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Candles of tradition
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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 comes 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 it upon themselves to keep the spirits of the Jewish tradition alive.
And so, as the sun dipped, a group of people led by Chaim Weissmann, a Jewish friend of the Raj family, began the celebration with thankfulness for the ‘blessings.’
“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.
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.
It appears to be an open celebration at Koder House. I 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.
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, highlighting the cuisine that was once churned out from the Koder’s kitchens. Pulip salad (boiled potatoes and mint marinated in coconut milk and seasonings), Marak Oaf, chicken braised broth with vegetables and meatballs, Fish Sadambar (fish in coconut and mustard gravy) Plave (rice cooked in coconut milk) … The celebration is on till December 12.
TANYA ABRAHAM
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Bangalore
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