Muttuchira is a village in the
Kottayam District situated in the South Indian State of
Kerala. It is called as Nayappalli in old records. As per tradition, the Christian settlement of Muttuchira was built up in the sixth century.
Antonio Gouvea, the Portuguese voyager who went with
Alexis De Menezes, the
Archbishop of Goa, recorded the Menezes' visit of Muttuchira in AD 1599. Gouvea used the term
Nayapili to mean Muttuchira. The church was called as (Latin for ). Johannes Facundus Raulin in the 1740s in his book
Historia Ecclesia Malabaricae uses the term
Muttieri.
Anquetil Du Perron, a French scholar and Orientalist in January 1758, mentions the Catholic church of the Holy Ghost at Muttiera and mentions of
Saint Sebastian. The Muttuchira church is one of the most ancient churches in India. It is believed to be built up in the sixth century AD. The Christians to this territory were brought by the dependents of the then-landlord
Myal Pazhur Naboothiripadu and
Mamalassery Kaimal. The local rulers helped the Christian congregation build a new church in the area. The Kallarveli family was a prominent one who helped to build the church. Later, many others came and settled from other places. It was an agricultural area, mainly of ginger and rice paddies. The Muttuchira market also came into existence gradually. Muttuchira had commodity transactions with Kochi at that time. Muttuchira Church was consecrated on Pentecost, 25 May 550 AD. The ancient cross with a granite base standing in Kurisummoodu is adorned with carvings. The main church was with traditional arch-shaped madbaha with a cross and a sacrificial table. As the church members increased in number, the church's space became inadequate and another congregation was established in the seventh century. This new church was built in the site of the present kochupally (little church) inside the compound. The church was harmed during the assault of the Mukalan rulers in the ninth century AD. The church bells were removed by them. That church was later remodelled and used until the 12th century. It was remodeled again in the 13th century. This church was named after the Holy Ghost. The church had the sanctity behind, verandas on both sides and the spaces for the ministers to keep afloat.
Denha thirunal, Epiphany, was important in this church. It is said that "the
Pontifical Raza of Bishop
Mar Parambil Chandy after his ecclesiastical appointment was offered at Muttuchira Church". An ancient
Saint Thomas Christian cross was discovered inside the madbaha wall when the old church at Muttuchira was demolished. This cross is believed to be from the fifth century. The paleontology chief of
Travancore Government examined the cross. His assessment is that the cross must be over 1500 years of age. The houses of worship at
Maylappur,
Kadamattam,
Angamali and
Kottayam Valiyapally also have such Persian crosses. The St Thomas cross is set near the entryway inside the new Valiyapally (great church) now. However the verifiable records specify that the stone cross in front of the church was made and presented to the church by
Kallarveli Kurisingal Mathai Chacko in the thirteenth century. Muttuchira Church was known as Njayapally. There was no place called Muttuchira back then. The
paddy fields close to the church today may have been lakes previously. The name
Muttuchira most likely came into existence when the sites were raised with bunds. The present
Valiapally (great church) and the presbytery were built amid the reign of Rev. Fr. Kuriakose Parambil, who was the ward minister here since 1859. This was elevated to a Forane church in 1890. The development of the five-storied chime tower was begun amid the reign of Rev. Fr. Ouseph Chakkalackal, who was the ward cleric in 1901. There are three major bells on the fifth floor. The chime tower has a cross on top of it. The height of the chime tower is 150 feet. ==Ancient mural collections==