St. Mary's Orthodox Church (Cheriapally)

St. Mary's Orthodox Church, known locally as Cheriapally, was built in 1579 by a Portuguese architect after the Christian congregation in Kottayam split along ethnic lines from the older Valiapally. Its brick walls, granite pillars, and hanging lamps echo Kerala temple design, while vegetable dye paintings on the altar walls depict the life of Christ in a distinctly Portuguese style. The tiled roof, carved wooden ceiling, and single stone baptism basin add to a building that reads as much like a Kerala shrine as a colonial era church.