Marth Maryam Valiyapally Kothamangalam
| St.Mary's Cathedral Kothamangalam | |
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St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral. Kothamangalam
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 St.Mary's Cathedral Kothamangalam
 St.Mary's Cathedral Kothamangalam
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| 10°03′45″N 76°37′44″E / 10.0625°N 76.629°ECoordinates: 10°03′45″N 76°37′44″E / 10.0625°N 76.629°E | |
| Location |
 Kothamangalam, Ernakulam, India
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| Denomination | Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church |
| Website | http://www.cheriapally.org |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Valiyapally |
| Style | Kerala Architecture |
| Completed | 1455 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Kerala |
| District | Ernakulam |
St.Mary's Church or Marth Maryam Cathedral is a Valiyapally (Principal church) situated in Kothamangalam town of India. It is located in Ernakulam district of Kerala state, India.
It's one of the most ancient Christian churches in India. It is believed that the church was founded on or before 4th century by a few Syrian Christian families who migrated from Paravur and Angamali. The new church established in AD 1340 by four Syrian Christian merchants who bought the entire land of Kothamangalam from a local chief for commodity trading with the nearby state of Tamil Nadu.
Historically kothamangalam is the major commercial city in Portuguese Period.The Marth Maryam church at Kothamangalam, commonly known as Valiyapally is the oldest of all the churches in the region. It is also believed that one of the seven and a half churches founded by St Thomas is @ Gokkamangalam=> Kokkamangalam=> Kotamanagalam=>Kothamangalam. It should be mentioned that no other ancient churches in Kerala bring forward any claim for the ancient Gokkamangalam church established by St. Thomas. According to tradition, Mar Yuhannon who represented the Malankara Church at the Holy Synod of Ephesus in AD 431 stayed at Kothamangalam church and had visited Angamaly Church.
The altars in the Martha Maryam church are dedicated to the Mother of God, Saint George, Saint John the Baptist, Apostles Saint Peter & Saint Paul and Saint Thomas
The most important festivals of the church are celebrated on 10 February and 15 August.
A small portion of the Holy Girdle of Saint Mary, rediscovered at the Syriac Orthodox Church at Homs in 1953 by Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem I Barsoum, was established in this church In 1980 by the diocesan Metropolitan Thomas Mor Dionysius (The present Catholicos of Malankara)
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