Champakulam Church - a heritage of over 1500 years

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Around half an hour's drive from Alleppey along the Pamba river stands an imposing structure which has been witness to changing times for over 15 centuries. This beautiful structure is the Kalloorkad St Mary’s Basilica church more commonly known as the Champakulam Church. One glance at the church today and its enormity is easy to understand but when it was built in the 5th century it was only a small parish with 100 seats. The church over the centuries has been rebuilt & reconstructed many times to its current grandeur.


The church belongs to the Syro Malabar congregation & was built in 427 AD by the followers of the Apostle St Thomas with assistance from the local kings who were feudal lords. The apostle is credited for having built 8 churches around the state in the 1st century & this church was part of the parish of the Niranam church which was one among the churches built by St Thomas. St Mary’s church is today a Forane church with multiple parishes under its name & it has a close relation with the Jacobite congregation of Christians.


The old church was a simple structure as a traditional Kerala house with a simple altar. Over the centuries, the parish grew & rulers of different kingships with the support of local Christians kept adding to the structure. It is believed that a large reconstruction happened in the 12th century where the whole structure was demolished to build a grand church. The addition of the free standing rock Cross is also believed to be added at the time of construction & as per records its was erected in 1175 AD making it one among the oldest rock Crosses in Kerala. The church was further renovated & rebuilt in the form today by the Europeans like the Portuguese & Dutch who designed the church in Gothic style. The front of the church is not an open veranda but it is closed with plaster while the courtyard extends to the central prayer hall adorned with curved pillars. The front veranda leads to the large prayer hall which is a marvel of architecture. The high curved roof is decorated with some of the most beautiful mural paintings depicting the life of Christ. The use of timber is quite elaborate & the altar is a work of exemplary craftsmanship. The whole prayer hall with the decorated altar is one of the unique sights at the church. There is also a balcony on the upper tier which gives a direct view of the altar.


St Mary’s church is also in the village of Champakulam in Kuttanad which is considered to be the rice bowl of Kerala and is also the venue of the most celebrated Moolam Boat race. The Champakulam church also is revered for its Feast which is held annually on every 3rd Sunday of October & is a grand festival here. The annual festival is called the Feast of Apparition in celebration of Mother Mary which lasts for 11 days. The other festival is the feast of St Joseph in March commemorating the death of the saint. In the ground of the church stands a wooden boat which is called the ootuvanchi (food carrying boat) which is used during the feasts to the church carrying the rice & sambar. It is a beautiful sight where such a large vessel is used to provide food to the devotees. The feast is a time for people from all around to come & be part of this beautiful event. 


In the early years of the 18th century the place  around Champakulam church was ruled by Champakassery kings & when the Christians of the parish grew in numbers a need to make a bigger church arose. The king initiated the construction in 1720 & it was completed in a decade. The pious soul Ikkako Kathanar, one among the martyrs of East Syrian Catholics was born in this parish. The church today is recognised as a Basilica by the Universal Church & in 2016 the official recognition of Basilica was honoured to the church by Pope Francis. The transformation of the Champakulam church from a simple place of worship to a Basilica today has seen many important events pass along the years & its reverence is the reason it is one of the most visited churches in south Kerala.



Location: Champakulam, Kerala, India

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