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visit ollur encyclopedia st.thomas

http://www.keralahistory.ac.in/keralaarchitecture.html
Church A rchitecture of Kerala
The evolution of the Church architecture of Kerala
springs from two sources - the first from the work of
Apostle St. Thom as and the Syrian Christians and
second from the m issionary work of European
settlers. The tradition has it that St. Thom as who
landed in Musiris in 52 AD had seven churches built
in Kerala at Kodungallur, Chayil, Palur, Paravur,
Kollam , Niranom and Kotham angalam , but none of
these churches are now extant. It is possible that
som e of the tem ples were adapted as church for
services by the population who got converted into
Christianity by St. Thom as. For exam ple the
present Palur church has preserved the abhisheka
patra (the letter of intonation) and certain saiva
sym bols as the relics of the old church which is said
to have been a Hindu shrine adapted for Christian
worship. Since the early Christians lived in isolation,
far from the m ain centres of Christianity they were
not aware of the church building conventions of the
west; besides the com m unity itself has a Hindu
background and Hindu tem ples were their m odels
for church building.
Historical evidences suggest that the first wave of
Christianity cam e from Syria in fourth century A.D.
owing to the persecution of Christians in the Persian
em pire. According to the narration of Byzantine
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

m onk Cosm as, Kerala had m any churches by sixth

century A.D. According to the inscription of the
tim es of Stanu Ravi by nineth century, Christian
com m unities enjoyed m any rights and privileges.

They also played a vital role in trade and

com m erce. The dom estic buildings of the Syrian
Christians were akin to the native architecture.
But original Syrians who had m igrated to Kerala had
brought with them som e of the west Asian
conventions in church architecture. Consequently
churches with regular chance and have began to be
built and there evolved a distinctive style of church
architecture. The peculiar feature of this style was
the ornam ental gable facade at the nave end,
sum m ounted by a cross. An entry porch (shala) in
front of the nave was another feature of these early
shrines. The baptistry was a sm all cham ber inside
the nave near the entrance. Belfries were built on
one side of the nave, but in sm aller churches the
bell was hung in an opening in the nave gable.
The church had a gable roof extending to the
chancel, the m ost sacred part of the church and the
sacristy by its side. The tower over the chancel
soared higher than the roof of the nave sim ilar to
the sikhara over the garbhagriha in a Hindu tem ple.
The residence of the priest and the parish hall were
located on one side of the church and the cem etery
was on the other side.
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

In their external feature syrian churches retained

som e of the indigenous features of the Hindu style.
The church and the ancillary buildings were
enclosed in a m assive laterite wall. There was an
open cross in front of the m ain entrance on a
granite basem ent in the m odel of balikkal, the altar
stone. A church also had the flag m ast, (the
dwajastambha) in front. In the O rthodox Syrian
church at Chengannur, Peter and Paul occupy the
place of dwarapalas, the guarding deities of a Hindu
shrine. Som etim es a gateway like the tem ple
gopuram with a kottupura or m usic room on the
upper storey was also provided. The oldest Syrian
church of Kerala is believed to be the St. Mary's
church at Kuravilangad. O riginally built in 335 A.D. it
had undergone renovations several tim es. The
church has a rich collection of old relics including an
idol of Virgin Mary and a cross carved in granite.
The Valiapally of Kaduthuruthy is another old church
with the biggest cross form ed in a single granite
piece.
Wood carving and m ural paintings, the two
decorative m edia of tem ples are seen to be
adopted in ancient churches also. A fam ous piece
of wooden carving is a large panel depicting the last
supper in St. Thom as church, Mulanthuruthy. The
All Saints church at Udayam perur has a beam
resting on wooden m ouldings of heads of elephants
and rhinoceros. Floral figures, angels and apostles
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

