Photographs: March, 2017Location of the churches, open-air granite crosses and boundary pillars, Angamaly.
INTRODUCTION
In Angamaly, there are three churches within a kilometre from each other. What makes them special is that they are all from the pre-Diamper period [i.e. before 1599]. The churches from west to east are:
1) St. George Basilica (Valiyapally or Padinjarepally), Syro-Malabar
2) St. Mary's Soonoro Cathedral (Cheriapally), Jacobite
3) St. Hormis Church (Kizhakkepally), Syro-Malabar
In front of all these churches are ‘Open Air Granite Crosses’ [OAGC]. In the following few posts, I will discuss briefly about each of them. The exact dates when these crosses were erected is difficult to estimate as there are no specific supporting documents or inscriptions available. However, the date of the establishment of the churches are relatively well documented.
PRE-DIAMPER CHURCHES OF ANGAMALY & THEIR FOUNDATION DATES
The earliest documented reference to a church in Angamaly appears in a letter written by Portuguese Jesuit Bishop, Melchior Carneiro in 1557. He mentions about a church [Iglesia] and a main chapel [Capilla Mayor] in Angamaly, the latter was held with great veneration that no laymen were allowed inside [DI, Vol. III, p. 800]. He further elaborates that Christians in Angamaly maintain a “Universidade” [University/Seminary/Malpanate], served by a “Caçanar” [Cathanar/Priest/Malpan] whom they rely heavily due to his advanced age and erudition; for some fifty years, he has been expounding the Scriptures there and has gathered many disciples from all corners of the Malabar region [SRD, Vol. 8, p. 498]. However, about four decades later in 1599, while the Goan Archbishop Alexis Menezes was visiting Kerala, there were already ‘three big churches at Angamalle’ ["Tem Angamale tres Igrejas grandes"] records Gouvea in ‘Jornada’ [1606, f. 87v and Malekandathil, 2003, p. 350].
According to the Catholic historians, St. George is the oldest church in Angamaly. However, the first written record assigning a specific date of establishment for the church is from the early 20th century only. The Vaidikapanachankam of 1902 has the date 450 AD as the year of foundation for St. George church [Rakshaniyam 1902, p. 37-cited by Malekandathil, 2016]. Reasons unknown, the date was changed to 409 AD in the Vaidikapanachankam of 1924 and thereafter it has remained the same [Rakshaniyam 1924, p. 2]. On the other hand, the Jacobites consider their church [St. Mary] to be the oldest and dates it to 409 AD as well [Varghese, 1991]. Unfortunately, we have no primary source materials or other evidence available to validate how such early dates are arrived by both factions. In the case of the St. Mary's Jacobite church, multiple 16th century documents [letters dated 1577-1580] attest its origin. The church dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Assumption' was founded and administered by Archdeacon Giwarghis/Geevarghese (George) of the Christ (d. 1584/85 or 1591) with his own money and parental help [DI, Vol. X, pp. 853-854, 953; DI, Vol. XI, pp. 810, 833]. The earliest reference is perhaps the letter dated 2nd January, 1576 written by the Raja of Cochin, Keshava Rama Varma to Pope Gregory XIII, where he mentions about the Archdeacon George's request for granting plenary indulgences for his church [Giamil, 1902, p. 76]. In the letter he mentions that the church was recently built in honour of the Assumption in the month of August, which could be 15th August 1575, the feast day of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary. George of the Christ was appointed as the Archdeacon by Chaldean Bishop Mar Joseph in 1562; and Bishop of Palayur and Suffragan Bishop of Angamali in 1566 by Patriarch Abd Ishu [DI, Vol. VII, pp. 703-705; for more details, see Malekandathil, 2016, pp. 138-139]. Therefore, it is safe to assume that St. Mary's church was established somewhere in the mid-1570s. The feast of the assumption of Virgin Mary was celebrated in this church [Iglesia de N. Señora de la Assumption or Church of Our Lady of Assumption] in 1577 and 1578 with great solemnity [DI, Vol. XI, pp. 287-288, 810; DI, Vol. X, p. 953]. The Church was beautifully decorated with branches and the altar elegantly adorned during the Feast of Assumption says Jesuit missionary Fr. Francisco Dionisio in the Annual Letter of 1577 [DI, Vol. X, p. 953].
The third church at the eastern end (St. Hormis or Kizhakkepally) was the Cathedral Church or Seat of the Metropolitan Mar Abraham, the last Persian Bishop of St Thomas Christians. Mar Abraham passed away in 1597 and was buried in St. Hormis church. His lost tomb was rediscovered in 18 September, 2015 during the renovation work carried out inside the the main altar of the church. Based on a Jesuit letter dated 10 January, 1580 [DI, Vol. XI, p. 798], the foundation date of Mar Abraham’s new church [St. Hormis/Kizhakkepally] is often taken as 15th August 1577, but the same letter is interpreted differently by others to arrive at a later date of 15th August, 1579 [Payyapilly, 2016, pp. 49-50]. In another letter from November, 1578, we see Mar Abraham requesting Pope Gregory XIII to grant plenary indulgences for his upcoming yet incomplete new church [DI, Vol. XI, p. 382]. In the Vaidikapanchankam of 1909, the foundation date of St Hormis church is given as 1571 [Rakshaniyam 1909, p. 12], but a few decades afterwards it was changed to 1585 [see Vaidikapanchankam, 1951, p. 37]. The completion and consecration of St. Hormis church most probably has taken place before the Synod of Angamaly was held in 1583. The church was originally dedicated to a 7th century Nestorian East Syric Saint, St. Hormusio, but was changed to a 5th century Persian Catholic martyr, St. Hormisidas by the Archbishop Alexis Menezes in 1599.
