#edapallychurch #kochi #edapally
St. George's feast is celebrated on 3rd and 4th may of every year. It is attended by 1000s of people annually.
St. George's Syro Malabar Forane Church, locally known as Edapally Church is a Catholic pilgrimage church in Edapally, Kochi, India. Asia's largest shrine to Saint George, about five million people visit it every year.
The church is thought to have been founded in 593 AD. It is regarded as one of the oldest churches in Kerala, after the seven churches founded by Thomas the Apostle in the first century AD.The church was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Marth Mariam). In 1080, a new church was built adjacent to the old church. A nine-day festival is celebrated annually as part of the Feast of Saint George (23 April). The church, also a destination for non-Christians,attracts offerings of gold, chicken, and eggs.
St. George's Forane Church, north-east of Kochi, is 500 metres from the intersection of NH 66 and NH 544. The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery, about 22 km from the church. The Edappally railway station is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away. Kochi Metro, the city's rail network, runs in front of the church.
The church has a 14-century history. Its perennial well attracted many people, and the church became a pilgrimage site.
According to historians, Thomas the Apostle (Thoma Sleeha in Malayalam) built seven churches. The Edapally church was built during the sixth century, shortly after the construction of the seven churches.
A statue of St. George (Geevarghese Sahada) on horseback, stabbing a serpent under his horse's hooves, is prominent. The church blends religion, magic, myth, folklore and history. Edappally was a hamlet, part of the princely kingdom of Elangalloor. Its Syrian Christian congregation was small, descendants of those who were converted to Christianity by St. Thomas the Apostle (who came to India in 52 AD). The oldest Edappally church was built in 593, and the one-room building is preserved as a storehouse. It was built by families from Paravur who had to travel to the Kottakavu Forane Church in North Paravur to worship.
The congregation outgrew the old church, and a second church was built in 1080. Its main altar and facade were renovated during the 1970s, and a picture of the Virgin Mary was added. The imported-tile floor remains.
The 1400th anniversary of the church's founding was celebrated on 18 January 1994. Mother Teresa visited from Calcutta as the chief guest.To commemorate the occasion, a bell tower was constructed on the church premises and a bell installed. The bell was later moved to the archangel tower of the new church.
The foundation stone for the third church, blessed by Pope John Paul II, was laid on 1 January 2001. The octagonal, 141-foot-high (43 m) church covers a 88,000-square-foot (8,200 m2) area, and is one of India's largest churches. Blending European and Keralite architecture, its altar is made of teak covered with gold foil imported from Italy and it has two bell towers. Old (original sin, Noah’s Ark and Cain and Abel) and New Testament scenes (the story of Jesus) are depicted as sculptures. The altar, depicting the Resurrection, is surrounded by carvings in Vietnamese marble. The 19,500-square-foot (1,810 m2) main chapel has a capacity of 5,000, and theoo entire church can hold 10,000 people. The two older churches have been preserved for their historic importance.
Vastushilpalaya were the new church's architects.The church courtyard has a well, and devotees believe that its water has curative powers.
Like us on- / thejscreation
#stgeorge #kochi #kochilife #kerala #incredibleindia #travelblogger
#jobyabraham
Информация по комментариям в разработке