St Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, one of the premier churches of the Malankara community, is located at
Paravur in
Ernakulam District. Believed to have been established by St Thomas in the 16th century, this church houses the Holy remains of St Gregorios Abdul Galeel, the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem.
Popularly known as Cheriapally, the church stands on the land donated by Paravur Thampuran, the then ruler of Paravur. An inscription in an old Tamil script, embedded in granite stone on the church wall, refer to this fact. The main altar, adorned with golden leaves and decorative wooden carvings, is noted for its architectural excellence. About 1500 devotees can worship here at a time. The wall paintings of the sanctum sanctorum of the church illustrate stories from the Bible. Another attraction is a square shaped, four-storeyed bell tower. Dhukrono of St Gregorios Abdul' Galeel is the main festival celebrated on 27th April. St Thomas day is also celebrated on 3rd July with much pomp and merriment.
Kannankulangara Sree Krishna Hindu Temple is the nearby attraction. The Jewish synagogue is also easily accessible from this church. Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport.