In Angamaly, there are three churches within a kilometre from each other. What makes them special is that they are all from the pre-Diamper period [i.e. before 1599]. The churches from west to east are:
1) St. George Basilica (Valiyapally or Padinjarepally), Syro-Malabar
2) St. Mary's Soonoro Cathedral (Cheriapally), Jacobite
3) St. Hormis Church (Kizhakkepally), Syro-Malabar
In front of all these churches are ‘Open Air Granite Crosses’ [OAGC]. In the following few posts, I will discuss briefly about each of them. The exact dates when these crosses were erected is difficult to estimate as there are no specific supporting documents or inscriptions available. However, the date of the establishment of the churches are relatively well documented.
PRE-DIAMPER CHURCHES OF ANGAMALY & THEIR FOUNDATION DATES
The earliest documented reference to a church in Angamaly appears in a letter written by Portuguese Jesuit Bishop, Melchior Carneiro in 1557. He mentions about a church [Iglesia] and a main chapel [Capilla Mayor] in Angamaly, the latter was held with great veneration that no laymen were allowed inside [DI, Vol. III, p. 800]. He further elaborates that Christians in Angamaly maintain a “Universidade” [University/Seminary/Malpanate], served by a “Caçanar” [Cathanar/Priest/Malpan] whom they rely heavily due to his advanced age and erudition; for some fifty years, he has been expounding the Scriptures there and has gathered many disciples from all corners of the Malabar region [SRD, Vol. 8, p. 498]. However, about four decades later in 1599, while the Goan Archbishop Alexis Menezes was visiting Kerala, there were already ‘three big churches at Angamalle’ ["Tem Angamale tres Igrejas grandes"] records Gouvea in ‘Jornada’ [1606, f. 87v and Malekandathil, 2003, p. 350].
According to the Catholic historians, St. George is the oldest church in Angamaly. However, the first written record assigning a specific date of establishment for the church is from the early 20th century only. The Vaidikapanachankam of 1902 has the date 450 AD as the year of foundation for St. George church [Rakshaniyam 1902, p. 37-cited by Malekandathil, 2016]. Reasons unknown, the date was changed to 409 AD in the Vaidikapanachankam of 1924 and thereafter it has remained the same [Rakshaniyam 1924, p. 2]. On the other hand, the Jacobites consider their church [St. Mary] to be the oldest and dates it to 409 AD as well [Varghese, 1991]. Unfortunately, we have no primary source materials or other evidence available to validate how such early dates are arrived by both factions. In the case of the St. Mary's Jacobite church, multiple 16th century documents [letters dated 1577-1580] attest its origin. The church dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Assumption' was founded and administered by Archdeacon Giwarghis/Geevarghese (George) of the Christ (d. 1584/85 or 1591) with his own money and parental help [DI, Vol. X, pp. 853-854, 953; DI, Vol. XI, pp. 810, 833]. The earliest reference is perhaps the letter dated 2nd January, 1576 written by the Raja of Cochin, Keshava Rama Varma to Pope Gregory XIII, where he mentions about the Archdeacon George's request for granting plenary indulgences for his church [Giamil, 1902, p. 76]. In the letter he mentions that the church was recently built in honour of the Assumption in the month of August, which could be 15th August 1575, the feast day of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary. George of the Christ was appointed as the Archdeacon by Chaldean Bishop Mar Joseph in 1562; and Bishop of Palayur and Suffragan Bishop of Angamali in 1566 by Patriarch Abd Ishu [DI, Vol. VII, pp. 703-705; for more details, see Malekandathil, 2016, pp. 138-139]. Therefore, it is safe to assume that St. Mary's church was established somewhere in the mid-1570s. The feast of the assumption of Virgin Mary was celebrated in this church [Iglesia de N. Señora de la Assumption or Church of Our Lady of Assumption] in 1577 and 1578 with great solemnity [DI, Vol. XI, pp. 287-288, 810; DI, Vol. X, p. 953]. The Church was beautifully decorated with branches and the altar elegantly adorned during the Feast of Assumption says Jesuit missionary Fr. Francisco Dionisio in the Annual Letter of 1577 [DI, Vol. X, p. 953].
The third church at the eastern end (St. Hormis or Kizhakkepally) was the Cathedral Church or Seat of the Metropolitan Mar Abraham, the last Persian Bishop of St Thomas Christians. Mar Abraham passed away in 1597 and was buried in St. Hormis church. His lost tomb was rediscovered in 18 September, 2015 during the renovation work carried out inside the the main altar of the church. Based on a Jesuit letter dated 10 January, 1580 [DI, Vol. XI, p. 798], the foundation date of Mar Abraham’s new church [St. Hormis/Kizhakkepally] is often taken as 15th August 1577, but the same letter is interpreted differently by others to arrive at a later date of 15th August, 1579 [Payyapilly, 2016, pp. 49-50]. In another letter from November, 1578, we see Mar Abraham requesting Pope Gregory XIII to grant plenary indulgences for his upcoming yet incomplete new church [DI, Vol. XI, p. 382]. In the Vaidikapanchankam of 1909, the foundation date of St Hormis church is given as 1571 [Rakshaniyam 1909, p. 12], but a few decades afterwards it was changed to 1585 [see Vaidikapanchankam, 1951, p. 37]. The completion and consecration of St. Hormis church most probably has taken place before the Synod of Angamaly was held in 1583. The church was originally dedicated to a 7th century Nestorian East Syric Saint, St. Hormusio, but was changed to a 5th century Persian Catholic martyr, St. Hormisidas by the Archbishop Alexis Menezes in 1599.
