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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 Orthodox Syrian 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 9 January 2009 by Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos 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. An 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 King's 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. There is 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 (AD 1339). Even though there is 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.〔(Church History )〕 Early Challenges It was during the time of Valiya Avirah Tharakan (during the mid-18th century) that the Kalloopara St. Mary's Orthodox church was ordered to be demolished by a Judge (from Travancore High Court, Quilon), as the church had incurred huge debts in the past. After the court hearings, the Judge ordered for the entire church building to be knocked down and its land to be taken over by the creditor (Pocku Moosa Haji- Quilon). Valiya Avirah Tharakan immediately paid off all of its debts and took control of the church and its property. While holding complete control of Perumpranad, Valiya Avirah Tharakan at his own cost, took the privilege of rebuilding the St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Kalloopara for a better outlook (about 250 years ago). Some parts of that construction and art work of the church are still remarkably visible inside the church. In the recent years, this historical church has grown remarkably as a result of the constant efforts of its enthusiastic members and the outstanding leadership of its Vicars from time to time. Many parts of the church were renovated and more buildings were built for other activities, to keep up with the pace. The other reputable families such as Moothedathu families, Aaruveedan families, Moolamannil families and many other families have continued to contribute their outstanding leadership for the growth of this church over the past several years. It should be noted that The Aaruveedan family which was existed in Kalloopara for over 1000 years, had the privilege of building and maintaining this historic church for over 750 years, prior to the time of Adangapurathu family's establishment. The Aaruveedan family stood courageously for the existence of this church despite of many obstacles as a result of religious riots and conflicts up until 1750. Today, this beautiful church remains not only as one of the oldest churches in Travancore, but it also has its own unique pride and credibility in the Malankara Orthodox Church. == References == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Kallooppara」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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