St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Arthat

Arthat St Mary's Orthodox Cathedral
Arthat St Mary's cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
District	Thrissur
Province	Kerala
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Location
Location	Arthat, Kunnamkulam, India
Geographic coordinates	10°37′58″N 76°3′29″E
Architecture
Type	Church
Style	Kerala Architecture
Direction of façade	West
Website
http://arthatcathedral.org/

Arthat St Mary's Orthodox Cathedral (Arthat Valiyapally) also called Kunnamkulam-Chattukulangara Church is an ancient church located in Arthat village of Thalapilly Taluk, one mile south of Kunnamkulam town, Thrissur, Kerala, India.This is the first Christian church of India established by St Thomas in AD 52.This church did not participate in the Synod of Diamper. During the invasion of Tippu Sultan the church was arsoned and later reconstructed.

History

Chattukulangara pally and late twentieth century historiography

Arthat priest Joseph Cheeran

A local belief having its origin in the late twentieth century states that Saint Thomas came to a region near present-day Kunnamkulam where Jews colonized. Joseph Cheeran, a former vicar and influential priest in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church promulgated these ideas. According to his theory, Saint Thomas preached gospel to the Jews and many were converted to Christianity. The Jewish Synagogue in that area is said to be converted to a Christian church. This church is claimed to be Chattukulangara pally. It is also said that St Thomas came to Judakunnu (Jew hill), there occurred a water scarcity in that area at that time. People were in great distress and they appealed to St Thomas for help. He is said to have whipped on the land on the top of the hill and there appeared a spring of fresh water. This is said to be later called Chattakkulam (ml:ചാട്ടക്കുളം) and it is hypothesised that the church near to it came to be known as Chattakkulangara pally. Cheeran's theory gained momentum and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church subscribes to this theory.

In contradistinction to this twentieth century identification, the traditional site where the establishment of a Christian community in the region is believed to have occurred has been the Palayur Church at least since the fourteenth century.

Cheeran therefore 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 Antonio de Gouvea and Francis Buchanan's account of the Arthat church supports his theory. However Cheeran's theory has been slammed even by fellow Orthodox scholars such as Kurian Thomas Maledath, comparing Cheeran's books to children's literature and noting his theory ambitious and localistic.

The Synod of Diamper and Coonan Cross Oath

Antonio de Gouvea, a Portuguese missionary and chronicler of 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:

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 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 our 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...

— Antonio Gouvea 1606

In 1772, Kattumangattu Bishop sent a letter to Sakthan Thampuran (Sakthan thampuran page 289) which states, in Thalappilli there was only one church existing in that region, which is the Chattukulangara palli. There were 2 more chapels also present in that region viz. 1.Chiralayam 2. Pazhanji (dedicated to Geverghese sahada).

Starting from the Coonan cross oath of 1653, both the factions of Malankara Nasranis wanted to take over the church to their fold and because of the dispute the church was closed for a while. 1805 with the request of them, the then King of Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran himself came to Arthat church to resolve the problem. Both parties agreed for a lucky draw. In the lucky draw the main church and buildings were gone to the Malankara Puthenkoor Syrians and the Stone cross of the church gone to the Pazhayakoor Syrians.

Tippu Sultan's invasion and destruction

In 1789 Tippu Sultan attacked and arsoned this church. It is said in folklores that Tippu's army killed a priest in the Altar room of this church and the blood spilled over there. Since it was considered impure, some part of the Altar was cut and removed. Hence this church was also called as Vetti muricha pally (ml:വെട്ടി മുറിച്ച പള്ളി) or cut altar church. Even now the Altar of this church remain distinct from other churches.

The Coral Missionary Magazine of 1876 gives an account of the Arthat church in Kunnamkulam.