Caremelite Missionary and the first Apostolic Commissary to Malabar, Joseph of St. Mary Sebastiani has a detailed 17th century map entitled ‘Serra de Malavari’ on the St Thomas Christian churches in Malabar [published in his Seconda Speditone all’Inde Orientali], here he has depicted only one church in Angamaly [Sebastiani, 1672]. In 1745, Augustinian Missionary, Joannes Facundi Raulin comes out with a list of churches and he cites three churches in Angamaly: 1] Angamaly, Syri.; 2] Vinecca Palli [?]; and 3] Ceria Palli [Cheriapally] [Raulin, 1745, p. 428]. Since Raulin uses the terms ‘Syri.’ for Romo-Syrians [Catholics] and ‘Schismatici’ for Jacobites throughout his list of churches, 1] is mostly the St George Catholic church, and 2] and 3] are the non-Romo Syrain churches. If the non-Catholic ‘Ceria Palli’ is the Jacobite church, Vinecca Palli could be the St. Hormis church. It could also be the other way around, i.e. Vinecca Palli is the Jacobite church [St. Mary] and Ceria Palli is the St. Hormis church, after all, Mar Abraham was originally a non-Catholic East Syrian Bishop. A decade later, French Orientalist Abraham Hyacinthe Anquetil-Du Perron visited Kerala on January, 1758 and gives the following details about the churches in Angamale [Angamaly]: 1) A church dedicated to the Holy Virgin; shared by Catholics and Jacobites; in this church a chapel dedicated to St. George, where the Jacobites celebrate the office [conducted their service] after the Catholics. 2) Another church [at the end of the Angamale Bazar] dedicated to St. Homisdas, Catholic martyr. The See of the Archbishop of Malabar was formerly at Angamale [Angamaly] under the Portuguese; In 1615, it was transferred to Cranganore. 3) Another church dedicated to the Holy Virgin, exclusively used by the Jacobites [In all likelihood, this is Cheriapally, which in the last century, was the residence of the Malalabar Archdeacon, Mar Thomas] [Anquetil-Du Perron, 1771, pp. 185-186]. 1] and 3] are the St. George Basilica and the St. Hormisdas [Kizhakkepally] of the Catholics; and 2] is the St. Mary’s Jacobite Cathedral today.
THE OLDEST CHURCH IN ANGAMALY?
Which is the oldest church in Angamaly? Usually the main church or the Valiyapally is identified as the oldest. For Catholics, St. George church is the Valiyapally. It was in this church [St. George], the historic document Angamaly Padiyola was signed by the St Thomas Christian leaders from 84 Catholic churches led by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar on 1 February 1787. The padiyola ends with the statement that it was written in the church of “Valiyapallickal Mar Geevarghese Sahadayude”, thus identifying Valiyapally with St George Church.
Although, the present St. Mary’s (Jacobite) church was founded by the Archdeacon George of Christ in the 1570s, there is a tradition among the Jacobites that it was erected over the first [Varghese, 1991] or an early [Angamaly and Thachil, 2002, p. 60] church of Angamaly. One of the main arguments put forward by the Jacobites is that the church is dedicated to St. Mary, unlike the other two [St. George and St. Hormis] named after saints from later periods. In addition, they claim that the residence [Madom] of ‘Mangattu Saroopam’, the Royal family who donated lands to Angamaly’s Christian community for building churches was located near their church. More importantly, St. Mary's church served as the ‘Residence of the Archdeacons’-the highest native authority of St Thomas Christians. The much respected Archdeacons, viz. George of the Christ (d. 1585), George of the Cross (d. 1640) and Mar Thoma I [Archdeacon Thoma Parambil, d. 1670], were supposedly buried inside the church [for more details, see Varghese, 1991; Angamaly and Thachil, 2002, p. 60]. If the accounts of Anquetil-Du Perron is taken into consideration, Angamaly in 1758 had two churches dedicated to St. Mary, one exclusively owned by the Jacobites and the
other shared by both the Catholics and the Jacobites. Note also that in the French translation of Zend-Avesta by Anquetil-Du Perron
[1771, Vol. 1, p. 186] the Jacobite St. Mary’s church is identified as the
Cheriapally. However, in the Vaidikapanchankam of 1909, St. Hormis
church is called as the “Angamaly Cheriapally” [Rakshaniyam 1909, p.
12].
