Palayur Mar Thoma Major Archiepiscopal Church, is located at
Palayur (historically known as Palur), in
Thrissur district in
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 ...
on the west coast of India. According to
Saint Thomas Christian
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala (Malabar region), ...
tradition, the Syrian church was established in 52 AD by
St Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. Saint Thomas performed the first baptism in India here, therefore this church is called an
Apostolic Church credited to the apostolate of
St. Thomas, who preached and also introduced Christianity to the people here. It is part of the
Ēḻarappaḷḷikaḷ (seven major churches) that he established in India, the others being at
Cranganore
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...
,
Kokkamangalam,
Kottakkavu,
Kollam,
Niranam
Niranam is a village in Tiruvalla, Kerala, India. It was a port in ancient Kerala, on the confluence of the Manimala and Pamba River. It is almost 7 km from Tiruvalla SCS Junction in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala, lies to the western p ...
, and
Chayal (Nilackal). The original small church structure has been retained at the original site. But substantial improvements around it were carried out during the 17th century by
Giacomo Fenicio as necessary, without sacrificing the main sanctity of the place.
History
Legend
![Palayur Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Palayur_Church.jpg)
According to Saint Thomas Christian tradition, Thomas traveled from
Muziris
Muziris ( grc, Μουζιρίς, Old Malayalam: ''Muciri'' or ''Muciripattanam'' possibly identical with the medieval ''Muyirikode'') was an ancient harbour and an urban centre on the Malabar Coast. Muziris found mention in the ''Periplus of ...
(
Kodungallur
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Th ...
) and landed at Palayur by boat through the
backwaters. At that time, Palayur was a stronghold of the
Brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
and also of
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He came to visit the Jewish merchants at Palayur at ''Judankunnu'' (meaning the hill of Jews) and to preach the Christian
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
. The place has since become a dry land but its historicity as a boat
jetty
A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying some ...
called locally 'Bottukulam' has been preserved as a monument to St. Thomas (see picture).
Of the seven churches traditionally said to have been established by Thomas, only three–Palayur in the
Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur,
Kottakkavu in the
, and
Niranam
Niranam is a village in Tiruvalla, Kerala, India. It was a port in ancient Kerala, on the confluence of the Manimala and Pamba River. It is almost 7 km from Tiruvalla SCS Junction in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala, lies to the western p ...
in the
Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Niranam–claim continuity, while the remaining four churches have undergone several changes in their locations.
![Palayoor boat jetty](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Palayoor_boat_jetty.jpg)
Historical legend records that when Thomas landed at Palayur, he witnessed the sight of Hindu Brahmins, after their ablutions in a local tank. They were offering prayers by chanting
mantras
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
(the Vedic tradition of India for spiritual transformation), hymns to god in the form of ''Argyam'' or ''Tharpanam'' (water held in the palms) to the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
god, a practice also said to be followed in
Harappan and
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
n cultures. Amused by the sight of water being thrown up by the Brahmins, from the palms of their hands, which was falling back, he challenged the Brahmins stating that the water they were offering was not being accepted by the Sun god as it was falling back into the tank. He made a deal with them stating that his God would accept the offer of water if he threw it up in the same way as they did: the water would not fall back. If he proved this then his God was superior and the Brahmins would have to embrace Christianity. He performed this miracle (summoned the
Holy Trinity, completed the sign of the
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
and threw water held in his palms up into the air, which remained still in the air at a height) and with this miracle he converted a number of Brahmins and Jews in Palayur to Christianity. Thereafter he baptised the converts in a nearby water tank, now known as "Thaliyakulam" which is referred to as The First Baptism Pond, "The Birthplace of Christianity in India". The Brahmins who did not convert to the faith gave the epithet of the 'Shapa Kadu' or "Cursed Place" to Palayur and migrated to
Vembanad
Vembanad is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Ve ...
to purify themselves.
Historical accounts on Palayur Church
* Account of East Syriac bishops
In 1504, Mar Yaballaha, Mar Denha, Mar Yaqob Abuna and Mar Thoma, the four East Syriac bishops consecrated for India by the Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Eliyah V, mentions the Christian community of Palur in a letter addressed to the Catholicos-Patriarch.
* Archdeacon Giwargis of Christ as Bishop of Palur
Archdeacon Giwargis of Christ was selected as the suffragan and coadjutor of Mar Abraham in the diocesan synod of Angamaly
Angamaly (''Aṅkamāli''), , Malayalam : അങ്കമാലി Situated about north of the city centre, the town lies at the intersection of Main Central Road (MC Road) and National Highway 544. MC Road, which starts from Thiruvanantha ...
.
