St.Mary's Cathedral Church, Changanachery (Changanaserry)

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Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Changanacherry.

The architecture of the church is European-inspired with Portuguese and Spanish themes. Inside, the high ceilings are supported on huge columns. The main altar features exquisite craftsmanship of wood carving of statues and crosses. The domed ceiling is adorned with fresco paintings.

There are no pews in the church: worshippers squat on the floor. As is customary in many Kerala churches, they are separated by gender: men sit up front while women occupy the rear section. A new semi-circular section was added to the rear of the building in the 60s to accommodate a growing congregation.

Outside, at the head of the building, stands the tallest structure in the town, namely, the bell tower. The ringing of the bell can be heard throughout the city.
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Coordinates:  9°26'38"N 76°32'10"E
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Comments

  • The church and surroundings were renovated some years ago and now are well preserved. The temptation to "modernize" has been resisted. I laud all those responsible for their admirable sense of history.
  • I used to go to this church whenever I visited my mothers house, and as far as I can recall, the men were on one side of the aisle, and the ladies on the other - and not as suggested by the author of the description.
  • This church is the seat of Arch Bishop of Changanacherry, an important arch diocese in India. This Cathedral church was bifurcated from the ancient Kalloorkadu St Maray Church (founded in 417 AD) in Champakulam, Kuttanadu.
This article was last modified 8 years ago