St. Hormis church was consecrated by Mar Abraham in the early 1580s, but was there an early church on the site before? In early 17th century, Archbishop Francis Roz of Angamaly in his ‘Report
on the Serra’ or ‘Relacao Sobre a Serra’ [1603/04] describes about a
’Hermitage of Ss. Gervasis and Protasis’ in Angamaly which is very
ancient [Nedungatt, 2001, p. 367]. Thachil [2016, p. 75] interprets this hermitage was part of a church dedicated to Mar Sabor and Aphrot. After the Synod of Diamper [1599], Portuguese authorities have forcibly renamed the churches of St. Thomas Christians after Mar Sabor and Aphrot, the much reverred 9th century East-Syrian Bishops [often referred to as "Kaddeshangal" or Saints/Holy ones] with Roman saints Ss. Gervasis and Protasis, the twin martyrs of Milan. However, we can't be certain if there was indeed a church dedicated to Mar Sabor and Aphrot where the St. Hormis church is now located, although the Jacobite church dedicated to the same saints at nearby Akapparambu [7 km from Angamaly] is well known. Angamaly [2023, p. 243] speculates that St. Hormis church was built in a former Jewish colony over a Jewish-Christian worshipping centre and nearby was a Jewish cemetery. A similar view is that the famous seminary reported by Carneiro in 1557 was near St Hormis church and an older church existed on the site before Mar Abraham established his Cathedral [Varghese, 1991]. Thachil [2016, p. 83] even locates the seminary on a site north of St. Hormis church known by the name 'Kunnu' [Hill]. Note that Rev. Charles Webb La Bas [1831, Vol. 1, p. 311] takes St. Hormis church to be the oldest of the three. In short, all three churches in Angamaly vouch for their antiquity and claim the legacy of a Christian settlement from 5th Century, but none could come with any direct evidence to support such an early date.
St. Mary/St. George Church and Chapel, Catholic [Old vs New]
Photograph above: June, 2025. Image Credit, below left: Virtual Museum of Images and Sound (VMIS), American Institute of Indian Studies, 1968. Image credit, below right: Angamaly Charithravum Thachil Kudumbavum, Joseph J., 1996. 1] is now an office building [book stall], the old part of the cemetery is just behind this building.
Photograph left: January, 2026. Image credit, right: https://angamalybasilica.blogspot.com. Yellow dotted lines mark the major section of the old church that was demolished. See that what is left now is only the altar.
Image credit, left: Varghese Angamaly & Jomon Thachil, Angamaly Rekhakal, 2002. Photograph right: March, 2017. The image on left shows the west side of the church, which has literally disappeared. The photograph on the right gives you an idea how the east side of the church looks now, which is essentially the altar of the old church that has been retained.
Image credit, left: Varghese Angamaly & Jomon Thachil, Angamaly Rekhakal, 2002. Photograph right: March, 2017. As you can see the entire side portion [the lower pillared section and the upper floor with clay tiled roofs have been demolished. 
Front and side [north] views of the St. George/St. Mary old church before demolition. The main entrance gate [1], church facade [2], side aisles and annex rooms [3a and 3b] have all vanished, only the altar [4] has been retained. Image credit, left: Souvenir of the Centenary of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam, 1996; Image credit, right: Angamaly Charithravum Thachil Kudumbavum, Joseph J., 1996. In Fr. Thomas Moothedan's edition of Varthamanappusthakam's 2nd Part [1977, p. 371], there is reference to an agreement between the Catholics and Jacobites regarding the ownership of the Valiyapally [St. George]. As per this deed dated Dhanu, 936 ME [December, 1760], Jacobites buys half the share of the value of Valiyapally from the Catholics and agrees that no claim of ownership over the said church would be raised in future, and that they had handed over full and complete ownership of the church to the Catholics [See Malekandathil, 2016, p. 140]. We have seen that during Anquetil-Du Perron's visit in 1758, the Valiyapally was shared by Catholics and Jacobites and was dedicated to St. Mary. Austrian Carmelite Missionary and Orientalist, Paulinus, A. S. Bartholomaeo who was in Kerala from 1776 to 1789 records three churches in Angamaly, viz. Catholic churches of S. Georgii [St. George] and S. Hormisdae [St. Homis] and Jacobite church of S. Mariae [St. Mary] [India Orientalis Christiana, 1794, pp. 267-268]. Therefore, somewhere after 1758 (Anquetil-Du Perron) and before 1794 (Paulinus), the main church was renamed to St. George from St. Mary. Malekandathil (2016, p.141) asserts that main church of St. Mary of Angamaly, within which the chapel of St. George was initially located, eventually came to be called St. George’s church after 1760s. Rev. Henry Hosten visited Angamaly in 14 February, 1924 and notes: “St. George's was formerly dedicated to Our Lady, as shown by her statue on the facade. It became St. George's after being burnt down by Tippu Sultan” [Tanima, 2008, p. 67].
St. Mary Church, Jacobite. North side views [Old vs New]
Photograph above: June, 2025. Image credit, below left: Varghese Angamaly & Jomon Thachil, Angamaly Rekhakal, 2002. Image credit, below right: Ambattu Mar Kurilos Centenary Souvenir, 1991. The yellow dotted lines demarcate the side rooms on the north side and the traditional front porch on the west side of the church that has been also destroyed.
