Mohammed Sajib: added the data needs work

2026-03-25T02:04:50Z

added the data needs work

New page

{{Short description|Oriental Orthodox cathedral in Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox religious building
|building_name = Arthat St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral
|image = Arthat St Mary's Cathedral.jpg
|caption = Arthat St. Mary's Cathedral
|image_size =
|location = Arthat, [[Kunnamkulam]], [[Thrissur district|Thrissur]], [[Kerala]], India
|coordinates = {{coord|10|37|58|N|76|3|29|E|display=title,inline}}
|religious_affiliation = [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]
|province = [[Kerala]]
|district = [[Thrissur district|Thrissur]]
|consecration_year =
|status = [[Cathedral]]
|website = {{URL|https://arthatcathedral.org/}}
|architecture_type = [[Church (building)|Church]]
|architecture_style = [[Architecture of Kerala|Kerala Architecture]]
|founded_by =
|facade_direction = West
}}
'''Arthat St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral''' ('''Arthat [[Valiyapally]]'''), also called '''Kunnamkulam-Chattukulangara Church''',{{sfnp|Whitehouse|1873}} is an ancient [[Oriental Orthodox]] church located in Arthat village of [[Thalapilly]] taluk, one mile south of [[Kunnamkulam]] town, in [[Thrissur district]], [[Kerala]], India. It is one of the oldest Christian churches in the region. This church did not participate in the [[Synod of Diamper]]. During the [[Mysorean invasion of Malabar|invasion]] of [[Tipu Sultan]], the church was [[arson]]ed and later reconstructed.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sam C. Zachariah |url=https://arthatcathedral.org/ |title=Arthat St. Mary's Cathedral |website=Arthatcathedral.org |access-date=2016-12-24}}</ref>
==History==
===Chattukulangara Pally and late 20th-century historiography===
[[File:Fr. Joseph Cheeran.jpg|thumb|Joseph Cheeran, a former vicar of the church]]
A local belief originating in the late 20th century holds that [[Thomas the Apostle|Saint Thomas]] came to a region near present-day Kunnamkulam where a Jewish community had settled. Joseph Cheeran, a former vicar and influential priest in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, promulgated these ideas. According to his theory, Saint Thomas preached to the Jews and many were converted to Christianity. The Jewish synagogue in that area is said to have been converted into a Christian church, which Cheeran identifies as Chattukulangara Pally. It is also said that Saint Thomas came to Judakunnu (Jew Hill), where there was a water scarcity. The people appealed to him for help, and he is said to have whipped the ground on the hilltop, causing a spring of fresh water to appear. This is said to have later been called Chattakkulam ({{langx|ml|ചാട്ടക്കുളം}}), and it is hypothesised that the church near it came to be known as Chattakkulangara Pally.<ref>{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Cheeran|title=palūr-kunnamkulam idavakakal: charitravum samskaravum|publisher=M. J. D. Publishing House|location=Kunnamkulam|year=2013|page=|language=ml|url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryKunnamkulam}}</ref> Cheeran's theory gained momentum, and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church subscribes to it.<ref name=PPKunnamkulam/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Arthat St. Mary's Cathedral, Kunnamkulam {{!}} |url=https://mosc.in/pilgrimcentres/1407-2 |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=mosc.in}}</ref>
In contrast to this 20th-century identification, the traditional site for the establishment of a Christian community in the region has been the [[St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Palayoor|Palayur Church]] at least since the 14th century.<ref>MS Vatican Syriac 22 (1301) - one of the oldest known Syriac manuscripts of Indian origin. Written by a deacon named Zakharya bar Joseph bar Zakharya, the colophon states that it was copied in 1301 AD in Chingala (ancient Shingly or Cranganore) at the Church dedicated to Mar Quriaqos (St. Cyriac). This reference could be perhaps the earliest documentary evidence for the existence of a church in Palayur which was originally dedicated to St. Cyriac.</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Antonio Gouvea|author-link=Antonio de Gouvea|title=Jornada of Dom Alexis de Menezes: A Portuguese Account of the Sixteenth Century Malabar|editor=Pius Malekandathil|editor-link=Pius Malekandathil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUKybwAACAAJ|pages=442–446|year=1606|edition=2003|location=Coimbra|isbn=9788188979004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/christianity/seven-half-churches/7|title = Department of tourism, Kerala }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Whitehouse |first= Thomas |title=Lingerings of light in a dark land: Researches into the Syrian church of Malabar|date=1873 |publisher=William Brown and Co.|pages=31–32 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ie4CAAAAQAAJ |language=en |quote= Of palur, little can be said having any special interest. It was the most northern of the seven ancient churches, with Quilon as the most southern. The village at present is an unimportant place and lies off any main road, about a mile or so S.E. of Chowghaut. Gouvea narrates in his account of a visitation by Archbishop Menezes, that in order to bring the Proceedings of the Portuguese Archbishop and his synod at Udiamparur into odium, three of the leading men of place performed a farce or morality play in the church. One of the speakers impersonated St. Peter, another St. Thomas, and the third, who acted as umpire, St. Cyriac, to whom the church was then dedicated. }}</ref>
Cheeran also claimed that the Palayoor Church previously belonged to the Arthat church as a chapel. He stated that the real Paloor church is Arthat church and claimed that the book ''Jornada'' by [[António de Gouveia|Antonio de Gouvea]] and [[Francis Buchanan-Hamilton|Francis Buchanan]]'s account of the Arthat church support his theory. However, Cheeran's theory has been criticised even by fellow Orthodox scholars such as Kurian Thomas Maledath, who compared Cheeran's books to children's literature and noted his theory as ambitious and localistic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ഭാവനയല്ല ചരിത്രം / ഡോ. എം. കുര്യന്‍ തോമസ് {{!}} Malankara Orthodox TV |url=https://malankaraorthodox.tv/?p=53766 |access-date=2022-03-28 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
===Synod of Diamper and Coonan Cross Oath===
[[António de Gouveia|Antonio de Gouvea]], a Portuguese missionary and chronicler of [[Alexis de Menezes|Dom Alexis de Menezes]], records in his book ''Jornada Dom Alexis de Menezes'' about the church of Palur and other churches present nearby in the Kingdom of Zamorin. He writes that on his way he was given letters from the ''Cassanars'' and Vicars whom from the Synod he had sent to the church of ''Pallur'' ([[Palayur]]), dedicated to the glorious [[Cyricus and Julitta|Saint Cyriac Martyr]], the last of this Christian community on the Northern side, in the lands of the king Samorin five leagues from ''Panane'' (Ponnani), a place well-known to the Portuguese and to their fleets, which meant to them a big disturbance with which the devil had deceived all those people, and the people of ''Anamaque'' (Enammavu) and ''Mutem'' (Mattam) and ''Chatacolangaree'' (Chattukulangara or Arthat Kunnamkulam), all in the lands of the king Samorin, and close to each other.{{sfnp|Antonio Gouvea|1606}}