are the usual m otifs of m ural paintings. This form

of decoration had continued in later churches as
well. In St. Sebastian's church at Kanjoor a m ural
even depicts the fight between British and Tippu
Sultan.
The Portuguese were the first to introduce European
styles in the church architecture of Kerala, followed
by Dutch and British. The first church of this type in
India was built by the Franciscan m issionaries in
1510 A.D. at Fort Kochi. It is a sm all unpretentious
building of the m edieval Spanish type. When Vasco
De Gam a died in Kochi in 1524 his body was
interned in this church and later rem oved to Lisbon
in 1538. The church thus cam e to be known as
Vasco De Gam a's church. It was later seized by the
Dutch and was used for reform ed services. Later
with British occupation of Kochi it becam e an
Anglican church and presently it belongs to churchof south India.
The Portuguese had introduced m any innovations
in the Kerala churches. For the first tim e, the
dom inating tower above the altar, which was the
adaptation from tem ple architecture was discarded.
Inside the church, the granite im ages were not
favoured owing to their association with the Hindu
art; instead im ages of Saints m ade of wood were
used to adorn the riches. Generally pulpits were
erected and altar pieces were ornam ented in an
im pressive m anner. Ceilings and walls were painted
with religious them es in the style of European
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

m asters. Pointed and rounded arches were

introduced and stained glass windows were
installed.
The subsequent developm ent in church architecture
in the British period also saw the introduction of a
new church design. In place of the rectangular
Basilican plan the cross shaped plan becam e
increasingly popular especially in places where large
congregation had to be accom m odated. Apart from
the obvious sym bolism of the cross, this plan is
m ore suited for better visibility of the altar from all
points in the church. Further, sufficient space was
now available at the transcepts for additional altars
for services by several priests on im portant
occasions like Christm as.

In the external features the central tower or rather

the Rom an dom e now com es at the centre of the
transcept im parting a classic form of European
architecture. Also on either side of the m ain
entrance in the front, rose towers to serve as
belfries. In the treatm ent of the exterior, typical
features of European church architecture were
introduced - the Gothic arches, the pilasters and
buttresses, the rounded openings, the classic
m ouldings and stained glass windows m aking the
whole com position com pletely different from the
native architecture. Depending on the period of
construction, one can also distinguish between the
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

churches done in the sim plicity of Gothic style as in

the Palayam church, Tiruvananthapuram , and the
luxury of renaissance style as in the church of O ur
Lady of Dolorous at Trissoor.
While the character of church architecture is
generally identified with the form evolved in the
m edieval tim es, the m odernistic trends in adapting
new plan shapes and structural form s are visible in
the Kerala scene as well. This circular plan shape
with dom ical shell roof has been adopted in the
Christ College church at Irinjalakkuda. The
Cathedral church of Archbishop of Varapuzha at
Ernakulam is a soaring hyperbolic paraboloid in
reinforced concrete with a bold expression in sharp
contrast with all traditional form s. Perhaps
experim entation in religious architecture is m ostly
m anifested in church architecture as com pared to
that in tem ples or m osques which m ore or less
adhere to old evolved form s.

Architecture Art& Culture Kerala States and Union Territories Know

India: National Portal of India
In the early period the Christians of Kerala seem to have built their
churches after the model of Hindu temples, as is
evidenced by the alleged action of VascodaGama
in entering a Kali temple at Calicut mistaking it for a Christian
church.
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