Photograph above: June, 2025. Image credit, below left: Varghese Angamaly & Jomon Thachil, Angamaly Rekhakal, 2002. Image credit, below right: Ambattu Mar Kurilos Centenary Souvenir, 1991. The yellow dotted lines demarcate the side rooms on the north side and the traditional front porch on the west side of the church that has been also destroyed.ANGAMALY CHURCHES AND TIPPU SULTAN
One of the first to record Tippu's atrocities against Christians of Kerala was Paulinus and according to him all three churches in Angamaly were destroyed. Paulinus in his 'India Orientalis Christiana' [1794, p. 179] states: "Tippu's anger flared when he crossed the border and reached Angamali [Angamaly] east of Ambalacate [Ambazhakkad]. Two churches of the Catholics [St. George and St. Hormis], the churches of Schismatics [non-Romo Syrians], the seminary and the houses were mercilessly attacked" [English Translation]. It must be noted that Paulinus left Kerala by March, 1789 before Tippu's invasion, but he obtained this information from a letter written by Bishop Aloysius Mary of Jesus, Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly, dated March 23, 1791. Scottish Theologian, Rev. Claudius Buchanan of the Church of England who visited Angamaly in 1806 finds the Archbishop’s Residence and all the other public buildings destroyed. In a letter dated 24 December, 1806, he writes: “When Tippoo waged war with the king of Travancore, in 1791, he sent detachments in every direction to destroy the Christian churches, and particularly the ancient edifices at Angamalee. Two thousand men penetrated into the mountains, and were directed to the place by the sound of its bells. They sprung a mine under the altar walls of each church, and the inhabitants who had fled to the higher mountains witnessed the explosion. But the walls of the grand front being five feet and a half thick, (1 measured them yesterday), they did not attempt to demolish them for want of powder” [Pearson, 1837, pp. 255-256]. The condition was still the same even a decade after Buchanan’s visit, when Thomas Fanshaw Middleton, Bishop of Calcutta was at Angamaly in October 1816. His account is more detailed and to quote the full text: “A still more deplorable spectacle was exhibited at Angamale (about four miles distant), once the residence of the Syrian bishops, and able to boast of three venerable and handsome churches. These were all laid in ruins by the barbarians of the Mysore; and two of them still remain in a state of miserable dilapidation. The only one which has been at all completely repaired is that of St George. It has been restored with scrupulous attention to the ancient style of architecture. The roof is well covered in, but only with cajan; the chancel has been provided with a handsome ceiling, arched and fretted in the former manner; and the walls are decorated with a great variety of paintings. Of the church of St Mary's, which is of great antiquity, nothing was left standing but the side walls: and the poor Christians have raised a cajan roof over what was the chancel, and there they still perform divine service. The third church is dedicated to a saint and martyr, called Ramban Oormeez, and is supposed to be the oldest of the three; and its pretensions are partly supported by an arch and font at the west end, whose appearance and style bespeak a very remote antiquity. The chancel of this church remains in a very ruinous condition” [Webb Le Bas, 1831, Vol. 1, pp. 310-311]. Hosten [1924] reports of a tradition of St. Hormis being spared due to the interference of the pregnant wife of a Hindu Panikar named Iringalapilly [Tanima, 2008, p. 68].
We don’t know which church in Angamaly had a grand front that Buchanan measured 5 ½ feet, but apparently all of them faced Tippu’s wrath. Angamaly and Thachil [2002, pp. 183-184] is of the opinion that the church destroyed by Tippu is the one whose façade was existing in front of the cemetery entrance [i.e. the old St. George chapel] and not the nearby church [i.e. the old St. Mary’s church where now stands the Nithyaradhana chapel]. Angamaly [2016, p 184] assumes that the latter church [current Nithyradhana chapel] has its origin after Tippu only [late 18th century]. It must be noted that in 1758, Anquetil-Du Perron finds the church [St. Mary] and chapel [St. George] were shared by the Catholics and the Jacobites, suggesting that both the structures functioned simultaneously in the same compound before Tippu's invasion. Angamaly and Thachil [2002, pp. 184] give the following dimensions for the church destroyed by Tippu Sultan: Church- 21 ft. wide by 71 ft. long; Façade [Mukhavaram]-34 ft. high by 4 ft. 2 in. wide; and Aanavathil [main western entrance of the Church] 11 ft. high by 5½ ft [see also Angamaly, 2016, p. 182]. The authors however do not provide the source from which this data was obtained.
St. Hormis Church, Catholic. North side view [Old vs New]
Photograph left: June, 2025. Image Credit, B & W right: Virtual Museum of Images and Sound (VMIS), American Institute of Indian Studies, 1968. See the non-plastered northern side wall of the old sanctuary.
Photograph left: June, 2025. Image Credit, B & W right: Virtual Museum of Images and Sound (VMIS), American Institute of Indian Studies, 1968. See the non-plastered northern side wall of the old sanctuary.St. Hormis Church, Catholic. South side view [Old vs New]
Photograph left: June, 2025. Image Credit, B & W right: Indian Church Classics-Nazranies, George Menachery Ed., 1998. See the traditional enclosed front porch of the old church, it was modified during the recent renovation [2016]. The Mondalam [front porch] was built in 1930-31 as an open structure without facade and side walls, but in 1960 the structure was enclosed [Payyapilly, 2016, pp. 62-63],
Photograph left: June, 2025. Image Credit, B & W right: Indian Church Classics-Nazranies, George Menachery Ed., 1998. See the traditional enclosed front porch of the old church, it was modified during the recent renovation [2016]. The Mondalam [front porch] was built in 1930-31 as an open structure without facade and side walls, but in 1960 the structure was enclosed [Payyapilly, 2016, pp. 62-63],RENOVATIONS AND RECONSTRUCTIONS
All 3 churches have undergone renovations and reconstructions. The Catholic churches especially have been subjected to significant modifications. The modern St. George Basilica was built near the old St. Mary’s church [current Nithyaradhana chapel] and St. George’s chapel [extinct]. The foundation for new St. George Church [Basilica since August, 2009] was laid on 16 November, 1997 and it was consecrated on 31 December, 2006. Most parts of the old St. Mary’s church [Catholic] were demolished, only the altar was retained for the new ‘Chapel of Perpetual Adoration’ [Nithyaradhana] and it was consecrated on 1 March, 2009. In September 2005, the old façade of the nearby St. George chapel and the miracle well which stood near the entrance to the cemetery were also destroyed. A small portion of the southern section of the current cemetery’s boundary wall looks old, probably it was part of the extinct St. George chapel’s compound wall. This cemetery [Catholic] used to have old funerary monuments until recently and many graves were also discovered in the church compound during the excavation work carried out in 2001 for the construction of modern St. George Basilica [Angamaly, 2016, p. 183]. Today, none of these old graves have survived, but the nearby Jacobite cemetery has a few tombs of priests from the 19th century. Most of the impressive mammoth walls (elephant walls) of St. George church were demolished in 2005. The Ancient Edifices and impressive Manimalika [Bell Tower] in the Valiyapally compound have also been removed with time [Angamaly, 2023, p. 242; Angamaly and Thachil, 2002, p. 219].
