CityDekho
Malayattoor

Malayattoor

pilgrimage site · Kerala

Malayattoor, a hilltop church near Kochi dedicated to St.

State
Kerala
Type
Pilgrimage Site
Best season
Winter
Things to do
1+

Malayattoor, a hilltop church near Kochi dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle, draws one of the largest Christian pilgrimages in India and the only one in Asia declared an International Shrine by the Vatican. Pilgrims climb the forested hill, especially during the Lenten season, to reach the shrine said to be linked to St. Thomas.

When to go

Best visited October to March, though hill shrines may open only May-October.

Why visit

A Vatican-recognised International Shrine of St. Thomas on a forested Kerala hilltop — a major Christian pilgrimage.

Cultural notes

Linked to the tradition of St. Thomas the Apostle evangelising Kerala in the 1st century, Malayattoor anchors the deep heritage of Syrian Christianity in India.

How to reach

Near Kochi (~50 km), nearest airport Cochin; reached by road, with a hill climb to the church.

Malayattoor guide & itineraries

Been to Malayattoor?

Write what you would tell a friend — where you stayed, what you would skip, the thing you wish somebody had mentioned before you went. We read every submission before it goes up.

Share your story

People also explored

Travellers viewing Malayattoor also loved these

Kerala

Alappuzha Beach

Famous for: Historic pier, Lighthouse, Sunset. Nearby: Alleppey Backwaters, Houseboats.

Kerala

Meenkunnu Beach

Known for being less crowded.

Kerala

Neendakara Beach

Highlights: Fishing harbour and estuary views.

More spiritual places to explore

More places you'll love

Assam

Hajo

Hajo is an ancient pilgrimage town near Guwahati in Assam, revered across three faiths.

Karnataka

ISKCON Temple

ISKCON Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Rajajinagar is one of the largest ISKCON temples in the world, a striking blend of modern glass-and-steel architecture with…

Maharashtra

Siddhivinayak Temple (Mumbai)

Shree Siddhivinayak is Mumbai's most beloved Ganesha temple, built in 1801 and today one of the richest and most-visited shrines in India.

Maharashtra

Trimbakeshwar (Jyotirlinga)

Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, enshrines one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas of Shiva and marks the source of the Godavari, India's…

Andhra Pradesh

Srisailam (Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga)

Srisailam, set amid the forested Nallamala Hills above the Krishna River, is home to the Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple, a rare site that is at once one of…

Gujarat

Shatrunjaya Hill

Shatrunjaya Hill rises above the Shatrunjaya River near Palitana town in Bhavnagar district, and no other mountain in the world carries anything like what…

Gujarat

Pavagadh Hill

Pavagadh Hill is a volcanic plateau rising about 822 metres from the plains of the Panchmahal district, at the heart of the UNESCO-listed Champaner-Pavagadh…

Gujarat

Valsad

Valsad, once known as Bulsar, sits at the southern tip of Gujarat on the Arabian Sea.

Gujarat

Jamnagar

Jamnagar, once the princely capital of Nawanagar under the Jadeja rulers, sits on the southern Gulf of Kutch.

Gujarat

Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar is Gujarat's planned capital, laid out on the west bank of the Sabarmati by the architects H.K. Mewada and Prakash M.

Tamil Nadu

Kanyakumari Beach

At the southernmost tip of mainland India, Kanyakumari is famous for sunrises and sunsets over three converging seas, the Vivekananda Rock and the…

Jayanti (Jaintiapur)

Jaintiapur is in Bangladesh's Sylhet division, an hour or so from the Dawki crossing.

Trending in Kerala

Sabarimala

Sabarimala

Sabarimala, set deep in the Western Ghats forests of Kerala, is one of the largest pilgrimage sites in the world, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. Devotees observe a 41-day vratham and trek through the hills to reach the hilltop shrine, especially during the Makaravilakku season.

Alleppey (Backwaters)

Alleppey (Backwaters)

The mistake in Alleppey is the day boat. A houseboat only becomes worth it once the day-trippers have gone home and the water goes quiet. Book an overnight, and if you can, book a smaller boat that can leave the main channel. The big two-storey ones are restricted to the wide canals where they queue up alongside each other; the small ones get into the narrow waterways between the paddy fields, which is where the backwaters stop being a boat trip and start being a place where people live. Better still, spend a morning on a public ferry. The government service from Alleppey to Kottayam costs almost nothing, takes a couple of hours, stops at village jetties, and carries schoolchildren and shopping. You will see more of the actual backwaters from its deck than from most houseboats. The paddy fields here are farmed below sea level, kept dry by dykes and pumps — Kuttanad is one of the few places in the world where that is done. October to March. The monsoon has its own case, and the snake boat races in the wet season are worth planning around, but the water is high and the light is grey.

Kochi (Fort Kochi)

Kochi (Fort Kochi)

Fort Kochi is walkable, layered and unusually easy for a first trip to India — it is one of the few Indian towns where you can simply wander without a plan. The Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront are the postcard, and they are also mostly a photo stop now rather than a working fishery. Go anyway, at dusk, but do not expect a spectacle. Behind them, St Francis Church holds the spot where Vasco da Gama was buried before his remains went home, and the Paradesi Synagogue in Jew Town has a floor of hand-painted Chinese tiles, no two the same. Kathakali is the thing worth booking. The good venues start an hour early so you can watch the performers put the make-up on — that hour explains the art form far better than the performance does, and without it the show is opaque. Cross to Mattancherry for the spice godowns, where the smell of ginger and pepper in the streets is not a tourist experience, it is a working trade. October to March is dry and pleasant. April and May are humid and heavy. The monsoon is dramatic and the town keeps functioning through it.

Guruvayur (Sri Krishna Temple)

Guruvayur (Sri Krishna Temple)

Guruvayur is a temple town in Kerala centred on the revered Sri Krishna (Guruvayurappan) Temple, often called the Dwarka of the South. The deity is worshipped as the young Krishna, and the shrine is one of the busiest Vaishnava pilgrimage centres in India, famed for its strict rituals, temple elephants and devotional music.

Where next?

Or a different kind of trip

Hill StationsBeachesHeritage

Everything in KeralaBrowse all destinations