They adopted for their churches the temple plan comprised of a

foursided
sanctuary with a large pillared hall in the front.
The church had also a tower which, like the Sikhara above the
Garbhagriha of the temple, soared to the maximum height.
The indigenous tradition which influenced church architecture
continued without break till the coming of the Portuguese in
1498 AD. As part of their policy of Latinisation of the Church is
Kerala, the Portuguese introduced innovations in the design of
church buildings. The massive arch replaced the thick entrance
door and stained glass windows were installed to allow more
ventilation. The sanctum chamber (Madubaha) was attractively
ornamented with statues made of wood or clay as well as
with beautiful wall paintings. The first church to be built in the new
style was Santo Antonio, the present St. Francis church,
Cochin. The St.Francis church provided the model for the
construction or more churches in India.
In modern times styles of church architecture from outside have
influenced the construction of churches in Kerala. The
Puthen Palli at Trichur with its arches, vaults, steeples, flying
buttresses and stained glass windows has been built after
Gothic style. The St.Joseph's Cathedral of the Latin Christians at
Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram and the Kothamanglam
church are Romanesque in their architectural style. The St.Thomas
Pontifical shrine, Kodungallur, resembles the St. Peter's
Church in Rome. The new Orthodox Syrian church at Kolancherri
(the church of St.Paul and St.Peter) is one of the finest specimens
of modern church architecture in Kerala.
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_Kerala
Church architecture
The evolution of the church architecture of Kerala springs from two
sources – the first from the work of Apostle St. Thomas and the Syrian
Christians and second from the missionary work of European settlers.
The tradition has it that St. Thomas who landed in Muziris in 52 AD
had seven churches built in Kerala at Kodungallur, Chayil, Palur,
ParavurKottakkavu,Kollam, Niranom and Kothamangalam, but none
of these Syrian churches are now extant. It is possible that some of the
temples were adapted as Syrian churches for services by the population
who got converted into Syriac Christianity by St. Thomas.
For example
the present Palur Syrian church has preserved the abhisheka patra (the
letter of intonation) and certain shaiva symbols as the relics of the old
church which is said to have been a Hindu shrine adapted for Christian
worship.
Historical evidences suggest that the first wave of Christianity came
from Edessa, Persia in the fourth century A.D. owing to the persecution
of Syrian Christians in the Persian empire. According to the narration
of Byzantine monk Cosmas, Kerala had many churches by sixth
century A.D. According to the inscription of the times of Stanu Ravi by
ninth century, Syrian Christian communities enjoyed many rights and
privileges. They also played a vital role in trade and commerce. The
domestic buildings of the Syrian Christians were akin to the native
architecture.
But original Syrians who had migrated to Kerala had brought with
them some of the West Asian conventions in church architecture.
Consequently churches with regular chancel and nave began to be built
and there evolved a distinctive style of church architecture. The
peculiar feature of this style was the ornamental gable facade at the
nave end, surmounted by a cross. An entry porch (shala) in front of the
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

nave was another feature of these early shrines. The

baptistry was a small chamber inside the nave near the
entrance. Belfries were built on one side of the nave,
but in smaller churches the bell was hung in an opening
in the nave gable.
Elements of Kerala church architecture
Unlike Kerala temples, there is no uniform or standard
layout for all churches of Kerala. Rather most of
churches have different set to architecture according to
various sects and their traditions apart from
experimentation of new designs. Still most of churches,
particularly Saint Thomas Christian churches of Kerala,
do share several common features.
The church had a gable roof extending to the chancel,
the most sacred part of the church and the sacristy by its side. The
tower over the chancel soared higher than the roof of the nave similar
to the sikhara over the garbhagriha in a Hindu temple. The residence of
the priest and the parish hall were located on one side of the church and
the cemetery was on the other side.
In their external feature Syrian churches retained some of the
indigenous features of the Hindu style. The church and the ancillary
buildings were enclosed in a massive laterite wall.
There was an open cross in front of the main entrance on a granite
basement in the model of balikkal, the altar stone. A church also had
the flag mast, (the dwajastambha) in front. In the Orthodox Syrian
church at Chengannur, Peter and Paul occupy the place of dwarapalas, the guarding
deities of a Hindu
shrine. Sometimes a gateway like the temple gopuram with a kottupura or music
room on the upper storeywas also provided. The Marth Mariam church at
Kuravilangad, originally built in 345 A.D had undergone
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

renovations several times. The church has a rich collection of old relics including an
idol of Virgin Mary
and a cross carved in granite. The Knanaya Valiapally of Kaduthuruthy is another
old church with the
biggest cross formed in a single granite piece. The Valiapally of
Piravom is also another old church with old Persian writings.
Wood carving and mural paintings, the two decorative media of
temples are seen to be adopted in ancient churches also. A famous
piece of wooden carving is a large panel depicting the last supper in St.
Thomas church, Mulanthuruthy. The All Saints church at Udayamperur
has a beam resting on wooden mouldings of heads of elephants and
rhinoceros. Floral figures, angels and apostles are the usual motifs of
mural paintings. This form of decoration had continued in later
churches as well. In St. Sebastian's church at Kanjoor a mural even
depicts the fight between British and Tippu Sultan.
Colonial influences in church architecture
The Portuguese were the first to introduce European styles in the
church architecture of Kerala, followed by Dutch and British. The first
church of this type in India was built by the Franciscan missionaries in
1510 A.D. at Fort Kochi. It is a small unpretentious building of the
medieval Spanish type. When Vasco De Gama died in Kochi in 1524
his body was interned in this church and later removed to Lisbon in
1538. The church thus came to be known as Vasco De Gama's church.
It was later seized by the Dutch and was used for reformed services.
Later with British occupation of Kochi it became an Anglican church
and presently it belongs to church of south India.
The Portuguese had introduced many innovations in the Kerala
churches. For the first time, the dominating tower above the altar,
which was the adaptation from temple architecture, was discarded.
Inside the church, the granite images were not favoured owing to their
association with the Hindu art; instead images of Saints made of wood
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

