Thazhekad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thazhekad, is the site of one of the earliest St Thomas Christian communities in Kerala. Once a prosperous inland port, during heyday of Muziris. The landscape was changed with the great floods of 1341AD.

It is the site of the Thazhekad sasanam one of the earliest surviving edicts granting special privileges to the St Thomas Christians. The edict dating back to about 340-360 AD was written on stone and provides proof of the early existence of St. Thomas Christians in Kerala. The Thazhekad St Sebastian church is one of the oldest in Kerala dating back to AD 800. The church is also the largest pilgrimage center in the Irinjalakuda Diocese.

The churches and temples in the area were ravaged by Tippu Sultan's army, during his invasion of the south, between 1789-1792.