Old Syrian Church, Chengannur

Last updated

Pazhaya Suriyani Pally a.k.a. Old Syrian Church, Chengannur is an ancient Syrian Christian church of Kerala. It is considered as one among the oldest still standing church buildings in Kerala and across India, that predates several centuries before the arrival of European Christianity in India. It is located at Chengannur, a major town along the MC Road, about 117 km north of the Kerala state capital Thiruvananthapuram and about 98 km south of Kochi.

Contents

Chengannur 1.JPG

History

It is believed that the church was built about 1650 years ago. The structure of the church building certifies that it is very very old. The story is that long ago a hermit priest came to Chengannur and began a worship place at this spot.

Till AD 1580, Nazranis and Knanaya people were worshipping together in this church. Then the Knanaya people who escaped the persecution in Cochin and surrounding area, also joined with those at Chengannur. Later the Knanaya people had built their own church and moved out. [1] During reformation two groups were formed in the Malankara Church. These two factions quarreled in this church and there was a court case. Now the Chengannur Pazhaya Pally is co-owned by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. [2]

Trust Agreement

The parish is governed according to a Trust Agreement signed by both parties on 7 August 1877 [3] The names of the signatories in the same order as given in the original Agreement:

  1. Vicar Marakkan Parampil Ouseph Koshy Kathanaru. (‘’Kathanaru = clergy’’)
  2. Vicar Pallyil Veettil Geevarghese Geevarghese Kathanaru.
  3. Thoppil Cherian Yohannan Kathanaru.
  4. Poovathuru Chandy Yaccob Kathanaru’
  5. Kottaarathil Varkey Thoma Kathanaru’
  6. Kottureth Mammen Ouseph Kathanaru
  7. Pallyil Veettil Geeverghse Yaccob Kathanaru
  8. Perukaavil Vareeth Geevarghese Kathanaru
  9. Kadamthottil Nazrani Kocherya Mammen. (‘’Nazrani = St. Thomas Christian’’)
  10. Chittooru Nazrani Umumman Cherian
  11. Kurisummoottil Nazrani Kappitha Yohannan Chandy
  12. Pallithekkethil Nazrani Kappitha Ittyavira Chandy

Architecture

Architectural style is a blend of 18th Century Christian and Hindu temple architecture [4] [5] and something fast disappearing from Kerala landscape. Its gopuravathil, nadapanthal, kalluvilakku and doors adorned with carved figurines includes a Hanuman holding a baton. This is indicative of communal and religious harmony exhibited by the localities in yesteryears.

The Pazhaya Suriyani Pally in Chengannur and the Cheriya Pally (St. Mary's Orthodox Church) in Kottayam are unique with the same architectural splendor.

Chengannur 2.JPG

History

History has it that Ivanios Yuhanon, a metropolitan from Antioch, Syria, visited Malankara in 1751 and made the western malika (double storied building) of the Pazhya Suriyani Pally (this malika is no more there) his home. Mar Ivanios, credited with the propagation the liturgy of Mar Yacob in Malankara, died in 1794 and was interred in front of the southern thronos (altar) of the Church.

There is legend regarding Mar Ivanios’ arrival in Chengannur. When he reached Erapuzha Kadavu on River Pampa by boat, his followers took him to the Church in a procession. But the Nair chiefs of the land did not allow the procession to pass in front of the Vanchipuzha Chief's palace and the procession had to take a different route. When the son of Vanjipuzha Chief fell ill, the royal astrologer found that the curse of a saint had fallen on the son. The Chief is said to have tendered an apology to Mar Ivanios whose prayer rid the boy of his illness. In return the Chief bestowed tax-free land and properties to the Church.

Tablets of History: Over 1200 tombs in the cemetery adjoining the Suriyani Pally, some of them belonging to eminent Christians, stand as mute witness to the bygone days when all Christians were united in Christ but fell apart for reasons purely temporal[ verification needed ]. George Joseph, who was once President of the Indian National Congress and his brother renowned journalist Pothen Joseph and Padmashri PM Joseph, once principal of the National Physical Education College, Gwalior, are among those buried here[ verification needed ].

Suriyani Pally, short of written evidences of its hoary past except perhaps the words carved on the pillars of its nadapanthal, proudly recalls the stories of its tour de resistance against foreign machinations, both from the East and the West. Throughout the centuries the church proclaimed its independence as evidenced by the formation of a Trust ratified by Travancore Royal, Court and latest by the High Court of Kerala[ unreliable source? ]

Chengannur 7.JPG
Hanuman picture near chengannur Pazhaya Suriyani Pally Hanuman picture in chengannur Pazhaya Suriyani Pally.jpg
Hanuman picture near chengannur Pazhaya Suriyani Pally

Two tombs conspicuous by their close proximity to the Church belong to two illustrious sons of the Marthoma Church—Kottooreth Valiachan and Kottarathil Thoma Kaseesa. Valiachan, Rev. M. Joseph Kottooreth, was the first translator of the Syrian liturgy and first Secretary of the Church. He was also the first editor of the Malankara Sabha Tharaka. He also successfully conducted the Suriyani Pally case. Thoma Kaseesa and 11 others founded the Marthoma Suvishesha Sangham, which has been organizing the renowned Maramon Convention for more than a century.

