Our Lady of Dolours Basilica alias Puthenpally (

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

: പുത്തൻപള്ളി, meaning: New Church) is a

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

of the

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India. It is a '' sui iuris'' (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Cathol ...

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

City in

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 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The tallest

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

and the third tallest in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, it is famous for its Gothic style

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

. Built in fine Indo-Gothic style with an area of , it has soaring belfries at the entrance, double-storeyed aisles all along the nave and transepts, and eleven altars, five on either side of the main one. It is the largest church in Kerala and its exuberant interior decorations include fine specimens of murals, icons and statues of saints, and scenes from the Scriptures.

History

The parish and original church building were established in 1814. It was

's first Christian church inside the fort gates ( Saint Antony's Syro-Malabar Church, Ollur est. AD 1718, is the first Christian church in the

Thrissur Municipal Corporation The Thrissur Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs Thrissur city in Kerala, India. It is the third largest city Corporation in the state of Kerala by area and the fourth largest in population. Established as a Municipality since ...

). It was a center for the St. Thomas Christians in the area (now the

) for decades. In 1874, the

Chaldean Catholic The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic particular church ('' sui iuris'') in full communion with the Holy See and the rest of the Catholic Church, and is headed by the Chaldean Patriarchate. Employing in its liturgy the East Syri ...

bishop Elias Mellus arrived in

at the request of the Syro-Malabar Christians and convinced a large part of the Christian community to accept him as their bishop. The group that followed Mellus was based at this church and eventually separated from the Catholic hierarchy, forming what is now known as the

Chaldean Syrian Church The Chaldean Syrian Church of India (; ) is an Eastern Christian denomination, based in Thrissur, in India. It is part of the greater Assyrian Church of the East and is organised a singular Metropolitan (Archdiocese) See of India, and represen ...

.Vadakkekara, Benedict (2007)
''Origin of Christianity in India: a Historiographical Critique''
pp. 101–103. Media House Delhi. In response the Syro-Malabar Catholics constructed a new building in 1929. The original church was renamed the Mart Mariam Big Church, and is now the cathedral of the Chaldean Syrian Church. The current building is known as Puthanpally (New Church) for this reason. The construction of this church, the biggest church in

was done in different phases, starting from the year 1929. The two front towers are of height each and the central tower of height makes this church the 3rd tallest in Asia. Completion of the towers was an architectural challenge. A few experts from

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

were brought over. The architect who completed the church was Ambrose Gounder. File:rose window.jpg, Rose window File:transept.jpg, View from the balcony of the

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

s. File:Main alter.jpg, The main altar

Mass timings

Ordinary days : 6.00 am, 7.30 am, 5.30 pm Friday : 6.00 am, 7.30 am, 10.00 am, 5.30 pm, 7.30 pm Sunday : 6.00 am, 7.30 am, 9.30 am, 5.30 pm, 7.30 pm

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basilica Of Our Lady Of Dolours Our Lady of Dolours, Thrissur Churches in Thrissur Gothic Revival church buildings in India Tourist attractions in Thrissur 1814 establishments in British India Syro-Malabar Catholic church buildings Churches completed in 1929