It is believed that St Thomas the Apostle landed at the Port town of Muziris way back in 52AD to spread the Christian faith among the Jewish diaspora present in Kerala during that time. He came to Muziris in the company of a Jewish Merchant named Abbanes. He then traveled to Palayoor, a place near to Guruvayoor and established the first church in India. This happens three centuries before Christianity gained official recognition in Europe. Further he traveled towards south and established seven and a half churches in Kerala. The tour gives you the glimpses of the land where the port of Muziris was located and the historical remains and stories of the Apostle and the emergence of Christianity in Kerala.
Itinerary
Day 1 Check inn at Vedic Village, Kodungaloor
Arrival at Cochin Airport. Trasfer to Vedic village check inn settle down at the resort and enjoy the pristine beauty of the River periyar, by evening you could try out a country boat ride where you could see the chinese fishing nets and may by join those fishermen for a catch.
Day 2 Get ready for an interesting historical day tour – “Through the trails of the Saint”
- St.Thomas Church Palayoor –Established in AD 52: St.Thomas arrived here from Muziris 2000 years ago. There is a ruins of ancient Jewish Synagogue is still seen outside the Brahmin temple about a furlong off the church. Here St.Thomas converted 72 Hindu people to Christianity.
- Indian Christian Historical Museum
- St.Thomas Marthoma Church-AD 52 - The Marthoma Church is considered as the first Christian church in INDIA and is located on the bank of River Periyar. In this church a holy relic of St. Thomas (Elbow 15 cm) the Apostle of Jesus is enshrined for public worship. & 35 minute digital show regarding the St.Thomas Arrival
- Kottakavu Church AD 52: Kottakavu church is said to be one of the seven churches founded by St. Thomas during 52 AD.This church is also known as Valiya pally or big church, indicating mother church.
- Kottapuram Cathedral
- Jewish-Christian Ancestor Tower
- Our Lady of Snow Church AD-1507 This church is very close to Portuguese Fort. It was founded in the year 1507 and dedicated to Mother Mary.
- Vypeekotta Seminary AD 1581 The remains of the Vypeekotta Seminary built by the Portuguese is Preserved as a historic monument and site. A Seminary is the college to teach Christian priests.here we can see a Temple,synagogue,church and Mosque within 100 meter,this is the best example of Indian religious harmony.
- Natural Fiber Craft Center Visit
- Elephant sanctuary visit
Day 3 Get ready for a half day tour to the Muziris Escavation site
Muziris (1st century B.C.) is a lost port city in Kodungallur and was a major center of trade in Tamilakkam between the Chera Empire and the Roman Empire. Muziris (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar in 1341 AD, opening a new port called Kochi. Muziris opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English to Indian sub continent and South East Asia. Muziris dealers had set Indo-Greek and Indo-Roman trade with Egypt, which comes in gold and other metals, pepper and spices, precious stones and textiles. Merchants from a number of cultures are believed to have operated in the port, and there are numerous Indian finds from the time as well as Roman ones.
For long it was considered to be Kodungalloor. However, in 1983, a large hoard of Roman coins was found at a site around six miles from a place called Pattanam, some distance away from Kodungalloor. Excavations carried out from 2004 to 2009 at Pattanam has revealed evidence that may point out the exact position of Muziris.
- Shiva Temple 2000 years old
- First mosque in India AD 629
- First Bagavathy Temple in India
- Excavation site – Muziris
- Handloom weaving center
- Paravour synagogue
- First Christian church in India -AD 52
- natural fibre craft center visit
Day 4 Departure transfer to Cochin International Airport
Accommodation details
| Day | Destination | Hotel | Room type | Meal plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Kodungaloor | Vedic Village | King’s Nest | All meals |
Inclusions
- Accommodation in the mentioned hotels with the resepective room category and meal plan.
- All transfers in Air conditioned indigo from the point of arrival to the point of departure.
- Guided Historical christian tour – Through the trails of the Saint.
- Guided Muziris heritage half day tour.
- Country boat ride in river periyar.
- Complementary usage of the swimming pool.
- Lunch, entrance fees, camera charges and guide charges for the day trips
Exclusions
- Any Airfare.
- Expenses of personal nature such as drinks, telephone, and laundry bills etc.
- Tips and porter charges.
- Any boating charges (motor boat / pedal boat).
- Any additional expenses incurred due to any flight delay or cancellation, weather conditions, political closures, technical faults etc.
- Any other service/s not specified above
Note
- All taxes, entrance fees, airfare etc if included are as on date. Any future hike will be charged extra.
- Check in / Checkout time with the hotels are 1200 noon and overnight Houseboat (if provided with itinerary) is 1200 noon check in and 0900 hrs next day check out.
- Child above 5 years is considered as an extra person.
- The above rates are valid for the given dates only – October to March 2012
- The above is only an offer and not confirmation of your bookings. We shall proceed with your booking once we have receive the payment from you & if we are not able to get the original hotels, shall provide equivalent/ alternative hotels.