A Jewish Heritage Tour of India

15 days from £9,370 for 2024 per person

• Mumbai
• Delhi
• Calcutta
• Cochin

Journey through India’s Jewish past and present on this special tour of her Jewish heritage hubs – Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Cochin. These vibrant cities are home to living synagogues and a handful of Jewish Indian communities who you will meet with. Guided by our top Jewish-expert guides, you’ll see the most fascinating religious and cultural sites at intervals of travel that are in accordance with the Jewish faith.

Start in Mumbai, an exhilarating city with enormous religious diversity. Visit a Jewish synagogue, a beautiful restored Cathedral and a Muslim mausoleum in which the Koran is written on the walls in gold and gemstones. The Jewish community in Mumbai comprises 4,000 Bene Israel Jews who trace their origins in Mumbai to a shipwreck off the Maharashtra coast in 175 BC and a few hundred Baghdadi Jews from Iraq. A local historian will lead your tour of the Kenesethe Eliyahoo Synagogue, Magen David Synagogue and the Shaar-ha-Rahamim Synagogue. Next head to Delhi where you will take in the capital’s finest sites – including New Delhi’s colonial-era landmarks and Old Delhi's hustling and bustling markets – as well as the Judah Hyam Synagogue. 

In Calcutta explore a holy trail of religious sites around Brabourne Road – once home to Calcutta’s many immigrants including the Chinese, Armenians, and Jews & Muslims from the Middle East – with a number of different religious structures coexisting in close proximity. Calcutta has an estimated 25 Jews remaining in this city of 14 million people. Highlights here include the Magen David Synagogue and the Belur Math Shrine, which resembles a church, a temple, or a mosque depending on where you are standing.

End in the enchanting and laid-back port city of Cochin. Although there are only about 17 Cochin Jews left, Kerala’s Jewish history goes back to the time of King Solomon in 10^th Century BC and there are strong remnants in the architecture and atmosphere. Jew Town is a twisting lane heaving with clothes shops and spice stalls; its treasured centrepiece is the little Paradesi Synagogue known for its hand-painted tiles and quaint Belgian glass chandeliers. Around Cochin, we will arrange for you to visit the Murziris Heritage Project’s restoration work on a number of rundown Jewish houses and three of the oldest synagogues in Kerala: the Kadavumbagam synagogue in Mattancherry, the Tekkumbagam synagogue in Ernakulam and the Pattanam synagogue. You can also view their fascinating excavation sites which are unearthing a variety of clothes, coins and agricultural tools dating back to the time of Roman traders.

For more information, or to start planning your luxury holiday to India, please get in touch with us. Or if you'd like to see similar tours, take a look at our other Active Holidays, Family Holiday and Epic Journey itineraries.

I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
Bill Bryson