Story of Kunnamkulam Mission from 1853 – 1873

The Syrians have probably been settled in this part of Cochin for centuries, though not in the pre sent town of Kunnankulam, as they have traditions that their forefathers lived near the old church of Arthat, about a mile from Kunnankulam. This old church has no village or bazaar near it now, but the Syrians say it was formerly surrounded by a large bazaar, but that in con sequence of a destructive fire, the inhabitants removed to the place where the present town of Kunnankulam stands. The church is still regarded by them with great veneration as their parish church, and as the burial place of their fore fathers, and is in fact their only cemetery now, 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 has since been re-roofed and thoroughly repaired, and is now one of the finest and most spacious Syrian churches in the country.
There is another ancient church at Palur, near Chowghaut, about six miles from Kunnankulam, which is one of the seven churches said to have been founded by St. Thomas. This church is now in the possession of the Roman Catholics. Numbers of Syrians, however, are pre sent 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 is recorded that they never acknowledged the authority of the Roman Archbishop Menezes in the 16th century when the Syrian church came under the in fluence of this emissary of Rome. It is a very interesting circumstance, that there were no representatives of the Chátukulangare Syrians at the famous Synod of Udiamparur (Diamper.)

Hope 1876, p. 82–83

Relations with the Anglican Mission

In 1800 Francis Buchanan visited this church and met Pulikkottil Ittoop Ramban, (Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I also known as Dionysius II).

In 1806 the Arthat Padiyola (resolution) declared to break all the chains of Rome, Babil & Antioch.

In 1808 Claudius Buchanan & Colin Macaulay made a visit and awarded a large gold medal to this principal church in the name of all Syrian Jacobite churches in Malabar.

Visit of Dr.Claudius Buchanan & Colonel Macauley 1808

Colonel Macaulay has accompanied me thus far We first proceeded from Cochin to the famous Shanscrit college at Trichur and thence to a district of the Syrian Christians which I had not before visited. It was named by Hyder, Nazarani Ghur or the city of the Nazarenes. It is a beautiful place fertile and populous. The town is 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 winds about the foot of the hill and the whole country is a scene of hill and dale. The priests and peo pie knew me and received us with great affection. Colonel Macaulay accompanied me to the principal church. Having signified my 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. There is no person in the town but Nazarenes. The medal which I presented to them was that which Mrs. J gave me before I left Calcutta. It is about three times as large as a college gold medal and exhibits the baptism of Jesus in Jordan elegantly executed and on the reverse a child brought to be baptized. I placed it on the altar in the presence of the people with due solemnity and beside it a gift to the poor. This town is in the territories of the Rajah of Cochin whom I visited a fortnight ago. Tippoo invaded this Syrian colony in 1789. The people pointed out to me the grove of trees on which the Christians were hanged. They are now so respectable for number and opulence that the Rajah of Cochin is obliged to treat them with indulgence and the more so as they are within four miles of the English territories in Malabar, Nazarani Bazar as it is sometimes called is due east from Paniani and is near Palghutcheri. This second visit to the Syrian churches has been useful.

(Pearson Hugh, M.A., Memoirs of the life and writings of the Rev.Claudius Buchanan, D.D. Benjamin & Thomas Kite 1817 Philadelphia p. 379.)

This church has the largest cemetery(1 hectare) of all churches in Kerala. The present cemetery wall was built with the initiative of Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Malankara.

The largest cemetery in Kerala

Church architecture

The church was earlier built in Kerala Architectural style thatched with coconut palm leaves. During the attack of Tippu Sultan the church was arsoned. Later the church was restructured with wooden roof, thatched with clay tiles. Mar Dionysius II when he was a Ramban was instrumental in restructuring the church in the present state. The present structure was built during 1805-1827 CE.

Church feud

The feud between the Patriarch faction and the Catholicos faction lead the Patriarch faction to establish another church called Arthat St Mary's Simhasana church in 1920.

List of parishes separated from Arthat church

The following are the parishes separated from this church

• Chiralayam
• Kottappady------>Kaveed/Perakam
• Anjoor
• Puthusseri
• Chowwannoor---->Marathamcodu/Pazhunnana/Vellarakkadu/Eyyal/Parembadam
• Guruvayoor
• Chemmannoor
• vylathoor ------>Attupuram
• Parannoor

2017 Storm

Church's rooftop damaged in storm

In 2017 June 25, a hurricane happened in Arthat causing great damages to all the churches in Arthat. The small, old St.Thomas Catholic church had to be reconstructed because of it.

In Literature

History of the church is well narrated in the fiction novel Francis Itticora by T.D. Ramakrishnan.

References

• Hope, W. (1876). "Story of Kunnamkulam Mission from 1853 to 1873". The Coral Missionary Magazine. London: W. Wells Gardener.