The hillocks at
Kottayil Kovilakam are unique as the site of a
Hindu temple, a
Syrian Christian church, a
mosque and a restored
Jewish
synagogue, all within 1 km of each other. The
synagogue was built in 1614 AD and is in a peaceful wooded area. In the courtyard behind the synagogue, it is possible to find old
Jewish
graves, including one of a Jewish woman, dated 1264 AD. The Jews arrived in Chendamangalam after the destruction of the second temple and the final desolation of
Jerusalem in (AD 69) and founded a colony. They moved to
Fort Kochi in 1341 AD after the Great flood. All the 8
synagogues in Kerala built during the recent centuries — located at Chendamangalam, Paravoor,
Mala,
Kochi and
Ernakulam — have similar traditional
architectural features: • a central
bimah of brass or
silver metal on a
concrete or stone base • an ark on the western wall • a balcony above the eastern entry to the sanctuary that is used by the reader on certain holidays. • a
women's gallery behind the balcony, with a stairway leading up to it, usually from outside the building. Also here are remains of the Vypeenakotta Seminary built for Syrians in the 16th century by the
Portuguese. Adjacent to the
seminary is an old Syrian Catholic Church built in 1201. It is also the site of the first
printing press in
India. Chendamangalam was part of Kanayanur taluk, of the erstwhile Cochin State. The panchayat was formed in 1914. Bordered by rivers on the north, east and south, it is a meeting place of cultural diversity. Jews, Christians, Muslims and several of the distinct Hindu castes lived here harmoniously. The presence of immigrant communities like Konkinis (Gowda Saraswatha Brahmins) Moopans (Kudumbis) and the craftsmen categories viz. Kallasari (masons), Marassari (carpenters), Moosari (moulders), Kollan (blacksmiths), Thattan (goldsmiths), Chalian (weavers), and Kusavan (potters) to this day reminds of past industrial and business importance. The Jewish community migrated to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. Their synagogue is presently maintained by the archaeology department. There is also an abandoned Jewish cemetery behind the mosque, about 400 m from the synagogue, which has not been restored yet.{{cite web Mar Sleeva Church was established in 1075. The special fortified construction of the old block of the church is believed to have been constructed at the time of Tippu Sultan's invasion of Malabar.
Paliyam Satyagraha resulted in the temple entry proclamation in Cochin State. Mattachanda (Barter Market), an annual fair conducted every year on the eve of Vishu, is reminiscent of past history when people came from near and far to buy their domestic needs such as food ingredients, condiments, cutlery, pottery and furniture in exchange for their agricultural produce or hand made products, even though now all transactions are in cash. The Paliam kovilakam of the
Paliath Achan's, the hereditary Prime ministers and Raja under the
Maharaja of Cochin lies here. ==Places of Worship==