The St. Thomas Church at Kothamangalam, popularly known as Mar Thoma Cheriapally, where the Saint Baselios Yeldho is buried is one of the most prominent parishes in India. According to the popular belief, the first church at Kothamangalam, Martha Mariam Valiyapally, was established in the 4th century AD by a few Syriac Christian families who migrated from Paravur and Angamali. Among the later Christian inhabitants of the place included a few Syrian Knanaites who eventually intermingled with the local Christian community.[തിരുത്തുക]
The church which has a membership of more than 1600 families is under the Angamali diocese, the largest diocese in the Malankara Syrian Church. It is governed in temporal matters by its own constitution but its spiritual matters are guided by the Metropolitan of Angamali Diocese.[തിരുത്തുക]
