Kolenchery is a town in the Poothrikka gram panchayat in

Ernakulam district Ernakulam (; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'') is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the Ernakulam, eponymous city division in Kochi. ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. Located on National Highway 85, Kolenchery is situated from Poothrikka and from

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

. There have been plans to include Kolenchery as part of the

Kochi metropolitan area Kochi metropolitan area or Kochi urban agglomeration is a metropolitan area in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, comprising the Kochi Municipal Corporation, nine adjacent municipal councils, 15 gram panchayats and parts of four gram pa ...

. The name of the place originates from St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Syrian Church or 'Kolenchery Church', which is an ancient and historic church at Kolenchery built by Thankan Mappila of the Kolenchery House in 9th century CE (7th century in Malayalam Calendar). Tomb of

Mar Thoma VII Mar Thoma VII was a Bishop of the Malankara Church from 1796 and the 7th Malankara Metropolitan from April 1808 to July 1809. Born in Pakalomattom family in Kurichithanam, Pala, Kerala, Pala, he was well known as an efficient administrator, deepl ...

, the 7th Malankara Metropolitan, is situated in this historical Church. St. Peter's College in the town has conducted botanical research.

Etymology

In 345 AD, a family known as 'those who came from Syria' came along with Thomas of Cana and settled in the merchant centre of Kozhenchery. A branch of this family settled in Kandanad and later on in Elamkulam for business purposes. As this family came from Kozhenchery they came to be known as the 'Kolenchery family' and since this family established it, the church came to be known as 'Kolenchery church', from which originated the name of the place.

References

External links

{{Northern Travancore Cities and towns in Ernakulam district Suburbs of Kochi