Paliakkara church situated in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, is one of the most ancient churches in Kerala. The existence of this church dates back to the time of the arrival of St. Thomas, India’s Apostle, in A.D 54. Since then the church has remained a famous pilgrim centre. The architecture and the paintings on the eastern wall of the church is quite significant. As the paintings are done using natural vegetable dyes it showcases our ancient culture and traditions.
The famous paintings depict different stages of Jesus’s life and the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The beautiful sculptures, paintings and murals help the visitors to travel back into a time when Christianity as a religion suffered a lot in relation to the spreading of God’s words in a land unaccustomed to a foreign religion. It was the struggles endured by the first generation of Christians in Kerala that helped to fan out the religion and its ideologies to more and more people. Now Christianity is a strong religion in Kerala with more than millions of Christians.
It is yet interesting to know that from the architectures and interiors of the church, one can trace elements of Hinduism here and there. There are tiny sculptures of elephants and tigers engraved on the wooden beams of the roof. Even the celebrations and festivals in Paliakkara church parallels with the festivals in Sree Vallabha temple in Thiruvalla. The Hindus and Christians coexist in harmony even with the confluence of their cultures. It is to be noted that the 10-day festival of the church during the months of April and May is very similar to the festival in the temple. Visit Paliakkara church to cherish the beauty of ancient architecture and to witness the beginning of Christianity in Kerala.
Contact Details
Paliakara St. George Orthodox Church
Paliakara, Kayamkulam – Thiruvalla Hwy,
Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta,
Kerala 689101
