The St. Mary's Church, located 2 kms from Kottayam was built as early as 1550 AD. The church is famous for its Persian stone cross, engraved with ancient inscriptions.
The church was built by the descendants of the Syrian Kanaya Christians who migrated to India in 345 A.D., from Jerusalem and near-by places under the leadership of Kana Thoma.
The Valliyapalli Church is famous for its two granite crosses known as Persian Crosses, which were brought to their present location from a much older church near Crangannore, built by the forefathers of the builders of this church.
On each of the stone slabs there is a cross with an inscription in the Pahalavi language, which was the official language of the Sassanian dynasty in Persia.
The smaller slab is placed on the northern altar while the bigger slab lies on the southern altar of the church.
General Information
Location
2 Kms From Kottayam, Kerala
Unique Features
Persian Stone Cross Engraved With Ancient Inscriptions
Evolution/ Origin
1550 AD
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