->Cewbot: Fix broken anchor: 2014-05-20 #The Arrival of St. Thomas→Christianity in India#St. Thomas

2021-11-01T18:42:10Z

Fix broken anchor: 2014-05-20 #The Arrival of St. Thomas→Christianity in India#St. Thomas

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{{Short description|One of the oldest church in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{refimprove|date=November 2011}}
[[File:Arappally02.jpg|thumb|right]]

'''Thiruvithamcode Arappally''' ("Royal Church"; Tamil:திருவிதாங்கோடு அரப்பள்ளி; Malayalam:തിരുവിതാംകോട് അരപ്പള്ളി;), or '''Thomayar Kovil''' or '''St. Mary's Orthodox Church''', is a church located in [[Thiruvithamcode]] in [[Kanyakumari District]], [[Tamil Nadu]] state in [[India]]. It is believed by the Christian communities in [[Kerala]] that the historic Thiruvithamcode Arappally, also called ''Amalagiri'' church as named by the [[Chera dynasty|Chera]] King [[Uthiyan Cheralathan]],<ref>Issac Arul Dhas, `Kumari Mannil Christhavam`(Tamil), Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, 2010, {{ISBN|978-81-8465-204-8}}, Page:7</ref> was built by [[Thomas the Apostle|St. Thomas]], known as the [[Christianity in India#St. Thomas|Apostle of India]], in 63 AD.<ref>Issac Arul Dhas G., `Kumari Mannil Christhavam`(Tamil), {{ISBN|978-81-8465-204-8}}, Page:7. While the [[Saint Thomas Christians|Saint Thomas tradition]] of Indian Christianity cannot be verified as historical, it is certain that there was a tradition of Thomas travelling to India from at least the 3rd century ([[Acts of Thomas]]), and there is independent confirmation of the existence of a Christian church in India from the 6th century ([[Cosmas Indicopleustes]]).</ref> It is believed to be the world's oldest existing church structure, and is now declared an international St. Thomas pilgrim center.

[[File:Thiruvithamcode_Arappally3.jpg|thumb|Side view of the church]]
[[File:Inside Arapally.JPG|thumb|Inside the church]]

It claims to be the world's oldest church that still has daily prayers and India's oldest church that hasn't been reconstructed till now.<ref>{{cite web|title=The First Church in Tamil Nadu, Ara Palli, Thiruvithancode |url=http://www.onlinekanyakumari.com/first-church-in-tamil-nadu/}}</ref> The church has three main parts built in the 17th century and a 20th-century entrance hall. Its walls are built of locally quarried stone, chiseled with a multi-tipped chisel, a technique known in Kerala and possibly introduced there by foreign contact in the 16th century.

[[Thiruvithamcode]] (also spelled Thiruvithancode, Thiruvithankodu and Thiruvithangodu) is a small panchayat town located in the Kanyakumari district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
It is about 20 km from [[Nagercoil]], and 2 km from [[Thuckalay]].

The church today is maintained by the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]. [[Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan|Catholicos of the East]] and [[Malankara Metropolitan]], [[Baselios Marthoma Didymos I]] proclaimed the church as an international St. Thomas pilgrim center on 16 December 2007.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
Legend says that the newly converted Christians during St. Thomas’ time went through a lot of persecution and a woman by the name of CHIRUTHA organized her own army called CHIRUTHA PADA (Army of Chirutha) to put up a tough fight against the persecutors. It is believed this fight continued for several decades. Later, many of her relatives migrated to different parts of Kerala to join their siblings and families. There was a historical book written about this fight and it was widely circulated in Tamil nadu. It clearly mentions CHIRUTHA and her army, CHIRUTHA PADA.

== See also ==
*[[Ezharappallikal]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://arappally.com/ Website of the church] (in English)

{{coord missing|Tamil Nadu}}

[[Category:Malankara Orthodox Syrian church buildings]]
[[Category:Churches in Kanyakumari district]]

St. Mary's Church, Thiruvithamcode - Revision history

->Cewbot: Fix broken anchor: 2014-05-20 #The Arrival of St. Thomas→Christianity in India#St. Thomas