St. George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church, Edappally
Church in Kochi, India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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St. George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church, locally known as Edapally Church (Malayalam: മാർ ഗീവർഗ്ഗീസ് സഹദാ പള്ളി, ഇടപ്പള്ളി) is a Catholic pilgrimage church in Edapally, Kochi, India. It is considered as Asia's largest shrine dedicated to Saint George, about five million people visit it every year.[citation needed]
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St. George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church | |
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St. George's Forane Church | |
10°1′19″N 76°18′19″E | |
Location | Edappally, Kochi |
Country | India |
Denomination | Syro-Malabar Catholic Church |
Website | www |
History | |
Former name(s) | Marth Mariam Church |
Status | Church |
Founded | c. AD 593; 1431 years ago (593) |
Dedication | Saint George (Formerly Mary) |
Consecrated | 19 April 2015 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Architect(s) | Mr. Zeril Jose and Mr. Koshy K. Alex, Partners of Vastushilpalaya Consultancy Pvt. Ltd., and Prasanth P. George |
Groundbreaking | 1 January 2001 |
Completed | 19 April 2015 |
The church is thought to have been founded in 593 AD. It is regarded as one of the oldest churches in Kerala, after the seven churches founded by Thomas the Apostle in the first century AD.[citation needed] The church was originally dedicated to the Marth Mariam (Virgin Mary).[1][2] In 1080, a new church was built adjacent to the old church.[3] A nine-day festival is celebrated annually as part of the Feast of Saint George (23 April).[4][2] The church, also a destination for non-Christians,[4][2] attracts offerings of gold, chicken, and eggs.[3][4][5]