Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Church is a

Syro-Malabar lat, Ecclesia Syrorum-Malabarensium mal, മലബാറിലെ സുറിയാനി സഭ , native_name_lang=, image = St. Thomas' Cross (Chennai, St. Thomas Mount).jpg , caption = The Mar Thoma Nasrani Sl ...

church located in

North Paravur North Paravur. formerly known as Paravur or Parur, is a municipality and suburb in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a northern suburb of the city of Kochi and is situated around 20 km from the city centre. It is ...

. 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 church was established in 52 AD by St. Thomas (Mar Thoma shleeha), 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 relig ...

. It is one of the first churches in India and is called an Apostolic Church credited to the Apostolate of St. Thomas who preached and also started conversion of people to

Syriac Christianity Syriac Christianity ( syr, ܡܫܝܚܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ / ''Mšiḥoyuṯo Suryoyto'' or ''Mšiḥāyūṯā Suryāytā'') is a distinctive branch of Eastern Christianity, whose formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are ex ...

here. It is one of the '' Ezharappallikal'' (seven Royal churches) that he established in India; the other six churches were established at

Kodungalloor 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 ...

Kokkamangalam Kokkamangalam also known as Gokkamangalam is a village in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, south India. It is situated in between Cochin and Kumarakom and on the western shore of Vembanad Lake, 5 km east of the town of Cherthala, which ...

Palayoor Palayūr, also called Palayoor and historically as Palur, is a town near Chavakkad, Thrissur district, India. It is famous for its ancient church, Palayur Mar Thoma Church, which is believed to be one of the seven major churches founded by S ...

Kollam Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city ...

, Niranam, and

Nilackal Nilakkal St.Thomas Ecumenical Church is one of the earliest Christian church in Kerala, India. This church is one among the '' Ezharappallikal'' (seven and a half churches) believed to be established in 54 AD by St. Thomas, one of the twelve ap ...

History

Mar Sabor and Mar Proth

Mar Sabor and Mar Proth came from

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 ...

to Malankara in the 9th century. They built and presided over a number of churches in Malankara operating in accordance with

Saint Thomas Christians 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) ...

. The second church of Kottakkavu was rebuilt at this time. After their death they were remembered as saints and their name was given to this church. Kottakkavu Sliva, a Persian cross engraved on granite stone by Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, is preserved in the chapel in front of the church. MS Vatican Syriac N. iv., dated A.D. 1556, and has the following colophon in folio 278:

"By the help of our Lord we have finished this book of the Prophets; it was written on a Monday, the 18th of February, in the year 1556 of the birth of our Lord. I, priest Jacob, the disciple of Mar Jacob, and from the village of Puraur, have written this book in the holy Church of Mar Shapur and Mar Iapot iruz May the holy name of God be praised for ever. Amen!"

Old church

The existing old church, the third church, was built in 1308. The ruined old church is again reconstructed in the 21st century.

Gallery

File:Kottakkavu Sliva founded by Mar Sabor and Mar Proth.jpg, Kottakkavu Slīva, a Persian cross founded by Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, is preserved at Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Center File:Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Church (Old) founded by St. Thomas.jpg, Kottakkavu Old Church File:Cemetry of Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Church founded by St. Thomas.jpg, Cemetery of Kottakkavu Syro-Malabar Church File:Tomb inside Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Church.jpg, Tomb of Francis Roz, Metropolitan of Kodungalloor Archeparchy, inside Kottakkavu Old Church File:Kottakkavu Pond where St. Thomas baptized Jews.jpg, Kottakkavu Pond where St. Thomas baptized Jews

References

Bibliography

* {{Churches of Kerala Syro-Malabar Catholic church buildings Churches in Ernakulam district North Paravur Eastern Catholic churches in Kerala Ēḻarappaḷḷikaḷ