123 Locations · Est. 1877

Diocese of Niranam

Home to Parumala Church, the Church's largest pilgrimage centre, Niranam traces its roots to St. Thomas in 54 CE and was constituted in 1877.

Counts above reflect Orthodox-held institutions only; churches, chapels, and other properties currently under schismatic occupation are catalogued separately below and are not included in these totals.

1877 Established
1 Palaces
2 Monasteries
1 Seminaries
77 Churches
21 Chapels
3 Qurbana Centres
6 Independent Sunday Schools
12 Other Institutions
123 Total Locations
2 Monks
0 Cor-Episcopi
105 Priests
0 Deacons

History

The region's Christian history is traced to 54 CE, when St. Thomas the Apostle is believed to have established St. Mary's Orthodox Church (Niranam Valiyapally), one of the ancient cradles of Christianity in India. The formal Diocese of Niranam was established in 1877 at the Synod of Veliyanad under Patriarch Ignatius Peter IV, who consolidated twenty-two parishes into one diocese. Its first Metropolitan was St. Gregorios of Parumala, declared a saint by the Holy Synod in 1947, and the Parumala Seminary served as its first headquarters.

The diocese was later entrusted to prominent Metropolitans and Catholicoi, including Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysius II, Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril, Geevarghese Mar Gregorios, Thoma Mar Dionysius, Dr. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, and directly to Baselios Oughen and Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I.

Parumala Church is the Church's largest pilgrimage centre. About one million pilgrims visit it each year seeking the intercession of St. Gregorios, nearly 500,000 during the annual feast from 26 October to 2 November, many walking from Kanyakumari to Kasaragod. The diocese has grown greatly, with headquarters at the Bethany Aramana, Thiruvalla, and is led by H.G. Dr. Yuhanon Mar Chrysostomos.

Ecclesiastical Districts

11 districts, listed alphabetically.

01 Chengaroor
02 Chennithala
03 East Thiruvalla
04 Kallooppara
05 Kaviyoor
06 Mallappally
07 Niranam
08 Parumala
09 Thalavady
10 Vennikkulam
11 West Thiruvalla

Palaces

  1. Thiruvalla Bethany Palace

Seminaries

  1. Parumala St. Peter's and St. Paul's Minor Seminary (Azhippura)

Monasteries

  1. Mallappally Mar Anthonios Monastery (Anicadu)
  2. Panayampala St. Dionysius Monastery

Churches

  1. Alappuzha St. Thomas Orthodox Church
  2. Anaprambal St. George Orthodox Church
  3. Anicadu St. Basil Orthodox Church (Karikkamala)
  4. Anjilithanam St. Thomas Orthodox Sleeba Church
  5. Chengaroor St. George Orthodox Church
  6. Chennithala South St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  7. Chennithala St. George Orthodox Church
  8. Elavunkal St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  9. Erathodu Veeyapuram St. George Orthodox Church
  10. Eraviperoor St. Thomas Orthodox Church
  11. Kadamankulam St. George Orthodox Church
  12. Kadapra Bethlehem St. George Orthodox Church
  13. Kadapra-Mannar St. Thomas Orthodox Catholicate Church
  14. Kaipatta St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  15. Kallooppara St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  16. Kallooppara St. Stephen's Orthodox Church (Madathumbhagom North)
  17. Karackal St. George Orthodox Church
  18. Kaviyoor Holy Cross Orthodox Church (Thottabhagom)
  19. Kaviyoor Holy Cross Orthodox Old Church (Thottabhagom)
  20. Kottoor St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  21. Kunnamthanam Vallamala St. Mary's Sehion Orthodox Church
  22. Kunnamthanam Vellampoika St. George Orthodox Church
  23. Kuttapuzha St. Gregorios Orthodox Church
  24. Mallappally St. John's Bethany Orthodox Church
  25. Mannar St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  26. Manthanam St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  27. Meenthalakkara St. Stephen's Orthodox Church (Manjady-Kattode)
  28. Melpadom St. Kuriakose Orthodox Church
  29. Mepral Kalikavu St. Elias Orthodox Church
  30. Mepral St. John's Orthodox Church
  31. Mundiappally St. Gregorios Orthodox Church
  32. Mundukuzhy St. Kuriakose Orthodox Church
  33. Murani St. Jacob Baradaeus Orthodox Church
  34. Muthoor St. George Orthodox Church
  35. Mylamon St. George Orthodox Church
  36. Nedumpuram St. George Orthodox Church
  37. Nedumpuram Vengal St. George Orthodox Church
  38. Nellimoodu St. Mary's Bethany Orthodox Church
  39. Niranam North St. Thomas Orthodox Church
  40. Niranam St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  41. Panayampala North St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  42. Panayampala South St. Stephen's Orthodox Church
  43. Pandankary St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  44. Parumala St. George Orthodox Church
  45. Parumala St. Mary's Orthodox Church (Upadesi Kadavu)
  46. Parumala St. Peter's and St. Paul's Sehion Orthodox Church
  47. Parumala St. Thomas Orthodox Church
  48. Pathicadu St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Church
  49. Pavukkara St. Thomas Orthodox Church
  50. Perumpettimon St. George Orthodox Church
  51. Pulikeezhu St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  52. Punnavely St. John's Orthodox Church
  53. Puramattom St. Kuriakose Orthodox Church
  54. Puramattom St. Mary's Jerusalem Orthodox Church
  55. Thalakulam St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  56. Thalavady East-Amichakary St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  57. Thalavady St. Stephen's Orthodox Church
  58. Thalavady West St. Thomas Orthodox Church (Kuzheepally)
  59. Thalavady West St. Thomas Orthodox Union Church (Kuzheepally)
  60. Thelliyoor St. Basil Orthodox Church
  61. Thengely St. George Orthodox Church
  62. Thirumoolapuram St. Basil and St. Gregory Orthodox Church
  63. Thiruvalla-Kattapuram St. George Orthodox Church
  64. Thiruvalla-Kavumbhagom St. Mulk Orthodox Church
  65. Thiruvalla-Paliakkara St. George Orthodox Church
  66. Valanjavattom East St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  67. Valanjavattom St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  68. Valanjavattom West St. George Orthodox Church
  69. Veeyapuram St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  70. Vengal Bethany St. George Orthodox Church
  71. Vengalassery St. Mary's Orthodox Union Church
  72. Vennikulam St. Basil Orthodox Church (Kachirackal)
  73. Vennikulam St. Behanan's Orthodox Church
  74. Vennikulam St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  75. Vennikulam-Memala St. John's Orthodox Church (Pullad)
  76. Vennikulam-Muthupala St. George Orthodox Church
  77. Venpala St. Mary's Orthodox Church