Chengannur 17.JPG

Traditions

The Church is famous Aval Nercha (offering of sweetened rice flakes) held on every Maundy Thursday, for the last four centuries. The current Trustee, V.A.Abraham Vaikkathethu, is one of the chief organisers of the Nercha at present. [6]

The aval nercha custom is said to have an uninterrupted history of not less than 400 years. It was the patronage of the then rural chieftain of Vanjippuzha Palace, attached to the erstwhile kingdom of Venad who ruled Chengannur in the 16th century, which made it a popular event in the region.

The Vanjippuzha chief had given the power of local administration to Thomman Thomman, founder of the Mukkathu family of Syrian Christians, who had migrated to Chengannur in the late 16th century.

Origins of the custom

According to church trustee V.A. Abraham, the origin of the aval nercha is attributed to an elderly matriarch of the Mukkathu family named Ackamma who used to take a small packet of aval to distribute it to the devotees after the Holy Qurbana on Maundy Thursday.

Ackamma used to give a pinch of rice flakes to all around her, and the members of the Mukkathu family continued the practice even after her death. The aval nercha became an elaborate event in later years, says Babu Zacharia, a former English professor and former president of the Mukkathu Kudumbayogam.

It is believed that a unique eight-headed coconut-scraper was gifted to the church by the royal chief for the annual aval nercha. There are others who believe that the foldable eight-headed coconut scraper is as old as the 1,650-year-old church. This antique piece is a major attraction of the aval nercha.

More than a thousand coconuts, 300 kg of rice flakes, 200 kg of jaggery, and spices go into the preparation of the aval, says Zacharia.

In the olden days, all these items were collected from the members of the Mukkathu family. However, now, rice flakes, jaggery and spices are purchased from the market, while the coconuts are collected from family members.

Collective effort

As many as 100 family members assemble on the church premises on the eve of Maundy Thursday, immediately after the evening service. The eldest member of the family present breaks a coconut after a short prayer, marking the beginning of the collective preparation of the aval.

The sweetened aval is kept to soak and swell in large bell metal vessels. It is distributed immediately after the morning service.

The faithful here still follow the custom and tradition of accepting the aval nercha in a cloth and not in a container of any kind, says Abraham.

Related Research Articles

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Orthodox Church in Kerala, India

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Malankara Church or Indian Orthodox Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in Kerala, India. The church serves India's Saint Thomas Christian population. According to tradition, the Malankara Orthodox church originated in the missions of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century(A.D.52).

Saint Thomas Christians Indian ethnoreligious group

The St Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, Marthoma Nasrani, Malankara Nasrani, or Nasrani Mappila, are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala, who currently employ the East Syriac and West Syriac liturgical rites of Syriac Christianity. They trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. The St Thomas Christians had been historically a part of the hierarchy of the Church of the East but are now divided into several different Eastern Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Protestant, and independent bodies, each with their own liturgies and traditions. They are Malayali people and speak the Malayalam language. Nasrani or Nazarene is a Syriac term for Christians, who were among the first converts to Christianity in the Near East.

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Type of Eastern Catholic church

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic, autonomous, particular church, in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. It is one of the major archiepiscopal Churches of the Catholic Church that are not distinguished with a patriarchal title. It is headed by Major Archbishop Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum based in Kerala, India.

Mar Thoma Syrian Church Church based in the Indian state of Kerala.

The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian Church and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, is an autonomous Reformed Oriental church based in Kerala, India. While continuing many of the Syriac high church practices, the church is reformed in its theology and doctrines. It employs a reformed variant of the West Syriac Rite Divine Liturgy of Saint James, translated to Malayalam.

Mavelikkara Town in Kerala, India

Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the Alappuzha district of the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River.

Maramon town in Kerala, India

Maramon is a small town on the Pampa River, in Thiruvalla Taluk opposite to Kozhencherry Junction in the state of Kerala, India. It is 16 km from the Thiruvalla Town headquarters, the town of Thiruvalla. Temple

Mallapally Town in Kerala, India

Mallappally is a taluk in Kerala state in India. It is one of the five taluks that make up the Pathanamthitta district. Historically a part of the kingdom of Travancore and Cochin. It is called "Land of the BA graduates" due to English education imparted by attendants of CMS College Kottayam in the 19th century, Mallappally is the original home of many Non-resident Indians, and has one of the lowest population growth and highest literacy rates in India.