Following this, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Mar Abdisho IV Maron, by a patriarchal decree dated 25 August 1566, appointed Giwargis of Christ as the Bishop of Palur and suffragan to Archbishop Mar Abraham of the Indian ecclesiastical province.[
In 1578 Mar Abraham wrote a letter to ]Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII ( la, Gregorius XIII; it, Gregorio XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for ...
, requesting papal confirmation for the appointment of his archdeacon as the bishop of Palur and as his successor. The letter is dated 2 January 1578.
By the letter dated 3 January 1579, Pope Gregory XIII confirmed Giwargis of Christ as the administrator of the Archdiocese of Angamaly, in case of vacancy through the death of the Metropolitan Mar Abraham. On 4 March 1580, the pope confirmed his appointment as the Bishop of Palur and coadjutor of the Archbishop of Angamaly, Mar Abraham.[
On 5 March 1580, the pope wrote a letter to the entire clergy and people of the Archdiocese of Angamaly, urging them to obey Metropolitan Mar Abraham and Giwargis of Christ, the bishop of Palur.][
*Renovation under Giacomo Fenicio
''Rerum Indicarum'' (volume III) by Pierre du Jarric gives part of a letter by James Fenicio, a Jesuit missionary in the ]Zamorin
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited b ...
's territory. This letter is the earliest European account of the Palur Church; as quoted above it has no date, but evidently belongs to the period between 1600 and 1607. The missionary had obtained permission to erect four churches in the Zamorin's territory:
From the Jesuit annual letter of 1607, Domenico Ferroli quotes a note from Fenicio:
This is one of the Seven churches traditionally assigned to the time when Saint Thomas preached in Malabar. The wooden structure must undoubtedly have been very old, and constructed no doubt of teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...
which grew all over the country even in comparatively recent times: at that early age the supply must have been very plentiful.[
*Dom Alexis de Menezes and the Synod of Diamper
Antonio de Gouvea, a Portuguese missionary and chronicler of Dom Alexis de Menezes, records in his book "''Jornada Dom Alexis de Menezes''" about the church of Palur and other churches present nearby in the Kingdom of Zamorin:
He explains how Menezes corresponded with them through letters to gain their support for his Synod of Diamper and latinisation programme. Gouvea also specifies that Palur church had a vicar and it was dedicated to St. Cyriac. He also states that Palur is the last of the Saint Thomas Christian communities in the North, in the kingdom of Zamorin. He further reports an incident in the Palur church when three of their leading men enacted a drama by playing the roles of Saint Thomas and ]Saint Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupat ...
, the Apostles, and Saint Cyriac, the patron saint of the church. Throughout the play, Saint Thomas and Saint Peter argue with each other as to whose law is superior and applies to all of them. The drama concluded with a message from Saint Cyriac, ruling that both the laws of Saint Peter and Saint Thomas are equal and thus the Saint Thomas Christians had no obligation whatsoever to Saint Peter, nor to his apostolic see in Rome, but to the apostolic see of Babylon, which was of Saint Thomas. Gouvea interprets this event as one induced by Devil and comments that their actions are 'iron-bound under the 'law of Saint Thomas'.
In 1602, Francis Roz, the Bishop of Cranganore and the first Latin prelate of Saint Thomas Christians, made a pastoral visit to the church of Palur.
In 1632, Saint Thomas Christians under the leadership of Archdeacon Givargis of the Cross met at Edapally Church on 25 December 1632 and drew a resolution against the Latin Jesuit Archbishop Stephen Britto. This document introduces them as ''Malankara Mar Thoma Nasranikal'' (Saint Thomas Christians of Malabar), and their geographical distribution is set between Kollam in south and Palur in north.
Joseph Maria Sebastiani, the Vicar Apostolic of Malabar
The Archdiocese of Verapoly (Verapolitana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church, composed of Latin Catholics of Malabar and headquartered at the city of Cochin, in the south Indian state of Kerala. Th ...
appointed by the Pope, on his first journey to Malabar in 1657, visits Palur church and meets the Vicar. He calls Palur, "''primo luogo della Christianita della Serra''" the primary place of Christianity in Malabar.
Palur Copper plates
Palur Copper Plates also known as ''Palayur Chempu Pattayam'' or ''Palayur Cheppēd'' is a set of four copper plates that were discovered from the Palayur Church. These have inscriptions in old Malayalam
Old Malayalam, inscriptional language found in Kerala from ''c.'' 9th to ''c.'' 13th century AD, is the earliest attested form of Malayalam. The language was employed in several official records and transactions (at the level of the Chera Peruma ...
and Tamil Vattezhuthu script, and gives accounts of several the monetary and land deals of the church. The four plates are dated from 1606 ('' Kumbham'' 781 Malayalam Era), 1677 (''Chingam
The Malayalam Calendar is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, the beginning of the Kollam Era.