were used to adorn the riches. Generally pulpits were erected and altar
pieces were ornamented in an impressive manner. Ceilings and walls
were painted with religious themes in the style of European masters.
Pointed and rounded arches were introduced and stained glass windows
were installed.
The subsequent development in church architecture in the British
period also saw the introduction of a new church design. In place of the
rectangular Basilican plan the cross shaped plan became increasingly
popular especially in places where large congregation had to be
accommodated. Apart from the obvious symbolism of the cross, this
plan is more suited for better visibility of the altar from all points in the
church. Further, sufficient space was now available at the transepts for
additional altars for services by several priests on important occasions like Christmas
the external features the central tower or rather the Roman dome now comes at the
centre of the transept
imparting a classic form of European architecture. Also on either side
of the main entrance in the front, rose towers to serve as belfries. In the
treatment of the exterior, typical features of European church
architecture were introduced – the Gothic arches, the pilasters and
buttresses, the rounded openings, the classic mouldings and stained
glass windows making the whole composition completely different
from the native architecture. Depending on the period of construction,
one can also distinguish between the churches done in the simplicity of
Gothic style as in the Palayam church, Tiruvananthapuram, and the
luxury of renaissance style as in the church of Our Lady of Dolorous at
Trissoor.
Modern trends in church architecture
While the character of church architecture is generally identified with the form
evolved in the medieval
times, the modernistic trends in adapting new plan shapes and structural forms are
visible in the Kerala
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

scene as well. This circular plan shape with domical shell roof has been adopted in
the Christ College church at Irinjalakkuda. The Cathedral church of Archbishop of
Varapuzha at Ernakulam is a soaring hyperbolic paraboloid in reinforced concrete
with a bold expression in sharp contrast with all traditional forms. Perhaps
experimentation in religious architecture is mostly manifested in church architecture
as compared to that in temples or mosques which more or less adhere to old evolved
forms.

http://www.webindia123.com/kerala/arts/architecture2.htm
It is widely known that early churches in the Roman world, including West
Asia, initiated the plan of Civil Basilica having a semi circular termination,
and
with certain modifications for better fulfillment of liturgical needs. On the other
hand, Kerala adopted a temple plan comprising a four-sided sanctuary
fronted by a larger pillared hall, which in the Christian tradition became
chancel and nave respectively. Similarly the tower over the sanctuary
possibly soared higher than of the nave as in the Hindu temple, the Sikhara
above the garbha-griha has the maximum height. This type of church
architecture can still be seen in Kerala.
In the Orthodox Syrian Church at Chengannur, Peter and Paul occupy the
places of the dwarapalas of the Hindu shrine. A portico, called
sala in front is often provided to shelter pilgrims during festive occasion. The
absence of benches or pews reflects a sense of adjustment to the prevailing
Indian custom of squatting or kneeling on the floor. Again, many Syrian
churches have an impressive gate way with a musical hall above, which may
be an adoption from the Brahmanical practices in temples. The open air
cross in front of the main entrance recalls the tradition of placing balipitha or
dipa-stamba, near the entrance of the Hindu shrine. Church architecture in
Kerala evolved out of an indigenous building tradition and basically the same
trend continued till recently despite the impact of later ecclesiastical
architecture of Europe.
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

