Ernakulam is a district of Kerala, India situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,068 km2, Ernakulam district is home to over 12% of Kerala’s population. Its headquarters is located at Kakkanad in Kochi. Ernakulam is known as the commercial capital of Kerala. The district is famous for its ancient temples, churches, and mosques. The district includes the largest metropolitan region of the state, Greater Cochin. Ernakulam district is the highest revenue yielding district in the state. It is the third most populous district in Kerala, after Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram .. Ernakulam district also hosts the highest number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala state.
Christianity is India's third most followed religion according to the census of 2011, with approximately 28 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population. It is traditionally believed that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who supposedly landed in Kerala in 52 AD. There is a general scholarly consensus that Christianity was established in India by the 6th century AD, including some communities who used Syriac liturgies. It is possible that the religion's existence extends as far back as the purported time of St. Thomas's arrival.
Mallappally is a taluk in Kerala state in India. It is one of the five taluks that make up the Pathanamthitta district. Historically a part of the kingdom of Travancore and called "Land of the BA graduates" due to English education imparted by Anglican missionaries in the 19th century, Mallappally is the original home of a large number of Non-resident Indians, and has one of the lowest population growth and lowest literacy rates in India.
Adoor, sometimes spelled Adur is one of the major town in Kerala State pathnamthitta district. Adoor is one of the two Revenue Divisions of the Pathanamthitta District. Adoor Revenue Division includes Kozhencherry (Pathanamthitta), Konni, and Adoor Thaluks. Adoor Thaluk includes two Municipal Towns Adoor and Pandalam. Adoor was previously in the Kollam District. The municipality is located between the major cities of Trivandrum and Kochi in south Kerala.
Cheppad is a scenic village in Karthikapally Taluk of Alleppy District in Kerala State, India. It is about halfway between Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram on the National Highway 47.
Saint Thomas Christian crosses are ancient crosses that belonged to the ancient community of Saint Thomas Christians of India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of St Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. It is thus one of the oldest Christian communities of the world. Saint Thomas Christian crosses are broadly classified as Mar Thoma Sliba, Persian Cross, and Nasrani Sthambam.
Christianity is the third-most practised religion in Kerala, accounting for 18% of the population according to the Indian census. Although a minority, the Christian population of Kerala is proportionally much larger than that of India as a whole. A significant portion of the Indian Christian population resides in the state.
Kadampanad grama panchayath is the southernmost part of Pathanamthitta district. It comes under Parakkode block of Adoor taluk. The panchayath shared boundaries with Erathu panchayath in the north, Ezhamkulam panchayath in the east, Kunnathur panchayath and Kalladayar in the south and Pallikkal and Poruvazhy Panchayaths in the west. Kakkathikkunnu in the north and Pandimalakkunnu (Pandimalappuram) in the south stands as two strong forts in this panchayath which balances the climatic conditions of this area.
Oriental Orthodoxy is the fourth largest communion of Christian churches, with about 76 million members worldwide. As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history and culture of Armenia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and parts of the Middle East and India. An Eastern Christian communion of autocephalous churches, its bishops are equal by virtue of episcopal ordination, and its doctrines can be summarised in that the communion recognizes the validity of only the first three ecumenical councils.
Hinduism is the most widely professed religion in Kerala, with significant Muslim and Christian communities. Kerala has a reputation of being, communally, one of the most religiously diverse states in India. According to 2011 Census of India figures, 54.73% of Kerala's population are Hindus, 26.56% are Muslims, 18.38% are Christians, and the remaining 0.32% follows other religions or no religion.
Christianity in the state of Tamil Nadu, India is believed to be at least 300 years and legendarily almost 2000 years old. Letters and several documents of Sixteenth century Jesuit Fathers indicate introduction of Christianity in Sixteenth century by St Francis Xavier in Kanyakumari District. According to tradition developed in 19th century, St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, landed in Malabar Coast in AD 52. In the colonial age a large number of Portuguese, Dutch, British and Italian Christians came to Tamil Nadu. Priests accompanied them not only to minister the colonisers but also to spread the Christian faith among the non-Christians in Tamil Nadu. Currently, Christians are a minority community comprising 6% of the total population. Christians are mainly concentrated in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu - Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli.
Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are the prominent religions in Kollam district.
St. George Orthodox Church, Cheppad, Alapuzha in Kerala state of India, is popularly known as Cheppad Valiya Pally, and is a pilgrim centre of Malankara Orthodox Church. The church is also the resting place of Cheppad Philipose Mar Dionysius, Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church who lived in the mid 19th century. A 600-year-old mural in Cheppad the Church exhibits Christian traditional paintings.
The Saint Thomas Christian denominations are traditional Christian denominations from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are also known as "Nasranis" as well. The Syriac term "Nasrani" is still used by St. Thomas Christians in Kerala.
St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Kadampanad, popularly known as Kadampanad Church is an ancient church of Saint Thomas Christians situated in the Central Travancore village of Kadampanad, in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. This Church belongs to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church under the Diocese of Adoor-Kadampanad.
St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Piravom, also known as Piravom Valiyapally is the most ancient and prominent Cathedral Church of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church in Kerala, India. The church stands on a hilltop on the eastern bank of the Muvattupuzha river at Piravom, 35 km. east of Kochi. It is widely known as the Rajakkalude Pally, as well as the Martha Maryam pally. It is a pilgrimage center for Syrian Christians in Kerala. This church is disputed between Indian Orthodox and Jacobite Church.