All 3 churches have undergone renovations and reconstructions. The Catholic churches especially have been subjected to significant modifications. The modern St. George Basilica was built near the old St. Mary’s church [current Nithyaradhana chapel] and St. George’s chapel [extinct]. The foundation for new St. George Church [Basilica since August, 2009] was laid on 16 November, 1997 and it was consecrated on 31 December, 2006. Most parts of the old St. Mary’s church [Catholic] were demolished, only the altar was retained for the new ‘Chapel of Perpetual Adoration’ [Nithyaradhana] and it was consecrated on 1 March, 2009. In September 2005, the old façade of the nearby St. George chapel and the miracle well which stood near the entrance to the cemetery were also destroyed. A small portion of the southern section of the current cemetery’s boundary wall looks old, probably it was part of the extinct St. George chapel’s compound wall. This cemetery [Catholic] used to have old funerary monuments until recently and many graves were also discovered in the church compound during the excavation work carried out in 2001 for the construction of modern St. George Basilica [Angamaly, 2016, p. 183]. Today, none of these old graves have survived, but the nearby Jacobite cemetery has a few tombs of priests from the 19th century. Most of the impressive mammoth walls (elephant walls) of St. George church were demolished in 2005. The Ancient Edifices and impressive Manimalika [Bell Tower] in the Valiyapally compound have also been removed with time [Angamaly, 2023, p. 242; Angamaly and Thachil, 2002, p. 219].
The St. Hormis church after Tippu’s invasion in 1790 has undergone major renovations at least three times in 1803, 1931 and 2011-2016. The non-plastered church walls were plastered in 1963 [Angamaly and Thachil, 2002, p. 193; Thachil, 2016, p. 80]. In 1970-72 period, new windows and doors were added to the church and the Ayudhapura [room to store weapons] and a well on the south side of the church were destroyed [Thachil, 2016, p. 80]. The current newly renovated church was consecrated on 10 January, 2016. Apparently, the St Hormis church premises once had a cemetery, a Metran Padippuramalika [Bishop House], a Kottupura [Musician Hall], a Seminary, a Bungalow and compound for the elders [Mooppachante Parambu] etc. -all disappeared without leaving any trace [Angamaly, 2023, pp. 244-245; Angamaly and Thachil, 2002, p. 219].
St. Mary [Jacobite] church with comparitively minimum alterations retains its antiquity and has some of the best church murals of Kerala. However, St. Mary [Jacobite] church also has undergone renovations in 1819 [altar] and late 1980s or early 1990s [front porch]. The boundary pillars [Thoranakallu] seen near the OAGC of St. George's Basilica and St. Hormis Church are often attributed to the extent of land donated by "Mangate Swrupam" to the Christians of Angamaly [during the 16th century?]. If the details given in this blog are accurate, St. George catholic church owned 36.82 acres of land, comprising, a total number of 75 plots and St Marys Jacobite church owned 11.65 acres of land, comprising, a total number of 33 plots in Angamaly. The data accordingly, was derived from the ‘Basic Tax Register’ [BTR] Records of 1955-60.
The old boundary pillars of St. George and St. Hormis Churches
Photographs: March, 2017
Photographs: March, 2017 Remains of the old compound wall in the current cemetery of St. George Basilica
Photographs: March, 2017
Photographs: March, 2017ABBREVIATIONS
DI=Documenta Indica
SRD=Silva Rego Documentacao
REFERENCES
1. Anquetil-Duperron M., Abraham Hyacinthe [1771]-Zend Avesta, Volume 1
2. Angamaly, Varghese (2016)-Porchugeese Yugavum Mar Abrahavum
3. Angamaly, Varghees [2023]-Kerala Christavar-Samskaram Paithrukam
4. Angamaly, Varghese and Thachil, Jomon [2002]-Angamaly Rekhakal
5. Giamil, Samuelis [1902]-Genuinae Relationes-Inter Sedem Apostolicam
6. Hosten, Henry (1924)-In Documentation: Kerala Churches-Church of Angamalay and Malayattoor (Hosten Ms: 95-105), Tanima: A Review of St. Thomas Academy for Research (2008), Volume XVI, No. 2
7. Joseph, J [1996]-Angamaly Charithravum Thachil Kudumbavum
8. Malekandathil, Pius Ed. [2003]-Jornada of Dom Alexis de Menezes: A
Portuguese Account of the Sixteenth Century Malabar
9. Malekandathil, Pius [2016]-Angamali and the St. Thomas Christians: An Historical Overview, in: Ignatius Payyapilly Ed., Mar Abrahavum St Hormis Devalayavum. Updated version uploaded in NSC Network in 14 July, 2020 [https://www.nasrani.net/2020/07/14/angamali-and-the-st-thomas-christians-an-historical-overview/]
10. Moothedan, Thomas Ed. [1977]- Varthamanapusthakam by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar
11. Nedungatt, George Ed. [2001]-The Synod of Diamper Revisited [Kanonika, 9]. Appendix IV-Report on the Serra [1603/1604] by Bishop Francisco Ros, S. J.
