St. Mary's Orthodox Church is situated at the heart of a small village called Kallooppara, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest and renowned churches in Kerala and a priced possession of Malankara Church. The church have a legacy of around seven centuries, keeping its tradition and culture intact without compromising on its religious values.
The church is a perfect example of the ancient temple architecture and is an elegant representation of the beautiful shingled roof tops in the early Travancore style. The church has a splendid blend of beauty and science in it and is a mystery the way it has overcome all the challenges of time. The church which is the worshiping place of thousands has been a topic of research for many.
The church has been declared as the "Pilgrim center of St. Mary" on January 9, 2009 by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didimos I.
In the earlier days the Christian believers of Kallooppara had to depend on the Niranam Church for the holy mass, funeral ceremonies and other religious rites. The journey on Vallom(small boat) through the Manimala and Pampa rivers was tedious, tiresome and risky.
The much renowned Edappally Kings were ruling at that time and they used to spend their time in the famous and explicably beautiful Elangalloor Maddom, rich in its architectural antiquity, that once existed on the north side of the river Manimala. A abode for the royal guests that was once well-equipped with a private pool called the 'Kullipura Mallika' equipped with granite rock paved steps carved with excellent craftsmanship to the Manimala river, can still be seen now in Angadikadavu of Puramattam panchayat.
It is said that once while the ruling king of Edappally was having his rest in the Elangalloor Maddom, he happened to see a few number of people coming on a vallam singing melodious hymns accompanied by prayers. The king immediately came down to the river bank to observe the sight more closely and found it to be a burial procession, with the body on the floating hearse covered with a white cloth. The procession that started from Manimala was going to Niranam Church for the funeral of the dead, since in those days Niranam Church was the only Christian church in central Travancore.
This event moved the Kings heart and having realized the hardship of the Christian subjects, he virtually pointed a plot on the other side of the river, and gave sanction to bury the body and built a church there.
But sadly there are no clear evidence for the origin and age of the church. It is said that the founding stone was consecrated on Malayalam month 3rd Karkadakam. The stone day of the church is being celebrated on that day. It is commonly believed that the founding stone of the present church was laid on Malayalam month Karkadakam 3rd of 515 (A.D.1339).
Even though there are no clear evidence of the origin of the church but it is believed that the church had the same age as the origin of Edappally dynasty. The study of the archaeology department reveals that church was constructed in the 2nd millennium. The sculpture and figure carved in wood also indicates the church's age. Some letters carved on the slab of holy place of the church also traces back to the origin of the church. Though the letters have faded out, they are believed to be of the earlier century.[1]