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Pilgrim Centre Sampaloor Mala

St. Francis Xaviers's Church, Sampaloor, Mala (Sampaloor Church Mala) in the Diocese of Kottapuram is an ancient pilgrim centre and pride to all Roman Catholics. It is located just 5 km away from Mala town.

History

The history of Sampaloor is interwoven with the Saints and Scholars who came to Sampaloor through the waterways which starting from Musiris to Mararikulam (a river port where houseboats can anchor).  The name Sampaloor derived from the name, St. Paul Oor (means the place of St. Paul). Oor in Tamil language means "place".

The Jesuit Priests (Society of Jesus) of St. Paul came India for Missionary works settled at Sampaloor and started their Seminary along with printing press in between 1579 and 1600. The Jesuits named their Seminary, Press and Monastery in the name of St. Paul and in the course of history, the Dutch Protestants and Tipu Sultan destroyed the Seminary, Press and the Monastery. The Blood Sand of St. John De Britto is kept here in the Museum. In the Church, the "Altar" of the old Seminary run by the Jesuit Priests is kept as a monument where St. Francis Xavier, St. John De Britto, Fr. Constantine Beschi and other eminent scholars offered the Holy Mass for the praise of God.

The fame of Sampaloor is connected with the visits of St. Francis Xavier to Sampaloor while his visits to Kerala. There were almost 450 Anglo-Indian families in Sampaloor who were strong devotees of St. Francis Xavier. In this connection Sampaloor is also called "Goa of Kerala"

Sampaloor, along with the St. Paul Seminary and Printing Press, was a cradle for saints, scholars and literary men Joseph Constantine Beschi (Veera Mamunyar), who wrote the masterpiece work "Thembavani", is equivalent to "Ezhuthachan" in Malayalam Literature. "Thembavani", which is included in the syllabus of higher studies of Tamil Language even in the present day, proclaims its importance. Moreover, the foster father of Malayalam language, Rev. Fr. Arnospathiri, who wrote the famous work "Puthenpana" in Malalayalm, was a student of St. Paul Seminary and he took his priestly Ordination from there.

The foot steps of Saints and Scholars had sanctified the soil of the "divine land" and had made the water of the near-by river "holy water" capable of curing diseases. Eventhough, Tippu Sultan had burned the Ancient glory into ashes, as a "Pelican bird", the present generation had kept its memories alive, through the collected remnants they had kept in the newly built museum.

Nearby Important Locations

1. Oxbow Lake, Kanichan Thura, Vynthala.
2. Ambazhakadu Forane Church.
3. Chalakudy River.

How to reach

Visitors can hire taxis from Mala town or travel by regular buses plying Mala, Ashtamichira, Kadukutty and Vynthala. The distance shall be from Mala to Ashtamichira 3 km and from Ashtamichira to Sampaloor Church 3 km.

Contact

Postal Adress: St. Francis Xavier Church, Sampaloor - 680 741, Mala, Thrissur District, Kerala, India.

Phone: +91-480-2719079.

Sampaloor Church Museum

Sampaloor Church Monument

Sampaloor Church Monument

Sampaloor Church

Sampaloor - History

Sampaloor, by the side of the Chalakudy River is known as the Goa of Kerala. Rightfully called so, this place, like Goa witnessed the arrival of a series of clergy. This comprised St. Francis Xavier, St. John Britto, Fr. Joseph Constantine Buski (Veeramamunivar) and Arnos Pathiri. Among them, the first to arrive at Sampaloor was St. Francis Xavier, who came via Marankuzhi, a place located in Kodungallur (former Muziris). His visits, as per records, were in 1542, 1544, and 1548. At that time the Muziris harbour (present day Kodungallur) connected India to foreign countries via the sea.

Sampaloor was an important center of Jesuits during the time of the Portuguese. Some of the structures still stand testimony to the works of the Jesuits in Sampaloor. They include the St. Paul?s Seminary, the St. Paul?s Monastery and the St. Paul?s Press and a church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. Gradually San?paul-ur became Sampaloor. Half way though the 17th century St. John Britto, an Italian missionary, came to Sampaloor and lived there for nearly one year. He studied Tamil and Sanskrit and adopted an Indian name ? Swamy Arulananda. The altar of St. Francis Xavier?s church at which St. John Britto used to celebrate the holy mass is now a protected historical monument.

Another member of the clergy, who made his presence felt at Sampaloor after St. John Britto was Arnos Pathiri, who studied at the St. Paul?s Seminary and later got ordained there. He made remarkable contributions to the Malayalam literature through his book ?Puthen Pana.? Next to follow was Fr. Joseph Constantine Buski (Veeramamunivar). He came to Sampaloor, while serving in Madurai Mission and later lived there. Fr. Buski?s final resting place is also at Sampaloor.

The first printing in Malayalam was done at the St. Paul?s Press in Sampaloor, which was set up by Jesuit Priests in 1663. The dictionary of ?Prinsa Pathiri,? Tamil grammar of Dacosta Pathiri, and the books of Dinobili were printed in this press. Sampaloor thus became a great centre for language-nurturing in south India.

The arrival of the clergymen to Sampaloor in the mid 16th century and the developments that took place all later became part of the ecclesiastical history of Kerala. Sampaloor also went through an unfortunate phase in the course of its history, when it was devastated in an attack by Tippu Sultan, who was fighting the British during the middle periods of the 18th century. Later, the church got reconstructed during the time of Bernadian Bechinelly, who was the vicar apostolate of Varapuzha in 1862. The present church was blessed in 1979.

Museums at Sampaloor

Visitors to Sampaloor church would find the Historical Museum located nearby as a source of interesting information, throwing more light on its history. Among the displayed items are major attractions like the cannon balls used by the invading army of Tippu Sultan; the holy vestments of priests; tablets that describe the old liturgical order and the tabernacle of the old church.

Also part of the museum display are statues of saints made of wood and metal, lamps used for adoration, lamp-sticks, the cross made of metal belonging to the 15th century and ?Vazhuthayodukal? of the same century.

And in the Anglo-Indian Cultural museum, visitors are bound to admire the settings of typical Anglo-Indian wedding ceremony, the traditional attire of Anglo-Indian women and men like the Kabaya, Madirasi Thuny, a collection of coat, suit, tie and traditional ornaments of the Anglo-Indian community comprising Cothigna, Arulikka Mala, Pinnu Mala, wedding ring, and of course details of their traditional food.

Sampaloor without doubt occupies a significant place in Kerala history, which would be best remembered for the arrival of the clergy men and their efforts to become part of the native people.



Sampaloor -Kadukutty Bridge



Vynthala - My Village

Vynthala is a very old village by the banks of Chalakudy river and 10 km from Chalakudy town It is an old farming community and the main crop is paddy and the other cultivations are coconut trees and nutmeg [Tropical Spice]. The main industry is the manufacture of roofing clay tiles and there are few companies engaged in that business. There is one high school by the name St. Mary's and a christian church by the name of St.Joseph.



Chalakudy River