St. Thomas Dayara is a monastery of the

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. The church serve ...

situated in Vettikkal, about five kilometres from

Mulanthuruthy Mulanthuruthy, also spelt Mulamthuruthy, is a south-eastern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The historic Marthoman church is located here. Chottanikkara Temple is situated nearby Mulanthuruthy. Location It is about 15 km so ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

History

In the year 1125, on the first Sunday after Easter, a cross brought from St. Thomas Church, Mulanthuruthy was erected at Vettikkal,About the Dayara
/ref> which was the then border point between the Royal Provinces of Kochi and Travancore, in the name of India's Apostle and our Guardian Saint Blessed St. Thomas. This ancient Holy Cross is still retained on the east side wall of the Dayara building. In the year 1200 it was declared a Chapel. Kattumangattu Junior Bava Geevarghese Coorilose (second Bishop of Thozhiyoor Church) who died in 1809, is buried in this Dayara. He is considered a saint by the local faithful, who celebrate his feast on 28 and 29 May. Thousands of people irrespective of religious affiliations attend this every year and receive blessings. In 1877,

Parumala Thirumeni Saint Geevarghese Mor Gregorios, popularly known as Parumala Thirumeni (Bishop of Parumala), (15 June 1848 – 2 November 1902) was a Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. Parumala Thirumeni became the first person of Indian origin to be cano ...

and the Malankara Metropolitan, after 40 days of meditation and fasting, consecrated the renovated Dayara and the Holy Madbaha. Soon after the consecration ceremony, the 'first Holy Synod of Malankara Church' was conducted in the Dayara. The Malankara Church was demarcated into seven dioceses in this Synod with Bishops being assigned to each Diocese. In 1976, Metropolitan Joseph Pakkomios renovated the Dayara. On 10 December 1976, in the centenary year of Parumala Thirumeni's ordination as Metropolitan, the holy relics of

were transferred and interred here. In 1977, on 10 December, a Chapel in the upper floor of the Dayara was consecrated by Baselious Marthoma Mathews I, the Catholicose.

Pictures

File:Vettikkal Dayara01.jpg, Vilakku File:Vettikkal Dayara02.jpg, Chapel File:Vettikkal Dayara03.jpg, Tombs File:Vettickal Dayara.jpg, Vettickal dayara

References

External links

Official Website

Malankara Sabha History

Website of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
{{Churches of Kerala Malankara Orthodox Syrian church buildings

Churches in Ernakulam District Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...