St. Thomas Church, Thumpoly

St. Thomas Church, Thumpoly Pilgrimage Shrine Church.
St. Thomas Church, Thumpoly Pilgrimage Shrine Church.
Location	Thumpoly, Alleppey(Alappuzha) Kerala.
Country	India

Last updated September 04, 2024

Thumpoly St. Thomas Church Marian Pilgrimage Shrine is a church in Thumpoly, Kerala, India, and is a well-known Christian Marian pilgrimage shrine of Kerala. Although this church is known in the name of Saint Thomas, it is the Mother of God, Our lady of Immaculate Conception (Amalolbhava Mata) and her feast that made Thumpoly famous. For the first time (Between 1550 and 1600) in India, the statue of the Mother of God Holy Virgin Mary was enshrined in Thumpoly Church. Even today, Thumpoly Church still following has the traditional/heritage traditional rituals. In 1585 AD, The Confraternity-Visionary Community was established in Thumpoly Church. This church is also known as "Thumpoly Pally". This Church Includes under the Diocese of Alleppey-(Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey ). Thumpoly Church, the second most important church in the Diocese of Alleppey , is expected to receive elevated the status of the second Minor Basilica in the Diocese. A few Christians migrated to Thumpoly in the 06th century AD and established a small thatched church called Thomapally there. Thus began the Christian tradition of Thumpoly. Thumpoly Church is one of the largest Churches built in architecture of Indo-Portuguese style in Kerala. Thumpoly is located 6 kilometers from Alappuzha city, 80 kilometers from Kochi International Airport, 60 Kilometers from Kochi -Cochin City , 20 kilometers from Cherthala, 25 kilometers from Kuttanadu, 34 Kilometers from Changanassery and 52 kilometers from Kayamkulam. This is an ancient and is a heritage church with a long tradition that was built by the Portuguese and was established in the AD 1600s(With stone and wood). It is one of the important Christian pilgrimage shrines of Kerala and Alappuzha district. It is the second most important pilgrimage or Church centre in the Diocese of Alleppey. Thumpoly church is under the protection of the Department of Archaeology.

Visiting Time: Visiting hours at Thumpoly Church are from 5.30 am to 8.00 pm every day. On festival days like Thirunal, the church will be closed only after 10.30 pm (unless it is busy). The church is not usually closed on important festivals days. Or if it is closed, the Thirunada will close only after 11.30 PM or half night 12.00Am.

History of Thumpoly Church

AD|From the 6th century AD, a few Christians settled in Thumpoly and thus the Christian tradition began. A small that church named Thomaa Pally Church was established here. In AD-820 the bishops of Syria, Mar Sapor and Mar Proth, on their way from Manakodam to Kollam, visited Thumpoli, where the cross established and later the said cross came to be known as Muthappan Kurish. Thumpoly church was established with stone & Wood in the AD 1600s. It was initially a small church. The first church was a small church with ola pastures. Between During the AD 1550-1600s a ship sailed from Paris (Portugal)from Italy) across the Arabian Sea, losing control of the ship due to wind, rain and thunder and the captain hand over a miracle statue of mother of god virginmary to be enshrined in the Thumpoly Church. In AD 1585 The Confraternity Culture is established at Thumpoly church.^[1] In the 1700s the current church was built by the Portuguese, who established 23 Churches in Kerala, and it is known and known as the first church of its kind. Between the years 1600 and 1700, there was only a small church in Thumpoly. Between those periods efforts were made to build a large Church at Thumpoly . But all of them were attacked in war and so on and due to financial difficulties it was not possible to build a big church like it is now. Later, in 1700, the grand church as seen today was built. The construction of the church was started in 1600 but due to some reasons it was stopped temporarily and then the reconstruction of the church started in 1664 and after that in 1700 the construction speeded up and the construction of the present church was completed in 1730. Thumpoly Church was last renovated in 2009 in such a way that Tanima and heritage were not lost. Thumpoly church was the first church in India at that time to have a statue of the Mother of God and rituals. This Thumpoly mata is also known by another name, Kappalottakaari Amma or "sailors mother".- 'the mother who came by ship in the year between AD 1550- 1600s. The Confraternity feast of Immaculate Conception at Thumpoly Church is a very historic and famous festival. And also Thumpoly Church and Poomkavu Church are important Christian pilgrimage centers located very close to each other in Alappuzha district. This Poomkavu church is a famous holy week pilgrimage.

