Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Transfer
Transfer to Kottayam to visit Cheriya Palli (Small Church) & Valia Palli (Grand Church) Kottayam Cheriapally is one of the oldest Churches in Kerala. Built in 1579, the Church is well preserved. The architectural style of the church is European, with galleries, pillars, cornices and pediments. The walls are adorned with beautiful murals made in Oriental and Western styles on biblical and non-biblical themes. Kottayam Valiapally. The Church was built in the year 1550 AD by the descendants of the Syrian Knanaya Christians who migrated ![]()
to India in 345 A.D., from Jerusalem and nearby places under the leadership of Kana Thoma. This Church is famous for its two granite crosses known as Persian crosses. On each of the stone slabs, there is a cross with an inscription in the Pahalavi language, which was the official language of the Sassanian dynasty in Persia. The inscriptions in Pahalavi are the same on both slabs except for the additional inscription in Syriac (in Estrangelo script) on the big slab placed on the southern altar. The most acceptable interpretation reads as follows: "In punishment by the cross (was) the suffering on this one; He who is true God and God above, and Guide ever Pure."
Proceed to Philipkutty’s Farm for lunch and a farm visit. The farm is located on a small farm island in the backwaters / Vembanad Lake next to Kumarakom within the Vechoor village limits. The farm is about 50 acres (owned by the family and some relatives) ![]()
and is the largest farm on the island. The island is a reclaimed property which was made in the early 1950’s. The late Philipkutty undertook further development on the farm by bringing in a system of inter-crop farming. The island is called Puthankayal (‘Puthan’ means new) as it was the last island to have been reclaimed in the backwater region for agriculture. Cooking Demo followed by Sadhya lunch An escorted farm walk with one of the family members to learn about farming below lake level as well as the different crops cultivated.
