St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Piravom, also known as

Piravom Piravom is a municipality in Ernakulam district and a suburb of Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located with in 31 km southeast of Kochi city center, at the boundary of the Ernakulam and Kottayam districts. Piravom is famous for ...

Valiyapally Valiyapally (Malayalam: വലിയ പള്ളി, "Principal church") is a title given to a main church in a diocese of the Christian denominations Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Jacobite Syrian Christian Church. For a church to be de ...

, is a prominent church that belongs to 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 ...

. The church stands on a hilltop on the eastern bank of the Muvattupuzha river at

, 35 km. east of Kochi. The church was built by the ancient Syrian Christians in the name of Holy Mary. It is a pilgrimage center for Syrian Christians in Kerala. The church stands on a hilltop on the eastern bank of the Muvattupuzha river at

, 35 km. east of Kochi.

Important festivals

Denaha (Annual celebration of the holy Baptism of Christ) on

January 6 Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eve ...

is the main celebration in the church. The best attraction of the festival is the procession. The 'Paithel Nercha' (the feast for 12 male children) on the

Easter Day Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel P ...

at the Piravom church is one of the major offerings dedicated to the church. The main part of the offering is 12 infants who will sit with the priest who sanctifies the offering, and they will be offered food. The Festival of St. George on

May 7 Events Pre-1600 * 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. * 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...

and St. Mary on

August 15 Events Pre-1600 * 636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins. * 717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Constant ...

are other main festivals.

2019 conflict between Jacobite and Orthodox

A disagreement between the

Jacobite Syrian Christian Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...

and the

over who has custody over the Piravom Valiyapally since the two denominations split apart in 1912. On 3 July 2017, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the church was the property of the latter. On 24 September 2019, a standoff over who controls the church developed between members of the two churches. Over 700 police personnel were deployed to keep the calm. The situation came to a head on 25 September when the MOSC members with help of police blocked the Jacobite faithful from entering the church on a court order. Majority church members are Jacobite faithfuls. The main reason for this church to come under feud is because this church consists of properties built by the Jacobite community, but the church was taken from the Jacobite faithful under immense police presence and dozens of Jacobite faithfuls were arrested. The two day standoff came to an end on 26 September when Kerala police forcibly evicted the Jacobite faithful occupying the church. On 28 September the Indian Orthodox members took over the church, although Jacobites continued to protest outside, and plan to build a church close by.

References

External links

{{Churches of Kerala Churches in Ernakulam district Cathedrals in Kerala 6th-century churches