There are many theories regarding the origin of the era, but according to recent schola ...
'' 852 M. E.), 1681 ('' Mithunam'' 856 M. E.) and 1743 (''Meenam
The Malayalam Calendar is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, the beginning of the Kollam Era.
There are many theories regarding the origin of the era, but according to recent schola ...
'', 918 M. E.) respectively. These plates were discovered in the 1920s by Henri Hosten, a Belgian Jesuit priest. The 4th plate, dated 1743, was the first to be deciphered and was published in the ''Travancore Archaeological Series'' in 1921. Following this, the second plate (dated 1677) and the third plate (dated 1681) were also published in the ''Travancore Archaeological Series'' in 1927 by A. S. Ramanatha Ayyar.
The plates provide details such as the names of the vicars of Palayur, namely ''Itty'' in 1606 and ''Chakko'' in 1677 and 1681. According to the first plate, the place name is ''Palur'' (in 1606) and in the second and third plates the place name evolves to ''Palaiyur'' (in 1677 and 1681) and finally in the fourth to ''Palayur'' (in 1743). The name of the patron saint of the church is mentioned ''as Maquriaka'' (in 1677) and ''Maquri'' (in 1681), both being Malayalam renderings of the Syriac name Mar Quriakose.[ These four plates are preserved at the Palayur Church Museum.
]
Structure
Following the migration of the Hindu Brahmins from Palayur, the Church was built incorporating the old Hindu temple, which was deserted. The church, as built, was thus a fusion of Hindu architectural style in respect of ornamentation with a Persian church plan. The roof of the church rises like a tower above the nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
. The approach or entrance is like a Hindu style mandapa–in Indian architecture a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.
Giacomo Fenicio, an Italian missionary, built the new church around the small old teak wood church, after getting due permission from the locals who were not only superstitious but also sentimental about retaining the old Church. However, after the church was fully completed and after the priest had delivered a proper sermon, the local people agreed to demolish the old wooden structure, which resulted in the Church looking elegant. The original altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
thought consecrated by Thomas is still retained. But during Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
's invasion of Kerala in the 18th century, the church was destroyed by fire. Thereafter it was re-built.[
]
Festival
An annual two-day festival held at the church bears a striking similarity to the Hindu festival held at Trichhur, a district town away from the church on the same days, with lot of fanfare of pageants, orchestrations, and pyrotechnics. During the Lenten
Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...
season, the popular festival celebrated is called the 'Palayur Mahatheerthadanam' or Great Pilgrimage, conducted under the auspices of the archdiocese, when thousands of devotees, without caste distinction, participate in the festival.
Visitor information
The Palayoor church is well connected by a road, rail and air services network. Palayoor is at a distance of from Thrissur
Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...
on the State Highway. It is on the Thrissur-Chavakad
Chavakkad, formerly Chowghat, is a municipality in Thrissur district of Kerala state in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city. Chavakkad is noted for its beach and fishing. It lies on National Highway 66 is located about north of the ...
route, via Pavaratty
Pavaratty is a census town in Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Pavaratty is situated in the coastal area of Chavakkad taluk in Thrissur District. The town is about 23 km north-west of Thrissur town and 5 km south of Gu ...
. By train, it is on the Thrissur
Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...
-Guruvayur
Guruvayur () is a municipal temple town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city, located from Thrissur towards the north-west. It houses the Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple. It is located at ...
broad gauge line, at a distance of . From Guruvayur
Guruvayur () is a municipal temple town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city, located from Thrissur towards the north-west. It houses the Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple. It is located at ...
, the Hindu temple town, the church is by road. Nedumbasserry International Airport is only from Palayoor.
Important places to visit near the church precincts are: the Boat Jetty (Bottukulam) where St Thomas landed at Palayoor; the Thaliyakulam, the pond where St Thomas baptized the local people; the replica of Chinna Malai (small hill of Mylapore
Mylapore, also spelt Mayilapur, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Tirumayilai. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the cel ...
-Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
) where St. Thomas attained martyrdom in 72 AD; 14 scenes from the life of St Thomas sculpted in granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
; the Jubilee Door in front of the entrance of the main hall of the church (depicts various important Biblical events, carved in Burmese teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...
); and the historical museum where many objects of archaeological, historical and artistic value are displayed (includes the vessels and articles used by St. Thomas during his stay here).[
]
Bibliography
;Notes
;References
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External links
Article on Palayur Church by George Menachery
Palayoor church website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Thomas Church (Palayur)
Archdiocese of Thrissur
Catholic pilgrimage sites
Churches in Thrissur district
Syro-Malabar Catholic church buildings
Tourist attractions in Thrissur district
Eastern Catholic churches in Kerala
Ēḻarappaḷḷikaḷ