It was Portuguese who introduced the new trend of Church-architecture in

the sixteenth century; followed by the latinization of churches
in Kerala. Santo Antonio, now St. Francis at Cochin is the earliest church
built in India in the new tradition. It has been raised on a plan
similar to the earlier types prevalent in Kerala though in elevation it has
discarded the idea of dominating tower over the chancel. Being
a modest unpretentious structure, it has no particular architectural merit, but
it stands as a land mark of history and church architecture
of India. Numerous churches has been built on the Indian soil keeping the St.
Francis church as the model.
The exact date of the construction of the St. Francis church is not known.
Presumably it owes its origin to the Franciscan Friars who
accompanied the Portuguese expedition under Pedro Alvarez Gabral.
Originally it is said to have been built of wood but later rebuilt in
stone perhaps within the first few years of the sixteenth century. It is a lofty
edifice with a gabled timber-framed roof covered with tiles.
Facing the west, it has a semi-circular arched entrance and windows above.
The facade is impressive, flanked on either side by a
stepped pinnacle. There is a bell-turret on the summit of the gable-front,
divided into three compartments. Inside the chancel is divided
from the nave by a plain arched opening and the top of the chancel roof is
crowned by two stepped pinnacles.

shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in_bitstream_10603_12807_12_12_chapter 6
Church Architecture of Kerala
A good number of churches newly built or old ones renovated in the modern
period show traces of the influences of the ecclesiastical churches (St.
Thomas churchand the St. Mary’s church) belonging to the Orthodox
Syrians. Both the buildings are of
the Basilican model and of vaster dimensions than most other church
buildings in Kerala.
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

A striking peculiarity of the former is the arch-form employed on the side wall
of the hylka
(nave). It is a conical arch designed by architects from West Asia. The Mar
Thoma
Pontificial shrine, Cranganore, consecrated in 1953, with the blessings of the
Pope has
been built more or less on the pattern of the St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome.
The new
Orthodox Syrian church at Kolencherri (the church of St. Peter and St. Paul)
built in
1961-63 in the place of an old one is an imposing edifice. It has a length of
124 feet and
a breadth of 56 feet and is one of the finest specimens of modern church
srchitecture in
Kerala. The Kerala churches are also noted for their beautiful stone
sculptures, wood
carvings and paintings.
The images in the Church Art of Kerala are orchestrated in multi-levelled
symbolic
formats, drawn from different religions and cultural traditions. It is indeed a
sublime
synthesis; which also poses certain interesting theoretical question to the
students of
culture and art. As a Christian process of image-production and artistic
synthesis, the
Church Art of Kerala is mainly rooted in two traditions; the Western Christian
and the
Indian Hindu-Brahmanical. Unlike the Christian Art of Europe, which
manifests a
unilinear historical trajectory, the Indian Church Art, developed by the
indigenous
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

Christianity. Nevertheless, had thrived in a pluralistic milieu. The concept of

an ancient Kerala church does not conform to a mere functional building that
houses its congregation for the worship alone, but a complex ensemble
spread out in a walled-in
compound, supposedly a zone of inviolable sanctity, with different
architectural symbols, and monuments nestling to the central building. With
their flag masts, huge stone crosses
stone-lamps, vadyappura, double-porticos, natakasala and arched entrances
(padippura) around the main building, the old churches resembled more of a
temple than their giant Gothic or Romanesque counterparts, soaring to the
sky, in the west.
The Church Art is a pervasive one spread out into every point and corner of
the church-complex. We find many images and figures in its art heavily
accented with
diverse religious iconographies. Though Hindu influence can be legitimately
expected,
there are surprising proofs of the influence of Buddhist iconography, Persian
Art and
even Assyro-Egyptian primitive arts. The inter-cultural and inter-religious
exchanges had reached such a positive pitch at one time, that the face of
Buddha can be found on the mounts of the Stone-Crosses of a few Christian
churches, while a figure strongly resembling the infant Lord Krishna,
surrounded by peacocks, is found in the portals of the Chengannoor church.
The Church Architecture of the Syrian Christians, with a lot of
autochthonous features had a closer resemblance to the Hindu temples,
which were also rooted in the same “Asiatic” spirituality. Images of lions are
profuse in the Church Art of Kerala also, but with a characteristic accent of
Hindu iconography in most cases. The lion that is painted on the altar of
Palai Cathedral does not have even the remote resemblance of the pouncing
Irish lion of St. Mark; but with its moustache, eyes, brow and hair like that of
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

