Puthuppally Church, Kerala
The St. George Orthodox Syrian Church a Puthuppally, Kottayam is one of the most famous Churches in Kerala. The Church is one fo the major Georgian pilgrimage centers in Kerala and a lot of devotees flocks towards the Church to seek blessings.
The Church is located in the Puthupally village by the eastern bank fo Kodoor river. The Church has a scenic and beautiful surroundings that are worth watching. The Church also stands with its heads up and looks amazingly beautiful. The old Puthuppally Church is preserved well as it has some ancient murals that date centuries back. As per the experts, the mural paintings of Puthuppally Church were done using vegetable dyes in ancient times.
The Puthuppally Church was built around AD 1557 and was rebuilt several times in the coming centuries. The present Church building of Puthuppally Church was constructed and consecrated in AD 2003 and the church was converted into a shrine that was a mix of three churches. The Church in the name of St. George was retained in the center and the verandas on both sides were converted as chapels in the name of St. Mary and St. Bahanan respectively.
The Puthuppally Church is visited by a huge number of devotees from all sects and religions throughout the year. The feast of St. George which is held annually is the major festival of the church and during this time, the Church and its premises will be filled with devotees, which includes the 10 days before and after the feast. The Church has not grown to a big parish and has around more than 1000 families.
The main feast of St. George is held on the 7th of May every year and a huge meal is provided to the devotees after the feast services. There will be a huge ceremonial procession and after the procession, food will be given to the devotees along with chicken dishes. The feast will be attended by a huge amount of devotees from different religions and places and during this time, there will be a huge crowd in this region.
The feast at Puthuppally Church is also known for its amazing customs and a golden cross is taken out and place in the Church. There will also be a huge procession in which the devotees carry wooden, golden and silver crosses along with artistic umbrellas, flags, and candles. The procession of the Puthuppally Church feast is something that is worth experiencing. The annual feast will end up with a grand firework display which is conducted after the procession.
The Puthuppally Church also has a couple of educational institutions under its administration and they are:
- St. George L.P. School, Angady, Puthuppally
- Georgian Public School, Puthuppally
People from different parts of the world also come and visit the Church at Puthupally and most of them are tourists. The Church has become a tourist spot of attraction for most of the travelers coming to Kerala from other places. The scenic beauty of the Church’s surroundings makes it a must to visit place in Kottayam district.
Address:
St. George Orthodox Syriac Church (Valiyapally)
Puthuppally P.O
Kottayam – 686 011
Kerala, South India
Phone Number: +91481 2352404