12. Paulinus [P. Paulino] A S. Bartholomaeo [1794]-India Orientalis Christiana
13. Payyapilly, Ignatius [2016]-Mar Abrahavum Angamaliyile Kabaridavum, in: Ignatius Payyapilly Ed., Mar Abrahavum St Hormis Devalayavum.
14. Pearson, Hugh [1837]-Memoirs of the life and writings of the
Rev. Claudius Buchanan
15. Rakshaniyam 1902- am Vatsarathe Panchankam, Sleehaykadutha Ernakulam Vicariate
16. Rakshaniyam 1909- am Vatsarathe Panchankam, Sleehaykadutha Ernakulam Vicariate
17. Rakshaniyam 1924- am Vatsarathe Panchankam, Sleehaykadutha Ernakulam Vicariate
18. Raulin, Johannes Facundi [1745]-Historia Ecclesiae Malabaricae
19. Sebastiani, Giuseppe [Joseph] di S. Maria [1672, Vol. 2]-Seconda Speditione All Indie Orientali
20. Silva Rego, Antonio Da Ed. [1952]-Documentacao Para A Historia Das Missioes do Padroado Portugues do Oriente, Vol. 8 [1560-1561]
21. Thachil, Angamaly [2016]-Panikkar Upekshicha Kallu Moolakallayi, in:
Ignatius Payyapilly Ed., Mar Abrahavum St Hormis Devalayavum
22. Varghese,
Jimmy [1991]-Angamaly-Charithramurangunna Punyabhoomi, in: Ambattu Mar
Kurilos Centinary Souvenir 1991, St Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church,
Angamaly-Kerala
23. Webb Le Bas, Charles (1831, Vol. 1)-The life of Thomas Fanshaw Middleton Bishop of Calcutta
24. Wicki, Joseph Ed. [1954]-Documenta Indica VII [1553-1557]
25. Wicki, Joseph Ed. [1962]-Documenta Indica VII [1566-1569]
26. Wicki, Joseph Ed. [1968]-Documenta Indica X [1575-1577]
27. Wicki, Joseph Ed. [1970]-Documenta Indica XI [1577-1580]
Nice!!
ReplyDeleteYou have written a very long article about the churches in Angamaly. But unfortunately, I am surprised that I can't see anything significant other than what has already been written by professor Malekandathil. There are two Syriac book colophons that mention the Angamaly church. I don't know if you're aware of that. Moreover, the description given by Father Sebastian clearly mentions the three churches in Angamaly more clearly. Think for yourself how it is possible to mark three churches in the same place on a map. He says these are the three churches in Angamaly : Parish church, Archdeacon's church, Archbishop's church. Now let's examine the explanation given by Roulin. Three churches in it say: 1. Angamale, 2. Vinecca palli 3. Ceria palli. If you understand the background of that book, it becomes clear that the first church in this series is the cathedral. Vinecca palli is valiyapalli. This is most likely a typo.There are good reasons for my assessment. First, the fact that the book is a description of the Udayamperoor Synod naturally refers to the Angamaly Cathedral and was the only church that was completely under Catholic control. This fact is clear from Du Perron's book. And I would like to correct another misunderstanding. Who has recorded that this chapel is an independent building? It will most likely be a side altar. It must have been within Valiyapalli itself. If so, St. Mary's would have naturally become St. George's. Nowhere in the history of Kerala Christians has Valiyapalli been the new church and Cheriyapali the old church. It only changed when the Jacobites and Orthodox changed the meaning of these terms very recently.
ReplyDeleteYou have written a very long article about the churches in Angamaly. But unfortunately, I am surprised that I can't see anything significant other than what has already been written by professor Malekandathil. There are two Syriac book colophons that mention the Angamaly church. I don't know if you're aware of that. Moreover, the description given by Father Sebastian clearly mentions the three churches in Angamaly more clearly. Think for yourself how it is possible to mark three churches in the same place on a map. He says these are the three churches in Angamaly: Parish church, Archdeacon's church, Archbishop's church. Now let's examine the explanation given by Roulin. Three churches in it say: 1. Angamale, 2. Vinecca palli 3. Ceria palli. If you understand the background of that book, it becomes clear that the first church in this series is the cathedral. Vinecca palli is valiyapalli. This is most likely a typo. There are good reasons for my assessment. First, the fact that the book is a description of the Udayamperoor Synod naturally refers to the Angamaly Cathedral and was the only church that was completely under Catholic control. This fact is clear from Du Perron's book. And I would like to correct another misunderstanding. Who has recorded that this chapel is an independent building? It will most likely be a side altar. It must have been within Valiyapalli itself. If so, St. Mary's would have naturally become St. George's. Nowhere in the history of Kerala Christians has Valiyapalli been the new church and Cheriyapali the old church. It only changed when the Jacobites and Orthodox changed the meaning of these terms very recently
ReplyDeleteLet me address your queries under these headings. I am not very sure if I have addressed all of them as it is a bit confusing to understand your comment. You can also write to me at lajupaulk4@gmail.com for more clarification.
