About Us
The old Church at Kanjirappally is a centre of Marian pilgrimage, visited by millions of people from all over India, irrespective of religious affiliations. Our Lady has been a loadstar of the general public and a source of comfort to those who seek her blessings. In vernacular parlance she is Akkara Amma, Our Mother of Yonder Church.
History of the Church
It is historically proved that Saint Thomas did come to India shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus (Vide History of The Indian Church, by Dr. Rev. Father Xavier Koodapuzha). One of the Churches established by Saint Thomas was at Chayal, today known as Nilakkal. Chayal was a great centre of trade, mostly of agricultural produce, of the surrounding mountainous regions. Chayal was an important city of the Kingdom of Chembakacherry. This kingdom had a flourishing trade with the Pandya kingdom of Madurai. But in the year 1325, Chembakacherry had was a war with kingdom of Madurai, probably owing to a trade dispute. The city was looted and torched and nothing remained of it. The Nilakkal church was burned down, but Thommy mappilla, (Elder Thomas) the Chief Trusty of the church managed to save the statue of the Blessed Virgin.
He and his cohorts fled the burning city and made their way through forests, to Pazhoor Valley and Kanjirappally, some 45 kilometers away. They settled in these places.
A hundred years later, a fifth generation grandson of the Thommy mappilla, his name sake, had no children and sought the blessings of the Blessed Virgin Mary. His incessant prayers were answered and he was blessed with many children. He had vowed to erect a church in honor of the Blessed Virgin.
To fulfill his vow, in the year 1449, he petitioned His Highness Vera Kerala Perumal, the Maha Raja of Thekkumkoor Kingdom. Records show that he paid Rasee 1200 (One rasee is about ten chakram. Later 28.5 chakrams made one British Rupee) which was a substantial sum to melt the heart of any king, as gift to the sovereign. An Edict was inscribed on palm leaf. The edict identified the property for the Church in the west of Painappally Holdings, and south of the Chittar Brook. Permission was given to set up a market too, in the property. It was further exempt from land tax. In the same year, the faithful under the leadership of Thommy mappila, erected a church building, made of wood and roof of grass thatches.
They celebrated the first Holy Mass in the church, on the Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, in the year 1449.
Seventy three years later, in 1522, as historical documents show, there was another royal intervention, for the upkeep of the Church. The occasion was the visit of the King of Thekkemkor kingdom, to the market and the church. The Royal Highness was shocked to find that there was no light burning in the sanctum of the Church. On hearing that the church did not have the wherewithal to keep a light burning as it required considerable quantity of oil, the king issued an edict to establish a standard measure, chothana, for measuring oil in the market. All traders were bound to use this standard in all oil trade and a certain percent of it was to be given to the Church for lighting purposes. This happy custom continued for a long time thereafter.