In 1772, Kattumangattu Bishop sent a letter to Sakthan Thampuran which states that in Thalappilli there was only one church existing in that region, which was Chattukulangara Palli. There were two more chapels also present in that region: Chiralayam and Pazhanji (dedicated to Geverghese Sahada).
Starting from the [[Coonan Cross Oath]] of 1653, both factions of [[Saint Thomas Christians|Malankara Nasranis]] wanted to take over the church. Because of the dispute, the church was closed for a while. In 1805, at their request, the then [[Kingdom of Cochin|King of Cochin]], [[Sakthan Thampuran]], came to Arthat church to resolve the problem. Both parties agreed to a lucky draw. In the draw, the main church and buildings went to the [[Malankara Church (Puthenkur)|Malankara Puthenkoor Syrians]], and the stone cross of the church went to the [[Malankara Church (Paḻayakūṟ)|Pazhayakoor Syrians]].
===Tipu Sultan's invasion and destruction===
In 1789, [[Tipu Sultan]] attacked and set fire to this church. Folklore states that Tipu's army killed a priest in the altar room, and his blood spilled there. Since it was considered impure, part of the altar was cut and removed. Hence, this church was also called ''Vetti muricha pally'' ({{langx|ml|വെട്ടി മുറിച്ച പള്ളി|translation=cut altar church}}). The altar of this church remains distinct from those in other churches.
''The Coral Missionary Magazine'' of 1876 gives an account of the Arthat church in Kunnamkulam. It notes that the Syrians had probably been settled in this part of Cochin for centuries, though not in the present town of Kunnankulam, as they had traditions that their forefathers lived near the old church of Arthat, about a mile from Kunnankulam. This old church had no village or bazaar near it, but the Syrians said it was formerly surrounded by a large bazaar, but that in consequence of a destructive fire, the inhabitants removed to the place where the present town of Kunnankulam stood. The church was still regarded by them with great veneration as their parish church, and as the burial place of their forefathers, and was in fact their only cemetery, with no interments being allowed in the churchyards in the town. This old church was burnt by Tippoo when he invaded Cochin in the last century; only the walls were left standing. It had since been re-roofed and thoroughly repaired, and was then one of the finest and most spacious Syrian churches in the country. There was another ancient church at Palur, near Chowghaut, about six miles from Kunnankulam, which was one of the seven churches said to have been founded by St. Thomas. This church was then in the possession of the Roman Catholics. Numbers of Syrians, however, were present at the principal festival of the church every year. The Syrians of Kunnankulam were known anciently as the Chátukulangare Syrians, from a large tank bearing that name, and it was recorded that they never acknowledged the authority of the Roman Archbishop Menezes in the 16th century when the Syrian church came under the influence of this emissary of Rome. It was a very interesting circumstance that there were no representatives of the Chátukulangare Syrians at the famous Synod of Udiamparur (Diamper).{{sfnp|Hope|1876|pp=82–83}}
===Relations with the Anglican Mission===
In 1800, [[Francis Buchanan-Hamilton|Francis Buchanan]] visited this church and met [[Mar Dionysius II|Pulikkottil Ittoop Ramban]] (later Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I, also known as Dionysius II).
In 1806, the Arthat Padiyola (resolution) declared a break from the chains of Rome, Babylon, and Antioch.<ref name=PPKunnamkulam>{{cite web|url=http://www.orthodoxspp.org/eventDetails.php?eventid=6 |title=Orthodox Syrian Progressive Party Kunnamkulam |website=Orthodoxspp.org |date=2008-03-24 |access-date=2016-12-24}}</ref>
In 1808, [[Claudius Buchanan]] and [[Colin Macaulay]] visited and awarded a large gold medal to this principal church in the name of all Syrian churches in Malabar. According to an account of the visit, Colonel Macaulay accompanied Buchanan from Cochin to the famous Shanscrit college at Trichur and thence to a district of the Syrian Christians which Buchanan had not before visited. It was named by Hyder, Nazarani Ghur or the city of the Nazarenes. It was a beautiful place, fertile and populous. The town was four square, having four gates built on the side of a hill with steps cut in the rock from street to street, surrounded by lofty groves of palm and other trees. A verdant meadow wound about the foot of the hill and the whole country was a scene of hill and dale. The priests and people knew Buchanan and received them with great affection. Colonel Macaulay accompanied Buchanan to the principal church. Having signified his intention of presenting a large gold medal to this church in the name of all the Syrian churches in Malayalam, a vast concourse of people assembled. The medal, which was about three times as large as a college gold medal, exhibited the baptism of Jesus in Jordan elegantly executed and on the reverse a child brought to be baptized. Buchanan placed it on the altar in the presence of the people with due solemnity and beside it a gift to the poor.<ref>{{cite book|title=Memoirs of the life and writings of the Rev. Claudius Buchanan|author=Hugh Pearson|date=1817|page=379|publisher=Benjamin & Thomas Kite|location=Philadelphia}}</ref>
This church has the largest cemetery (1 hectare) of all churches in Kerala. The present cemetery wall was built on the initiative of [[Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Malankara]].
[[File:Kunnamkulam Arthat St Marys Orthodox Church Cemetery 04.jpg|thumb|The largest cemetery in Kerala]]
==Church architecture==
The church was originally built in the Kerala architectural style with a thatched roof of coconut palm leaves. During the attack by Tipu Sultan, the church was set on fire. Later, the church was rebuilt with a wooden roof covered with clay tiles. [[Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious II|Mar Dionysius II]], when he was a ''ramban'' (monk), was instrumental in rebuilding the church to its present state. The current structure was built between 1805 and 1827 CE.
==Church feud==
A feud between the Patriarch faction and the Catholicos faction led the Patriarch faction to establish another church called Arthat St. Mary's Simhasana Church in 1920.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.syriacchristianity.info/StSl/ArthatSimhasanaChurch.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128054154/http://www.syriacchristianity.info/StSl/ArthatSimhasanaChurch.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=28 January 2016 |title=Arthat St |website=Syriacchristianity.info |date=2002-11-29 |access-date=2016-12-24}}</ref>
===List of parishes separated from Arthat church===
The following are the parishes separated from this church:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.holycrosschurcharthat.com/ |title=Home |website=Holycrosschurcharthat.com |access-date=2016-12-24}}</ref>