a man, is closer to the anthorpologized concept of Narasimha of the Hindu

pantheon. Whether it is the artisan’s fanciful creative quirk or the deliberate
inconographic interpretation of the priest, one is not sure, the lion on the
stone cross of Changanacherry church also appears with a human face. The
lion on the altar of Palai is counterbalanced by the Ox of St. Luke on the
other side; but the humped, fiery, Semitic bull of St. Luke here looks like a
sheepish Gangetic Cow with wide eyes The evolution of the Church
architecture of Kerala springs from two sources the first from the work of
Apostle St. Thomas and the Syrian Christians and second from the
missionary work of European settlers. The tradition has it that St. Thomas
who landed in Musiris in 52 AD has seven churches built in Kerala at
Kodungallur, Chayil, Palur,
Paravur, Kollam, Niranom and Kothamangalam, but none of these churches
are now extant. The Palayam Palli is indeed a repository of Church
architecture of Kerala.
But original Surians who had migrated to Kerala had brought with them some
of the west Asian conventions in church architecture. Consequently there
evolved a distinctive style of church architecture. The peculiar feature of this
style was the ornamental gable façade at the nave end, summounted by a
cross. An entry porch (shala) infront of the nave was another feature of these
early shrines.
The church had a gable roof extending to the chancel, the most sacred part
of the church and the sacristy by its side. The tower over the chancel soared
higher than the roof of the nave similar to the sikhara over the garbhagriha in
a Hindu temple. In their external feature Syrian churches retained some of
the indigenous features of the Hindu style. The church and the ancillary
buildings were enclosed in a massive laterite wall.
There was an open cross in front of the main entrance on a granite
basement in themodel of balikkal, the altar stone. A church also had the flag
mast, (the dwajastambha) in front. In the Orthodox Syrian church at
Chengannur, Peter and Paul occupy the place of dwarapalas, the guarding
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

deities of a Hindu shrine. The oldest Syrian church of Kerala is believed to

be the St. Mary’s church at Kuravilangad. Originally built in 335
A.D. it had undergone renovations several times. The church has a rich
collection of old relics including an idol of Virgin Mary and a cross carved in
granite. The Valiapally of Kaduthuruthy is another old church with the biggest
cross formed in a single granite piece. Wood carving and mural paintings,
the two decorative media of temples are seen to be adopted in ancient
churches also. A famous piece of wooden carving is a large panel depicting
the last supper in St. Thomas church, Mulanthuruthy. The All Saints
church at Udayamperur has a beam resting on wooden mouldings of heads
of elephants and rhinoceros. Floral figures, angels and apostles are the
usual motifs of mural paintings. This form of decoration had continued in later
churches as well. In St. Sebastian’s church at Kanjoor a mural even depicts
the fight between British and Tippu Sultan.
The Portuguese were the first to introduce European styles in the church
architecture of Kerala, followed by Dutch and British. The first church of this
type in India was built by the Franciscan missionaries in 1510 A.D. at Fort
Kochi. It is a small unpretentious building of the medieval Spanish type. The
Portuguese had introduced many innovations in the Kerala churches. For the
first time, the dominating tower above the altar, which was the adaptation
from temple architecture, was discarded. Generally pulpits were erected and
altar pieces were ornamented in an impressive manner.
Ceilings and walls were painted with religious themes in the style of
European masters.
Pointed and rounded arches were introduced and stained glass windows
were installed. The subsequent development in church architecture in the
British period also saw the introduction of a new church design. In the
treatment of the exterior, typical features of European church architecture
were introduced – the Gothic arches, the pilasters and buttresses, the
rounded openings, the classic mouldings and stained glass windows
 [TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE] [Pick the date]

making the whole composition completely different from the native

architecture. Depending on the period of construction, one can also
distinguish between the churches done in the simplicity of Gothic style as in
the Palayam church, Thiruvananthapuram,
and the luxury of renaissance style as in the church of Our Lady of Dolorous
at Trissoor. While the character of church architecture is generally identified
with the form evolved in the medieval times, the modernistic trends in
adapting new plan shapes and structural forms are visible in the Kerala
scene as well. This circular plan shape with domical shell roof has been
adopted in the Christ College church at Irinjalakkuda. The
Cathedral church of Arch bishop of Varapuzha at Ernakulam is a soaring
hyperbolic
paraboloid in reinforced concrete with a bold expression in sharp contrast
with all
traditional forms. Perhaps experimentation in religious architecture is mostly
manifested
in church architecture as compared to that in temples or mosques which
more or less
adhere to old evolved forms seen on the side of Krishna.