ReplyDeleteSyriac Book Colophons.
Perhaps you are inferring to the two Vat. Syr. Manuscripts [2 and 3] which have colophons from 16th century copied in Angamaly. To the best of my knowledge, they are dated to 1558. Therefore, Carneiro’s letter of 1557 is still the earliest documented reference to a church in Angamaly if this was your objection. Please let me know if there are any other old Syriac documents from Angamaly before 1558.
Sebastiani and the 3 churches in Angamaly.
Yes, you are correct about Sebastiani mentioning about the three churches of Angamaly in his Seconda Speditione all'Indie Orientali [1672], but what I am trying to say is that his otherwise detailed map has only one church in Angamaly. He has marked more than one church for Malayattoor and Cranganore, so inserting three churches [in the form of Cross symbols] for Angamaly was not an impossible task. Anyway, this does not mean that Sebastiani was denying the existence of three churches in Angamaly. I was only mentioning that he didn’t include them in the map.
Raulin’s Churches in Angamaly
The term Vinecca Palli has always intrigued me. I would love to hear why you think it’s a typo, when Raulin was smart enough to pick the word Ceria palli correctly. Also, share your “good reasons of assessment”. As for your conclusion that Angamaly Cathedral was the only church completely under Catholic control needs to be addressed more elaborately considering the much complex and suspicious relations Mar Abraham had with the Catholics.
DuPerron’s Churches in Angamaly
True, it is difficult to conclude that this chapel is an independent building. However, it is equally difficult to assume that the chapel was just a side altar inside the Valiyapally. Du Perron is very specific when he says that “the main [1st] church is dedicated to the Holy Virgin, shared by Catholics and Jacobites; and in this church a chapel dedicated to St. George, where the Jacobites celebrate the office [conducted their service] after the Catholics”. I wonder, what is so special in this side altar that Jacobites waited for their turn after the Catholic worship was over. To me they appear as 2 separate buildings, one dedicated to St Mary and the other to St George, at least that was the case in mid-18th century. Moreover, there were two independent buildings in the compound-a small chapel-like structure [now extinct] in front of the cemetery and the old Angamaly church [current Nithyathtradhana chapel]-see the old photos.
Valiyapally vs Cheriapally
I would certainly agree with your statement that a Valiyapally is the old church when compared to a Cheriapally. To me also, it appears that the early traditions and documents do favour St George church as the Valiyapally. For instance, the famous Angamaly padiyola of 1787, signed by 84 churches ends with the statement that it was written in the church of “Valiyapallickal [Valiyapally] Mar Geevarghese (St. George) Sahadayude (Martyr)”. On the other hand, Du Perron [1771] records the St Mary's Jacobite church as the “Scheriyapali” [Cheriyapally]. Having said that, my intention in this post is to compile information gathered from early documents and traditions of all 3 churches in Angamaly regarding their antiquity and establishment. Now, whether one accepts or rejects these theories is up to the individual and not in my control.
Good to see that you have touched all the points I have raised. I am putting this reply just to make sure that anyone else who is interested could also read this. First of all, I was just pointing out certain important references that you seem to have overlooked or neglected. To be clear, I was just noting that the article has not included the manuscript references and Sebastiani's description of the Angamaly church(es). Secondly, about the St. George's Chapel. In my opinion, it was simply a side chapel of the Valiyapalli as Anquetil-Duperron does not list it as a separate building of worship. The Jacobites and the Catholics must have alternatively used it as it could be of religious significance for them. This is a common practice where churches are shared among different groups. If they were separate buildings rather than conventional chapels as seen in St Peter's Basilica in Vatican or the Holy Sepulchre Church in East Jerusalem, Anquetil-Duperron would have listed them categorically just as he does with Carturte and Karlongate. The old church building in the Valiyapally compound that you identify as the St. George Chapel is nothing but the old building of the Valiyapally itself, which was attacked by Mysore army, and the outdoor cross aligns with it.Thirdly, the ecclesiastical allegiance of the Angamaly Cathedral has been unambiguous for a very long time. It was under the complete ownership of Syrian Catholics during the 1750s and I do not find any reason to believe that it was substantially different during the 1740s. The theological allegiance of Mar Abraham is a very debated question among the different church history schools, but his ecclesiastical allegiance is beyond doubt after 1565. Whatever be it, it does not change the documented history of the Angamaly Cathedral. Additionally, Raulin's book is related to the Synod of Diamper, therefore it is obvious that the first entry under Angamaly is the Cathedral as it is the only church mentioned in the acts of the Synod and is also the only one detailed in the Jornada of Menezis. There are additional points but I think adding those would make this reply more complicated. If you wish to, you can take a look at my recent fb post of the Angamaly Cheriyapalli at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Pou5eXTtw/ where I have briefly addressed the 'church partition' and '75000 chakrum exchanged evacuation' accounts, in addition to other regular aspects. Regards.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the detailed comment and link to your fb post!
Delete