Cheppad Mar Dionysios IV of the East
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1781 - 1855 Malankara Metropolitan
St George Orthodox Church is the resting place of Cheppad Philipose Mar Dionysius, Malankara Metropolitan of Malankara Orthodox Church during 1825 - 1855. Philipose Mar Dionysius, Malankara Metropolitan of Orthodox Syrian Church was born in 1781 at the Aanjilimootil family in Pallippad (A place near to Cheppad). After the death of Mar Dionysius III in 1825, Philipose Malpan of Aanjilimoottil, Pallipadu was ordained as Metropolitan Mar Dionysius IV for the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The ruler of Travancore issued a Royal Proclamation acknowledging him as Malankara Metropolitan. He was not on good terms with the English missionaries who worked in Malankara Church under the English. The foreign missionaries suggested to reform the 'Qurbana norms' according to the protestant standards, and to do away with the worship and prayer conducted for the dead, other suggestions included in raising of a fund to increase the salary of the priests, and giving ordination to only those priests who passed out from the Seminary and received the certificate from the Principal. The accounts of the Church every year must be submitted to the Resident for annual auditing the church services were to be conducted in Malayalam. The Metropolitan rejected all these suggestions outright. A meeting of the representatives of the church was convened in Puthiyacavu Church, Mavelikara in 1836 in order to discuss the recommendations of the missionaries. The Mavelikkara Padiola was formulated in order to strongly resist the new reforms of the foreign missionaries. In this synod openly and officially declared the acceptance of the Supremacy of Antiochian Patriarch and rite. In 1846, the Patriarch sent a Metropolitan Yuyakim Mar Kurilos to Malankara. Later on Mar Donysius gave up the position of Malankara Metropolitan to avoid a split in the church and retired from administrative matters. He passed away on 9th October 1855. He was laid to rest in St. George Orthodox Church, Cheppad. His Death Anniversary is on 12th October.
This is the resting place of Cheppad Philipose Mar Dionysios, Malankara Metropolitan.
The Seven Century old Murals ( Wall Paintings) in Cheppad St. George Orthodox Church exhibit the Christian traditional paintings. The paintings are on the walls of The Madbaha (Altar) of the Church. It exhibits the events in the life of Jesus Christ from birth to ascension. It also shows some events of the Old Testament times. The 47 murals are arranged in three lines on three walls of the Altar. The archaeological department calculates that the murals are of around 600 years old and drawn with the extracts of green leaves and fruits.
Even though the old church was rebuilt in 1952, because of the Murals, the Altar was kept intact. The rare and attractive paintings of St. Paul with a sword, Angels, Jesus bearing the Cross, Jesus is beaten by the soldiers, St. Thomas with a mint, Adam and Eve eating the prohibited fruit, Noah’s Ark etc. shows the mixing of middle eastern Christian painting and Kerala’s mural artwork. By viewing the murals, the visitors of this church get a rare and indescribable experience and travel back through centuries into another world.
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Inserted by Philipose Mathew, Pulimoottil Villa, Cheppad 690507, India
