ThaliyaKulam (Holy Pond) | St . Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Palayur | Travel2Church

Palayur is a small village approximately 2.5 Kms from the temple town of Guruvayur in Kerala.All Christians in India actually trace their roots from this Church in Palayur which is claimed to have been established in 52 A.D by one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ named St Thomas .2000 years ago this part of Thrissur was a Jewish and Brahmin Hindu bastion..St Thomas had arrived in the backwaters of Palayur by boat and began preaching to the locals and converted many of the Brahmin Hindu families to Christianity and also established the Church.Today the entire area is covered by land and cottage style exotic houses with beautiful gardens , some of the best bungalows i have seen in rural South India. Thus the original and earliest Christian converts in India are from Kerala and it was centuries later with the arrival of Vasco DaGama and the Europeans that Christianity spread to Bombay(Mumbai), Goa and Mangalore as also to parts of North India. The Church looks ordinary , a typical simple village church that is common in South India.There were no benches inside the small church and the congregation sat on the floor.Footwear was to be kept outside the church unlike other churches in Mumbai and other parts of India where the congregation walks into the church with footwear. The Church complex has a museum which opens at 0800 hrs.Entry charges to visit the museum is Rs 5 only.Photography was not allowed inside the Church museum and as a art and articraft collector myself was surprised at the wealth of religious historical icons and relics on display. Most of the historic religious icons and monuments displayed belonged to the "St Thomas Syro-Malabar Church" as 2000 years is the complete history of Christianity as a religion in the World let alone India.From the museum i went to the boat jetty "Bottukulam" where St Thomas first arrived in Palayur, a small artificial pond totally surrounded by land.A small model of a boat is kept on the pond for a photo-shoot for tourists .Next walked across the church compound to another small pond called "Thaliyakulam" where St Thomas initially baptized his first Christian converts.A ancient well still exists at the site and its water potable.My last visit was to the area where the destroyed remains of the original cross was kept, a large enclosed prayer hall extension of the main church.Do visit this ancient historic church that traces the roots of Christianity in India.