St.Thomas Dayara, Vettikkal

Infobox Orthodox Church
show_name = Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church


caption = CATHOLICATE EMBLEM
founder = St. Thomas the Apostle
independence = Apostolic Era
recognition = Oriental Orthodox
primate= His Holiness Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I
headquarters= Kottayam, Kerala
territory= India
possessions=
language=Malayalam,Syriac, English, Hindi
population=
website= [http://www.malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/ Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]

The Vettickal St. Thomas Dayara is a pride possession of Malankara Orthodox Church with a history of about 800 years of existence.

In the year 1125,on a first Sunday after Easter,a Cross ceremoniously brought from St. Thomas Church ,Mulanthuruthy was reveringly erected at Vettickal, which was the then border point between the Royal Provinces of Kochi and Travancore, in the name India's Apostle and our Guardian Saint Blessed St.Thomas.

This ancient Holy Cross is still honorably retained on the east side wall of the Dayara building.In the year 1200 it was declared a Chapel.

Kattumangattu Junior Bava Geevarghese Mar Coorilose (second Bishop of Thozhiyoor Church) who went to heavenly abode in 1809, is entombed in this Dayara. He is considered a St. by the local faithful and seek Bava's mediation.Bava' s memorial feast is conducted on 28th and 29th of May. Thousands of people irrespective of religious affiliations attend the holy feast every year and receive blessings.

Malankara Sabha
* [http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7239884475673404089&hl=en Malankara Sabha History]

In the year 1877, Parumala Thirumeni along with Malankara Metropolitan and the other Bishops who had then been ordained with Parumala Thirumeni meditated and fasted for 40 days in this Dayara.On the day after 40 days of fasting prayers the Malankara Metropolitan with Parumala Thirumeni consecrated the renovated Dayara and the Holy Madbaha.This fact of history is written in Parumala Thirumeni's own handwriting and is recorded and preserved in the Dayara.

Soon after the consecration ceremony the 'first Holy Synod of Malankara Church' was conducted in this Dayara.The Malankara Church was 'demarcated into seven dioceses' in this Synod with Bishops being assigned charges of each Diocese.

Pictures

During the period of Parumala Thirumeni's leadership of this Dayara there used to be at least nine Rambachens who used to live,pray,meditate and fast there following the strict canons of Church.

In the course of time Dayara remained insignificant until 1976, when HG late Joseph Mor Pachamiose further renovated the Dayara and made it HG's Aramana Dayara. In the year 1976,on December 10th, which also happened to be the centenary year of Parumala Thirumeni's ordination as Metropolitan, the holy relics of Parumala Thirumeni has been transferred and venerably preserved here.

In the year 1977 ,on December 10th, a Chapel in the upper floor of the Dayara was consecrated by His Holiness Baselious Marthoma Mathews I ,the then Catholicose.