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Candles of tradition burn bright
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The traditional Jewish festival, Hanukkah, is brought alive at boutique hotel, Koder House, till December 12
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FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Celebrating Hanukkah with traditional rituals, songs and cuisine
Years after the Koders, who lived in Fort Kochi, celebrated Hanukkah or the Jewish festival of lights, the narrow Tower Road seems alive with celebration again. Although the Koders no longer live in the red house that dominates the skyline, the light
s therein have never dimmed. Now run as a boutique hotel, the owners Vicky Raj and their family have taken upon themselves to keep the spirits of the Jewish tradition alive. Candles burn bright and festivity inundates the building, as Vicky puts it, “We hope to carry on the tradition for years to come.”
And so, as the sun dipped itself into the shimmering Arabian Sea that flows close by, a group of people led by Chaim Weissmann, a Jewish friend of the Raj family began the celebration at seven in the evening with thankfulness for the ‘blessings’ pertaining to the festival. “Three blessings in particular, one for lighting the first of the eight candles, the second for the miracle of the festival and lastly for the whole of the past year since the candle was last lit,” explains Weissman.
Each of the stages and steps of the ceremony dates back to almost 2,000 years, when the Jews revolted against their Greek oppressors to uphold the Jewish religion.
Menorah
It goes that the temple was re-dedicated after the revolt, there was just enough oil to burn for a day in the temple Menorah (a U-shaped stand that bears candles significant to Jewish tradition). The candles burnt for eight days until new oil was sanctified, the oil miraculously holding forth and thus began the tradition of celebrating the event and the permanence of the Jewish religion.
As Jews are an integral part of Kochi’s diverse community, the tradition although continued by the few who remain at Jew Town, it appears to be an open celebration at Koder House. Inviting everyone to take part in the festivity, a small round table dressed in white bore the Hanukkah Menorah with eight candle holders (otherwise a menorah would have only seven, an extra one for lighting the other candles) stood at the centre of the room was surrounded by visitors. The event that began with the blessings was followed by lighting the first of the eight candles. This was followed by singing the tradition Hanukkah song that recalls the miracle that happened years ago.
Cuisine
And then an elaborate meal, this time highlighting the cuisine that was once churned out from the Koder’s kitchens. A hearty meal of special dishes for the occasion: Pulip salad of boiled potatoes and mint marinated in coconut milk and seasonings, Marak Oaf, chicken braised broth with vegetables and meatballs, Fish Sadambar that is fish in coconut and mustard gravy, Plave, a rice cooked in coconut milk, to name a few. The meal appears as important as the rest of the tradition, where people continue to celebrate in the varied flavours of the festivity of yesteryears, now continued at the Koder House.
The celebration is on till December 12.
TANYA ABRAHAM
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