Manjanikara

Mar Ignatius Elias III, the holy patriot of Anthiod while on a visit to India, died at this place in 1932. His mortal remains are preserved at Manjinikkara church. Later this place developed into a pilgrim centre. The annual festival (ormaperunnal) is held in February.

The St. Stephen’s church at Manjanikkara was founded by Kassisso Skaria Malpan Elavinammannil in 1925. Mor Ignatius Dayro and the church where the mortal remains of Patriarch St. Elias III rests is located adjacent to this St. Stephen’s church. Part of the property of this Dayro church was also donated by Elavinammannil family.

Kassisso Skaria Malpan, the founder of the St. Stephen’s church was a parishioner of the St. Thomas church at Omallur. St. Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni) ordained him priest for the Omallur church in 1895. A few years after his priestly ordination he was appointed as the Malpan (teacher) of the Syrian (Old) Seminary at Kottayam to teach Syriac and liturgy to the deacons. It was during his life in seminary, the disputes between the Metropolitan trustee Mor Dionysius Vattasseril and the co-trustees reached its climax which finally resulted in a major split in the Malankara Syrian Church. Finding it difficult to support the autocratic and rebellious style of functioning of Mor Dionysius Metropolitan who was controlling seminary affairs, Kassisso Skaria Malpan resigned from the faculty and returned to his home town at Omallur.

The disputes which resulted in the split of Malankara Syrian Christian Church had its repercussion in the Omallur church also. Since it was the dissident group who were more powerful in this area, the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Christians met with certain restrictions; their spiritual father, Kassisso Skaria Malpan, had the permission from local authorities to celebrate the Holy Mass only once a month in his home parish. It was during this period Rev. Deacon E S Kuriakose, the son of Kassisso Skaria Malpan, was ordained priest. Since he, like his father, was unwilling to side with the Metropolitan Mor Dionysius Vattasseril, was barred from entering any of the nearby churches that were under the control of the Metropolitan.