16/06/2026
The Sacred Circle of Old Kottayam
By Pallikkonam Rajeev (Original Malayalam article translated and adapted into English)
If we take the location of the old Thali Fort (Thalikkotta), which existed in Kottayam until the late 19th century, and draw a circle with a radius of 500 metres around its centre, we find no fewer than eleven places of worship belonging to Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities within that area.
These include:
Thali Mahadeva Temple
Thazhathangady Juma Masjid
Kottayam Valiya Palli (St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Church)
Kottayam Cheriya Palli (St. Mary's Knanaya Church)
Idaykattu Forane Church
Thirumala Venkiteswara Temple
Thazhathangady Sacred Heart Church
Thazhathangady Gurudeva Subrahmanya Temple
Thazhathēdath Temple
Kummanam Tablighul Islam Mosque
Puthenpally
It is difficult to find another place in Kerala where so many places of worship belonging to different faiths are located within such a small area. If the radius is expanded to one kilometre, the number of places of worship rises to approximately twenty-four.
Most of these religious centres were established by various communities that settled in and around the old fortified town during the rule of the Thekkumkoor Kingdom. They stand as enduring symbols of the region's rich cultural diversity and long tradition of coexistence.
The old Kottayam area, including Thazhathangady, continues to be known for the harmonious way in which people of different faiths and communities live together with mutual respect and understanding.
— Pallikkonam Rajeev
