Kallooppara St. Marys Orthodox Church
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Orthodox Church is situated at the heart of a small village called Kallooppara
, Pathanamthitta District
, Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest and renowned churches in Kerala and a priced possession of Malankara Church
. The church have a legacy of around seven centuries, keeping its tradition and culture intact without compromising on its religious values.
The church is a perfect example of the ancient temple
architecture and is an elegant representation of the beautiful shingled roof tops in the early Travancore
style. The church has a splendid blend of beauty and science in it and is a mystery the way it has overcome all the challenges of time. The church which is the worshiping place of thousands has been a topic of research for many.
The church has been declared as the "Pilgrim center of St. Mary" on January 9, 2009 by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didimos I.
had to depend on the Niranam Church for the holy mass
, funeral ceremonies and other religious rites. The journey on Vallom(small boat) through the Manimala
and Pampa
rivers was tedious, tiresome and risky.
The much renowned Edappally Kings were ruling at that time and they used to spend their time in the famous and explicably beautiful Elangalloor Maddom, rich in its architectural antiquity, that once existed on the north side of the river Manimala. A abode for the royal guests that was once well-equipped with a private pool called the 'Kullipura Mallika' equipped with granite rock paved steps carved with excellent craftsmanship to the Manimala river, can still be seen now in Angadikadavu of Puramattam panchayat.
It is said that once while the ruling king of Edappally was having his rest in the Elangalloor Maddom, he happened to see a few number of people coming on a vallam singing melodious hymns accompanied by prayers. The king immediately came down to the river bank to observe the sight more closely and found it to be a burial procession, with the body on the floating hearse covered with a white cloth. The procession that started from Manimala was going to Niranam Church for the funeral of the dead, since in those days Niranam Church was the only Christian church in central Travancore
.
This event moved the Kings heart and having realized the hardship of the Christian subjects, he virtually pointed a plot on the other side of the river, and gave sanction to bury the body and built a church there.
But sadly there are no clear evidence for the origin and age of the church. It is said that the founding stone was consecrated on Malayalam month 3rd Karkadakam. The stone day of the church is being celebrated on that day. It is commonly believed that the founding stone of the present church was laid on Malayalam month Karkadakam 3rd of 515 (A.D.1339).
Even though there are no clear evidence of the origin of the church but it is believed that the church had the same age as the origin of Edappally dynasty. The study of the archaeology department reveals that church was constructed in the 2nd millennium. The sculpture and figure carved in wood also indicates the church's age. Some letters carved on the slab of holy place of the church also traces back to the origin of the church. Though the letters have faded out, they are believed to be of the earlier century.
Kallooppara
Kallooppara is the land with the most divine touch of tranquility and peace. The swaying of the majestic and tall coconut groves in soul-relishing breeze is a sight that can make anyone think of 'Kingdom Come'...
, Pathanamthitta District
Pathanamthitta district
Pathanamthitta district is the youngest district located in the southern part of the state of Kerala, India. The district headquarters is in Pathanamthitta town. The district is surrounded by Kottayam, Idukki, Alappuzha and Kollam districts. It has a border with the state of Tamil Nadu in the east...
, Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest and renowned churches in Kerala and a priced possession of Malankara Church
Malankara Church
The Malankara Church is the church of the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala, India, with particular emphasis on the part of the community that joined Archdeacon Mar Thoma in swearing to resist the authority of the Portuguese Padroado in 1653...
. The church have a legacy of around seven centuries, keeping its tradition and culture intact without compromising on its religious values.
The church is a perfect example of the ancient temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
architecture and is an elegant representation of the beautiful shingled roof tops in the early Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
style. The church has a splendid blend of beauty and science in it and is a mystery the way it has overcome all the challenges of time. The church which is the worshiping place of thousands has been a topic of research for many.
The church has been declared as the "Pilgrim center of St. Mary" on January 9, 2009 by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didimos I.
History
In the earlier days the Christian believers of KalloopparaKallooppara
Kallooppara is the land with the most divine touch of tranquility and peace. The swaying of the majestic and tall coconut groves in soul-relishing breeze is a sight that can make anyone think of 'Kingdom Come'...
had to depend on the Niranam Church for the holy mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
, funeral ceremonies and other religious rites. The journey on Vallom(small boat) through the Manimala
Manimala
Manimala is an area in the Kottayam district of Kerala in India. The population is about 10,000, of whom the majority are farmers whose main income comes from rubber plantations. The people are from several religions and castes. Manimala and nearby areas are thickly populated by Syrian Catholics...
and Pampa
Pampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...
rivers was tedious, tiresome and risky.
The much renowned Edappally Kings were ruling at that time and they used to spend their time in the famous and explicably beautiful Elangalloor Maddom, rich in its architectural antiquity, that once existed on the north side of the river Manimala. A abode for the royal guests that was once well-equipped with a private pool called the 'Kullipura Mallika' equipped with granite rock paved steps carved with excellent craftsmanship to the Manimala river, can still be seen now in Angadikadavu of Puramattam panchayat.
It is said that once while the ruling king of Edappally was having his rest in the Elangalloor Maddom, he happened to see a few number of people coming on a vallam singing melodious hymns accompanied by prayers. The king immediately came down to the river bank to observe the sight more closely and found it to be a burial procession, with the body on the floating hearse covered with a white cloth. The procession that started from Manimala was going to Niranam Church for the funeral of the dead, since in those days Niranam Church was the only Christian church in central Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
.
This event moved the Kings heart and having realized the hardship of the Christian subjects, he virtually pointed a plot on the other side of the river, and gave sanction to bury the body and built a church there.
But sadly there are no clear evidence for the origin and age of the church. It is said that the founding stone was consecrated on Malayalam month 3rd Karkadakam. The stone day of the church is being celebrated on that day. It is commonly believed that the founding stone of the present church was laid on Malayalam month Karkadakam 3rd of 515 (A.D.1339).
Even though there are no clear evidence of the origin of the church but it is believed that the church had the same age as the origin of Edappally dynasty. The study of the archaeology department reveals that church was constructed in the 2nd millennium. The sculpture and figure carved in wood also indicates the church's age. Some letters carved on the slab of holy place of the church also traces back to the origin of the church. Though the letters have faded out, they are believed to be of the earlier century.