Paliakkara Church
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BACKGROUND
The members of Paliakkara church before its foundation was generally of Niranam St.Mary’s Church, which was founded by St.Thomas the Apostle in A.D 54. At that time, the town was centralized in kavumbhagom and most of the Christians of the town lived in the Kaavil Street which stretched from Thiru Erankaav temple to Kaavil Temple. Most of the Christians lived here were merchants. They were brought by the local rulers from places like Kuravilangad, Mavelikkara etc. in the 15th Century for enhancement of trading. Also the rulers brought Tamil Brahmins from Madhura who were specialized in textile trading and banking. Both these took the Kaavil Street as their capital place and thus the street developed into one of biggest markets in Kerala (This market came to an end by the beginning of 20th Century).The Brahmins provided their banking facility to help traders. There were restrictions for lower castes to walk through this way (writings on stones with Royal Shell emblem can still found there).
HISTORY OF A BEGINNING
As Niranam church was a little bit far away from Tiruvalla, people felt much difficulty in traveling every week up to Niranam. So the people decided to find a place in tiruvalla itself and build a church there. For this, they located the place where now the church is situated. As a follow up, the christain leaders in tiruvalla jointly submitted a request to the authorities to grant permission to build a church. Then some people came with oppositions. They claimed that the location found by Christians is parallel to the Sri Vallabha Temple, which is the main and famous temple of Tiruvalla. Moreover, they claimed that there was some old worship place in the land where the church was proposed. The Christians didn’t mind this and they proceeded with the preparations.
The rulers of the land of Tiruvalla were a group of Brahmin families called “Pathillathil Potties”. Those who opposed the church formation went to one of the Potties and got a stay order in the subject. Thus a strong dispute got arise between Christians and upper caste-Hindus of the place. Men of 18 major Christian families like Kovoor, Kanjirakkatt, Kizhakkedathu, Kodiyatt,Peediakkal, Mathilunkal etc. who lived in Kaavil street met together and planned future actions. One day, there occurred a debate between the Brahmins and several Christians over the issue of church foundation at the Kaavil Street. During the conversation, one of the Brahmins took a pledge that “Thiruvallayappanaane ningal palli Vekkelle” (In the name of Sri Vallabha, I pledge that you will not build the church). Suddenly a gentleman, Kizhakkedathu Panicker ( the men of Kizhakkedathu family had been granted by a degree ‘Panicker’ which was given by the kings to Warrior and Merchant Christians) jumped forward and took a counter pledge “Niranathammayane njangal palli vekkume”( In the name of St.Mary of Niranam, we pledge that we will build the church). Those words rushed as fire into the hearts of Christians and on the very next instant they marched to their proposed place of worship (This is remembered every year on the last day of the church feast by a procession through kaavil market starting from the church). Within a single day and night, they worked together and built a small church with coconut leaves and bamboos. This was the starting of the now Paliakkara Church and the rest is history.
Story doesn’t end there. Some bad fellows put the small new church into fire on the very next day. The leaders of those who built the church were in fury. They rushed to Trivandrum and told their worries to Rani Sethu Lakhmibhai, the regent ruler of the State of Travancore at that time. As Travancore was under strong British influence at that time, they also saw Colonel Monroe, the British resident to Travancore state. At that times, Marthoma (title of metropolitans who ruled the entire Christians of Kerala) used to gain good support and respect from the kingdoms and due to the strong recommendation by the then ruler of the church Marthoma VIII , the regent queen ordered that a new church is to be built at the same place of the old one at the expense of those who fired the temporary church with additional fine of 8000 rupees. She also granted woods from govt. depots for the building and 20000 rupees. Thus the church was rebuilt and the balance amount was donated for the building of Kottayam Seminary which was built in the same period.
There is no existing record for the date of the foundation of the first church, but the permanent church was completed and consecrated on March 20th, 1814 by Marthoma VIII. Later on, this church developed as a big shrine of the far and near, without any bar of caste and religion. Even those who opposed the construction of new church praised it and the land came back to its harmony again.
DEVELOPING CUSTOMS
Paliakkara church had been ruled by priests from Niranam from families like Mattakkal, Panakkamuttom etc. At these times, Paliakkara church gained ownership of many farmlands in and around tiruvalla including the paddy fields, coconut trees in islands like Venpala, Kallunkal etc. Later these all lands were acquired by certain church members themselves. This happened to the land around the church along with the church pond.Day by day, the fame of the church grew and the people there adopted many customs and rituals of those practiced in Sri Vallabha temple. Good example is the custom of pouring coconut oil to the big oil lamp on early morning of the first day of the year. Chingam1.We can see many people going to both the places before morning with oil. This became more or less common practice in Paliakkara Church everyday which is still practiced here.