Features

church Established stone & wood in AD 1600.
In 1550 - 1600s in India, the Statue of the Mother of God (Holy Virgin Mary) was first enshrined here in Thumpoly Church.
Thumpoly Church is likely to get Minor Basilica status / other Higher status.
Thumpoly Mata is also known as Kapalottakkari Amma/ Mother of Sailors.(Because Thumpoli Mata came on Ship).
Thumpoly is one of the most important Christian pilgrimage shrines in Kerala.
It is an important Marian pilgrimage shrine in Kerala state,Alappuzha District and Diocese of Alleppey .
Thumpoly Church and Poomkavu Church are important Christian pilgrimage centers located very close to each other in Alappuzha district. This Poomkavu church is a famous holy week pilgrimage shrine.

Thumpoly church feast

The Confraternity feast of Our Lady Of Immaculate Conception at Thumpoly Church is a very historical and famous festival. Darshana Thirunal (confraternity feast of Amalolbhava mata -Immaculate Conception- (Thumpoly Mata) is celebrated every year from November 27 to December 15 at Thumpoly church. Until a century and a half ago, the month of August was celebrated as the feast of the Assumption of Mary in Thumpoly Church. The our lady of Immaculate Conception feast at Thumpoly Church is a Thirunal celebration that lasts for (11) 18 days. The Thirunal feast flag is hoisted every year on November 28 at 7:30 PM. All devotees hold lighted candles in their hands while hoisting the flag. People come here from far and wide to see it. The main festival day is December 8. The Thirunal Predakshinam (Feast circumambulation), which carries the historical Statue of Mother Virgin Mary Thumpoly, which is taken out only once a year, takes about two hours to return to enter the church. Ettaammidam thirunal festival day is December 15th. Opening of Thiruswaroopa Thirunada Thurakkal of Mother of Thumpoly mata on 6 December. The Thumpoly church festival ends at midnight on December 15. Every year from 6th December to 15th December and on the main important days of the feast/ festival , from the church and the church premises to the beach are decorated with lamps and lights and many people come here to see it and enjoy it. Important Vow(Nercha) is the Pattum Kireedavum EzhunnallippuThe main votive offering is the Silk and the Crown Ezhunnallippu. And there are many other vows/offerings). Parish Feast of the Parish arbitrator Saints Thomas and Saints Peter are celebrated on the first Sunday or second Sunday of July. The Feast of the Birth/Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated from September 1 to September 8. Every year from 1 to 31 October the month of Japamala, the rosary is celebrated as a celebration. This is one of the biggest Marian festivals (feasts) and Pilgrimage Church seen in Kerala and Alappuzha District.^{[ citation needed ]}

Related Research Articles

Alappuzha district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was formed as Alleppey district on 17 August 1957, the name of the district being changed to Alappuzha in 1990. Alappuzha is the smallest district of Kerala. Alleppey town, the district headquarters, was renamed Alappuzha in 2012.

A shrine to the Virgin Mary, or Marian shrine, is a shrine marking an apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Marian devotion. Such locales are often the destinations of Christian pilgrimages.

Arthunkal is a coastal town and a major pilgrim centre in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is 40 kilometre south of Cochin city and 21 kilometre north of Alleppey town. It is a rapidly developing satellite town of Kochi. Arthunkal lies in the taluk of Cherthala, which is in turn a part of the district of Alleppey.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.

Edathua is a small village in Kuttanad, Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. It is located 12 km from Thiruvalla city center, National Highway 183 and the Thiruvalla railway station.

A confraternity is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most common among Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and the Western Orthodox. When a Catholic confraternity has received the authority to aggregate to itself groups erected in other localities, it is called an archconfraternity. Examples include the various confraternities of penitents and the confraternities of the cord, as well as the Confraternity of the Holy Guardian Angels and the Confraternity of the Rosary.

Champakulam is a village in Kerala, India. It is in Alappuzha district. Champakulam is part of Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, and is resplendent in green paddy fields, coconut groves and water fowl. Champakulam is an important tourist spot and is famous for the Champakulam Moolam Boat Race. The river Pampa flows through the village, splitting it into two. It is connected by road to Alappuzha, Changanassery and Edathua.

Marian feast days in the liturgical year are celebrated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The number of Marian feasts celebrated, their names can vary among Christian denominations.

