campaign was conceptualised and created by Stark Communications Pvt Ltd, the creative partner of the Kerala Tourism.   

Click Here to view the video 

 

Impact of Mullaperiyar issue on Kerala Tourism

The Mullaperiyar controversy has badly affected the peak tourism season of Kerala, with the Thekkady-Munnar circuit almost completely erased from the itinerary of travellers and the rest of the tourist hotspots also feeling the pinch slowly.

The cancellations in hotels and resorts in the Thekkady belt are increasing with each passing day, and the Kumily town remains one of the worst hit owing to the stand-off on the Mullaperiyar issue.  The violence erupted over the Mullaperiyar issue in border areas after the onset of the current peak tourism season has sent an unwelcome message to the tourists, both domestic and foreign. “We don’t actually know what could be done now and how to retrieve the losing season, amid the volatile situation. Now the Mullaperiyar issue has affected Kerala’s tourism sector in an unimaginable proportion. It may affect the IT and other sectors of  the state as well,” said Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar.

Thekkady and Kumily areas, which should have been a beehive of tourists, remain deserted compared to the past season. Prohibitory orders have been issued and the border has been sealed. The best indicator is the scenario at the KTDCs Lake Palace, situated in the middle of the Mullaperiyar lake. Lot of cancellations are taking place that too , including a group which had paid `2.5 lakh as advance for bookings for four days in January.

The business has dipped by at least 90 per cent after trouble broke out. Hundreds of bookings have been cancelled, however, the Kovalam-Alappuzha-Kochi-Kumarakom circuit is not affected in  a big way, officials said.