Chiralayam

Kottappady (Kaveed/Perakam)

Anjoor

Puthusseri

Chowwannoor (Marathamcodu/Pazhunnana/Vellarakkadu/Eyyal/Parembadam)

Guruvayoor

Chemmannoor

Vylathoor (Attupuram)

Parannoor
==2017 storm==
[[File:2017 Storm in Arthat 11.jpg|thumb|Church's rooftop damaged in the storm]]
On 25 June 2017, a hurricane caused great damage to churches in Arthat. The small, old St. Thomas Catholic church had to be reconstructed as a result.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/strom-hit-in-kunnamkulam-1.2040956|title=കുന്ദംകുളത്തുണ്ടായ ചുഴലിക്കാറ്റില്‍ വ്യാപകനാശം: 15 പേര്‍ക്ക് പരിക്ക്‌|date=2017-06-25|work=Mathrubhumi|access-date=2020-03-01}}</ref>
==In literature==
The history of the church is well narrated in the fiction novel ''Francis Itticora'' by T. D. Ramakrishnan.
==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Cite journal|last=Hope|first=W.|date=1876|title=Story of Kunnamkulam Mission from 1853 to 1873|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0zoEAAAAQAAJ|journal=The Coral Missionary Magazine|location=London|publisher=W. Wells Gardener}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}

{{Official website|https://arthatcathedral.org/}}
{{Oriental Orthodoxy}}
{{Syriac Christianity}}
{{Churches in India}}
{{Christianity in Kerala}}
{{Churches of Kerala}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Arthat}}
[[Category:Churches in Thrissur district]]
[[Category:Cathedrals in Kerala]]
[[Category:Malankara Orthodox Syrian church buildings]]
[[Category:Ancient churches of the Saint Thomas Christians (pre-1606)]]

St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Arthat - Revision history

Mohammed Sajib: added the data needs work