Thoma I Leader and first bishop of the Malankara Church

Mar Thoma I, also known Valiya Mar Thoma or Thomas de Campo, is the first native democratically elected/selected Metropolitan bishop of the Puthenkoor faction of the Saint Thomas Christians or Malankara Church. He was the last Archdeacon of the undivided St. Thomas Christians of Malankara(Maliyankara). After the death of Archdeacon George of the Cross on 25 July 1640, Parambil Thoma Kathanar was elected and enthroned as new Archdeacon, when he was less than 30 years old. He led the Church to the Coonan Cross Oath on 3 January 1653 and to the subsequent schism in Saint Thomas Christians Church. After the Coonen Cross Oath, he was elected as a Bishop by Malankara (Yogam) Association and consecrated as a Bishop at St. Mary's Church Alangad, by laying hands of 12 priests on 22 May 1653. Only two Southist churches of Kaduthuruthy and Udayamperoor and a very few people elsewhere refused to recognise him as Bishop. Any how, the archdeacon began to exercise powers of episcopal order, though he openly tried to regularize his episcopal consecration as a Bishop from the Church of Antioch. His episcopal consecration as a Bishop was regularized in the year 1665 by Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel the Patriarchal delegate of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.. Palliveettil Mar Chandy, Kadavil Chandy Kathanar, Vengoor Geevargese Kathanar and Anjilimoottil Ittithomman Kathanar were the advisors of the bishop Thoma.

Thoma III

Mar Thoma III was the third metropolitan bishop who was the Malankara Metropolitan of Malankara Church in India from 1686 to 1688. His leadership was only for a short time.

Mar Thoma V was born in Pakalomattom family, one of the oldest families in Kerala and he was known as Ousep. He was the 5th Malankara Metropolitan from 1728 to 8 May 1765.During his tenure a number of bishops from Antioch arrived and he had to face a lot of problems from them. Some of these bishops were banished from the country and had to return.

Titus I Mar Thoma Metropolitan was known as Thithoos Mar Thoma Metropolitan was the second Marthoma Metropolitan (1893–1909) after the Malankara Church split as the Jacobite and reformist factions.

Mar Dionysius II, born Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop was 10th Malankara Metropolitan from 22 March 1815 unto his death in 1816. He dethroned Mar Thoma IX and succeeded him by the favour of Col.John Munroe, then British Resident of Travancore. Despite the brevity of his reign he made lasting contributions to the Malankara Syrian Church.

Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Oriental Orthodox Church based in Kerala

The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), also known as the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, is an autonomous Oriental Orthodox church based in Kerala, India, and is an integral branch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. It recognizes the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East as supreme head of the church. It functions as a largely autonomous unit within the church, under the authority of the Catholicos of India, Baselios Thomas I. It is currently the only church in Malankara that has a direct relationship with the Syriac Christians of Antioch, which has continued since the schism of 1665 and employs the West Syriac Liturgy of Saint James.

Saint Dionysius of Vattasseril

Saint Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril popularly known as Vattasseril Thirumeni was the 15th Malankara Metropolitan (primate) of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. In 2003, the Church declared Mar Dionysius as a saint. He is known as 'The Great Luminary of Malankara Church', a title which the Church bestowed on him in recognition of his contribution to the Church.

St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Puthencavu is one of the important churches in South India, located at a village named Puthencavu, Alappuzha district in Kerala state of India. The church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the Central Travancore region of Kerala.

Geevarghese Philoxenos

Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos aka Puthencavil Kochu Thirumeni was an administrator, orator and an advocate of Orthodox and the Catholicate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India. He served as Metropolitan of Thumpamon Diocese from 1930 to 1951.

Anjilimoottil Itty Thommen Kathanar was a Kathanar of the Knanaya community of Kerala during the time of Portuguese persecution. Together with Arch Deacon Thoma Kathanar, he led the Malankara Church during the turbulent times towards the end of the Portuguese Padroado. In particular, he gave leadership to a crowd of about 25,000 members of the community at Mattancherry during the open revolt against the Portuguese in 1653 following the capture of the Syrian Bishop Ahatallah. The incident led to the Coonan Cross Oath.

Malankara Syriac Knanaya Community are part of the larger Knanaya community who are descendants of an endogamous ethnic migrant group of Syriac-Jewish Christians who arrived and settled in Kerala in the 4th or 8th century.

References

  1. ↑ N.M.Mathew, Malankara Mar Thoma Sabha Charitram (Malayalam) Vol.I, page 186.
  2. ↑ N.M.Mathew, Malankara Mar Thoma Sabha Charitram (Malayalam) Vol.III, page 184-187.
  3. ↑ Chengannur Pazhaya Pally Trust Udampady, (Malayalam) second edition. 1971.
  4. ↑ "LOCAL HISTORY OF CHENGANNUR : A STUDY OF INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIAL RELATIONS" (PDF). shodhganga - a reservoir of Indian theses.
  5. ↑ Wilfred, Felix (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia. Oxford University Press, USA. pp. 458–459–460. ISBN   9780199329069.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

Coordinates: 9°19′22″N76°36′20″E / 9.322683°N 76.605567°E / 9.322683; 76.605567

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.