Replica of Holy Land, St. Mary's Church, Chalakudy

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Site Name: Replica of Holy Land, St. Mary's Church
Site Type: Church
Location:  Chalakudy, Kerala, India
Highlights: An ancient church; Replica of Holy Land depicting various incidents in the life of Jesus Christ
Nearest Railway Station: Chalakudy
Nearest Airport: Cochin
How to reach: Well connected by road and rail
Hotel: A lot of options are available within Ernakulam/Cochin; Few options including homestays are available in Chalakudy
Restaurants: It's difficult to find different varieties of restaurants


Chalakudy is a small and beautiful town located near Cochin in Kerala state of India. Some dense forests and important waterfalls of Kerala are located near Chalakudy. Only few people would know about an important site located in this town. It is St. Mary's Church.

The origin of Christian faith in this town can be traced back to almost 2000 years. It is believed that St. Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, landed in Kodungallur in Kerala in 52 AD. He travelled to various parts of Kerala including Chalakudy and converted a lot of people to Christianity. It is believed that the early Christian community in Chalakudy who were converted directly by St. Thomas, built the first church in Chalakudy in 600 AD. It is also believed that it remained til 1300 AD and then shifted to the present site which is around few hundred meters away.

Although it is claimed that the church is very ancient, I am not sure if there are any historical records to proove that. The current structure of church was rebuilt in 1987. The replica of Holy Land is the latest addition that attracts a great number of tourists to this church. The objective is to give the visitors a feel of visiting the sites of biblical importance. The Holy Land depicts a lot of important events in the life of Jesus Christ.

Happy travelling.


 

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