Qurbana Centres

  1. Ambattubhagom P.A. Philipose Memorial Orthodox Qurbana Centre
  2. Anjilithanam St. Gregorios Orthodox Qurbana Centre
  3. Block Junction St. Gregorios Orthodox Qurbana Centre

Chapels

  1. Elanjickal St. Basil and St. Gregory Orthodox Chapel
  2. Eramallikkara St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  3. Kadapra-Mannar Mar Osthathios Orthodox Mission Centre & Orthodox Chapel
  4. Kulanjikarazhma St. George Orthodox Chapel
  5. Kuttapuzha St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  6. Madathumbhagom St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  7. Madathumbhagom-Galaxy Nagar St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  8. Mallappally St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  9. Manjathanam St. Thomas Orthodox Chapel
  10. Niranam Central St. Mary's Orthodox Chapel (Thekkumbhagom)
  11. Niranam North St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  12. Panayampala Central St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  13. Parumala St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  14. Parumala St. Gregorios Orthodox Mission Home & Chapel
  15. Parumala St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Chapel
  16. Peringara St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  17. Poovanmelil St. Thomas Orthodox Chapel
  18. Puramala St. Gregorios Orthodox Chapel
  19. Thiruvalla St. Mary's Bethany Palatial Chapel
  20. Thiruvalla-Kattookkara St. Thomas Sehion Orthodox Chapel
  21. Thomathukadavu St. Thomas Retreat Centre & Chapel

Independent Sunday Schools

  1. Alumthuruthy St. Gregorios Orthodox Sunday School
  2. Ikkarapady St. Gregorios Orthodox Sunday School
  3. Kadapra St. Thomas Orthodox Sunday School
  4. Kunnamthanam St. Gregorios Dukrono Orthodox Sunday School
  5. Madathumbhagom-Galaxy Nagar Sunday School
  6. Mannamthottuvazhi St. Gregorios Orthodox Sunday School

Other Institutions

  1. Niranam Orthodox Apostolic Memorial Centre
  2. Parumala Anna Peedikayil Book Stall
  3. Parumala Gregorian TV Centre
  4. Parumala MOC Book Stall
  5. Parumala Peedikayil Book House
  6. Parumala Retreat Centre
  7. Parumala St. Gregorios Memorial Book and Photo Stall
  8. Parumala St. Gregorios Memorial Book Stall
  9. Parumala St. Gregorios Orthodox Mission Centre
  10. Parumala St. Gregorios Orthodox Mission Centre
  11. Valanjavattom St. Gregorios Orthodox Mission Centre
  12. Vellara St. Dionysius Orthodox Mission Centre

Churches — Closed

  1. Kaviyoor Orthodox Church

Churches — Schismatic-Occupied

  1. Anjilithanam St. Mary's Orthodox Church
  2. Chennithala Horeb St. George Orthodox Church
  3. Kunnamthanam Vellampoika St. Peter's Orthodox Church
  4. Puramattom St. George Orthodox Church
  5. Thiruvalla-Kavumbhagom St. George Orthodox Church

Chapels — Schismatic-Occupied

  1. Kulakkadu St. George Orthodox Chapel
  2. Mazhuvangad St. Mary's Orthodox Chapel
  3. Venpala St. Mary's Orthodox Chapel
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