Thazhathangady pally
Thazhathangady Pally (Thazhathangady Mar Baselios Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church) is a parish attached to the Kottayam Central Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The church is located on the banks of Meenachil River on Kumarakom Road in Kottayam.
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Thazhathangady pally
History
A worshiping community of Malankara Orthodox adherents existed in Thazhathangady dating back to the 12th century AD. Thazhathangady was the headquarters of the Thekkumkoor (Thekkumkur) Rajas who ruled over a principality which includes the larger parts of the present Kottayam and Idukki districts. In order to develop the trade and commercial activities of the Kingdom, the Rajas encouraged settlement of Malankara Nazranis who excelled in these spheres of life.
Present day
On the banks of Meenachil River, in close proximity to the Church, there is very ancient, large granite cross, which can be considered as the forerunner of this Church. There was a worship hall near the cross, but it was destroyed in a fire about one century ago under mysterious circumstances. This prayer hall had Mar Bahanan Sahada (Saint Behnan) as the patron saint. When the new Church was erected in the 20th century, the cross tower in front of the Church on the banks of Meenachil river, was aptly named after Mar Bahanan Sahada.