Thumpoly is coastal town in the Alappuzha district, India, and is a well-known Christian Marian pilgrimage shrine of Kerala. Thumpoly church - is a heritage church built by the Portuguese and was established in the year 1600 with stone and wood. Thumpoly is located at a distance of 80 km from Kochi International Airport, 60 km from Cochin city, 6 km from Alappuzha city, 20 km from Cherthala, 25 km from kuttanadu, 34 km from Changanassery and 52 km from kayamkulam. It is connected to Alappuzha, Arthunkal, Kochi, Ernakulam by road and railway. It is located on the edge of NH 66 & State Highway 66. The National Highway 66 cuts through the middle of the town. The Arabian Sea is on one side, and a small lake on the other, with the beach of Chakara in Kerala. It is a natural habitat of many rare birds. Thumpoly is known for its canals, which end their course in the Arabian Sea. There are fishing villages on the beaches. The local population are also involved in coir making. Thumpoly is located on the border of Alappuzha Municipality. Thumpoly shares border with Alappuzha Municipality and Aryad Grama Panchayat. Thumpoly church is the largest landmark of Thumpoly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marian year</span> Any year chosen for specific adoration of Mary the mother of Jesus

A Marian year is a designation given by the Catholic Church to calendar years in which Mary the mother of Jesus is to be particularly reverenced and celebrated. Marian years do not follow a set pattern; they may be declared by a bishop for his diocese, or a national conference of bishops for a country.

Catholic Marian churches are religious buildings dedicated to the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These churches were built throughout the history of the Catholic Church, and today they can be found on every continent including Antarctica. The history of Marian church architecture tells the unfolding story of the development of Catholic Mariology.

Mary has been one of the major subjects of Western art for centuries. There is an enormous quantity of Marian art in the Catholic Church, covering both devotional subjects such as the Virgin and Child and a range of narrative subjects from the Life of the Virgin, often arranged in cycles. Most medieval painters, and from the Reformation to about 1800 most from Catholic countries, have produced works, including old masters such as Michelangelo and Botticelli.

Our Lady of Europe is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of Gibraltar and protectress of Europe. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar where devotion continues to this day, over 700 years on.

The largest shrine of St Sebastian in the world, the church known as Arthunkal St. Andrew's Basilica and St. Sebastian's International Shrine in Arthunkal, Cherthala, Alappuzha district, Kerala, India, was constructed by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. The grand annual feast of St Sebastian Arthunkal in January, which lasts for a month accompanied by millions of pilgrims is one of the important celebrations and major attractions in India. The feast of shrine Basilica is also known as Makaram Perunnal. The church was rebuilt in 1584 under the vicar Jacomo Fenicio, an Italian Jesuit whose devotees claim to possess powers to heal the body and mind. Devotees fondly referred to him as "Arthunkal Veluthachan", "fair-skinned father". Fenicio died in 1632. Eight years after his death, the church was rebuilt again, this time reoriented to face west towards the long white-sand beach on the shores of the Arabian Sea. In 1647, a statue of St. Sebastian, struck with arrows all over his bleeding body sculptured in Milan, was brought and placed in the Arthunkal church.

Religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.

Our Mother of Sheshan or Our Lady of Sheshan (佘山聖母), also known as Our Mother of Zo-sè, is a celebrated Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by Chinese Roman Catholics. Among its religious devotees, the statue is sometimes known as Our Lady of Luck or Our Lady of Good Luck due to the Chinese symbology of "Fu" (福) associated with the styling posture of the entire image. The original image is currently enshrined in the National Shrine and Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan, in Shanghai, China.

St. Mary's Forane Church, Chalakudy, is one of the 10 Foranes or deaneries under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda, which was established in 1978 by the bifurcation of Thrissur Diocese. Prior to that, Chalakudy was part of Thrissur diocese, the most ancient Diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Thrissur diocese has since been elevated to an archdiocese, Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur, within which comes the Irinjalakuda diocese. There are 16 parishes under the Chalakudy Forane. The people of Chalakudy, mainly in business or service sectors, belong to middle or upper-middle-class families. Chalakudy is one of those areas in Kerala with a high concentration of Christian population, most belonging to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

Our Lady of Consolation or Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in the Catholic Church.

St. George Forane Church, Edathua, also known as Edathua Pally is a parish of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Saint George is the patron saint of the church. It is one of the pilgrimage centre in Kerala located at Edathua on the bank of Pamba River in Alleppey District, Kerala. This church belongs to Archeparchy of Changanassery.

References

↑ Bennett, James; historian), Russell Kelty (Art (2014). Treasure Ships: Art in the Age of Spices. Art Gallery of South Australia. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-921668-22-7.

This article related to Kerala is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about a church building or other Christian place of worship in India is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Bennett, James; historian), Russell Kelty (Art (2014). Treasure Ships: Art in the Age of Spices. Art Gallery of South Australia. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-921668-22-7.

[1]