Similalarly, the feast of St.George was celebrated in Paliakkara church for 10 days from 28th April to 7th May of every year. This is adopted from the 10day festival in Sri Vallabha temple. Like the procession with the idol of Sri Vallabha, people used to make a big model of a horse (which is the vehicle of St.George) and take a procession through kaavil market. There would be big feasts everyday and people from all over the surrounding places of tiruvalla used to come over to see the circuses, various games etc. It looked very much like a temple festival. When Mar Yuyakkim Koorilos from Antioch visited Tiruvalla in 1847, he saw this unchristian ritual. Angrily, he took his sword and cut the wooden head of the horse and asked his orderlies to put it in the church pond. Father Iype Thoma Kovoor was the vicar then and he also supported the Bishop. Gradually the 10 day festival came to an end and the feast is then done peacefully from 5-7 of May.
FIRST SCHOOL OF TIRUVALLA
In the meanwhile, a lady from a family in Kaavil market married a Catholic in Aleppey. The family was forced to pay compensation to the church. They donated a side of their land in a stretch to the church so that a road can be formed to the church. A small bridge was also built on the way (called “pallippalam” now). Earlier, there was only a narrow way starting from the place opposite to the Kattappuram Church. That land is still under Government in records. The family also built a small school and handed over to the church aside the road they donated. Later it became under Kattappuram Church and now a commercial building. This building was undoubtedly the first school of Tiruvalla. No more records are available on it.
By 1850’s, the protestant reformation gained much power in the Indian Orthodox Church. It had heart in the central Travancore and led by Kovoor Fr. Iype Thoma. He was vicar of Paliakkara Church for many years and succeeded in bringing many of the folks to the path of Protestantism. He was strongly opposed by several people like those from families like Kanjirakkattu, Kodiyattu, Chalakuzhy etc. They gave a petition to the Malankara Metropolitan H.G Mar Mathews Athanasius. Mar Athanasius was a supporter of protestanism, but he did’nt show it in public. As the petitioners asked him to prevent Kovoor cathanar from performing Holy Qurbana in Paliakkara church, the shrewd Metropolitan asked them to build a wall on the eastern side of the church so that the priest can perform his rituals there. This happened in M.E 1044.The orthodox people agreed to this solution, but Father Iype Thoma continued to use the main altar.
As seeing their efforts going in vein, the above said orthodox leaders when to H.G Yuyakkim Mar Koorilos who came from Antioch to defeat Mathews Athanasius. With the help of Koorilos, they filed cases in civil courts against the reformation faction who held the major rule in the church and started building a new church inside the Kaavil Market in the land of Kattappuram family. In spite of the petitions from the opposite factions, they completed a church in the name of St.George in 1867.In the same year another church was built on the same street in the name of St.Mulk Youhanon.Both these churches were consecrated by H.G Yuyakkim Mar Koorilos. Court ordered that Paliakkara church to be shut down until the disputes are over.All these times, the orthodox faction managed to hide the valuable big Silver Cross of the church from the protestants. It was hidden inside the church pond for years until the church got favorable order from court.
Atlast the Royal Court proclaimed a major decision in 1889 covering the entire churches in Malankara by which Orthodox Church was authorized on every assets which resulted in the formation of Marthoma church. Then each faction used the church on alternate weeks. In 1901, Marthoma faction drew out of their claim over the church with a compensation of 1700 rupees.
Times of disputes didn’t end there. In 1912, new issues came into existence in Indian Orthodox Church and its waves reached Paliakkara Church too. Again the church was divided for worship over the Patriarch Faction and Catholicos faction. Both of them had their strongholds at Kattappuram and Thekke Puthen Church respectively. At alternate weeks they used either these churches or Paliakkara Church. Still the spirit of people to the church did not decrease. They continued to go to the church and shared their worries and needs to St.George everyday. In 1958, Supreme Court of India ordered in favor of Orthodox Church and Paliakkara Church also became independent. 1968 witnessed an agreement with the three churches- Paliakkara St.George, Kattappuram St.George and Thekke Puthen St.Mulk to join as one parish; which was coordinated by H.H Baselios Augen I Catholicos. This joint system continued until 2003 when they became three independent parishes to develop further.
ART AND ARCHITECHTURE
The specialty of this church is its uniqueness in the architecture. It’s a typical model of churches built in similar period with wings at both sides and with pictures in the high external walls. The murals on the eastern wall of the altar had attracted many tourists and history students to this site. They are of high quality and perfection with natural components and represent the last generation of murals in Kerala. The pictures generally demonstrate the major events in our Lord’s life on earth. Below it is a huge picture of St.George at the center and twelve apostles on either side. Their names are also written in Syriac at the bottom. On either side of the big wooden pieces on the roof, we can see small statues of tigers and elephants. Also some writings were found on the wall above the baptism tub during the renovation process in 2005, which can probably been in the other areas of the church walls also.
'Note: The above said facts are collected from old books and memories as heard from forefathers. If anyone have a new story or correction on this, please discuss on talk page before editing on this.'
