Catholicate Palace

About this place

Catholicate Palace, also known as Devalokam Aramana, is the headquarters and official residence of the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, commonly known as the Indian Orthodox Church, located at Devalokam in Kottayam, Kerala. The official address of the Malankara Orthodox Church identifies Catholicate Palace at Devalokam P.O., via Muttambalam, Kottayam – 686 004, placing the institution firmly within the Kottayam urban area rather than Niranam. The palace is an important centre of administration, worship and ecclesiastical heritage for the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, with the Church's administrative headquarters functioning on the same premises as the official residence of its Catholicos. The site is therefore particularly significant for visitors interested in Kerala Christian heritage, Indian Orthodox Christianity, Malankara Church history, religious institutions and the cultural landscape of Kottayam. Devalokam Aramana has a close connection with the continuing administration of the Malankara Orthodox Church, whose dioceses and parishes extend across India and communities abroad. The Kottayam Central Diocese also identifies Catholicate Palace at Devalokam, Muttambalam, Kottayam, as its administrative centre, further demonstrating the importance of the location within the Church's organisational structure. One of the important religious features of Catholicate Palace is the Aramana chapel, where the Malankara Orthodox Church states that holy relics associated with St. Thomas the Apostle are preserved. The premises also contain the tombs of several prominent leaders and holy fathers of the Church, including His Holiness Baselios Geevarghese II, His Holiness Baselios Augen I, His Holiness Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II and Metropolitan Thomas Mar Macarios. These associations give Devalokam Aramana significance as a place of remembrance and pilgrimage within the Indian Orthodox Christian tradition. The history of the Catholicate itself adds another important dimension to the site. The Catholicate of the East was established in India in 1912, and the first Catholicos of the Malankara Church was Baselios Paulos I. Although the establishment and early history of the Catholicate are associated with events at Niranam, the present institutional headquarters and Catholicate Palace are located at Devalokam in Kottayam, and these locations should not be treated as the same heritage site. The present-day Catholicate Palace represents the continuing administrative and ecclesiastical centre of the Church in Kottayam. The Devalokam complex is also connected with the wider religious and educational heritage of Kottayam, a city that has played a major role in the development of Kerala's Syrian Christian traditions. The nearby Orthodox Theological Seminary, established in Kottayam in 1815, is another important institution associated with the intellectual and theological history of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. For travellers exploring Kottayam tourism and Kerala's religious heritage, Catholicate Palace provides an opportunity to understand the institutional side of the Indian Orthodox Church and its continuing presence in the region. Unlike a conventional tourist attraction, the palace is a functioning ecclesiastical centre, and access to its different areas may depend on religious activities, administrative requirements and permission from Church authorities. Visitors should therefore respect the sacred character of the premises, ongoing worship and local customs while visiting. The location's importance comes not simply from its architecture but from its role as the seat of the Catholicos, the administrative headquarters of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and a place associated with important Church leaders and religious relics. Situated in Devalokam, Kottayam, Catholicate Palace remains an important landmark for understanding the history, administration and spiritual heritage of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala. For those interested in Indian Orthodox Christianity, Malankara Sabha history, Kottayam religious heritage and Kerala's diverse Christian traditions, Devalokam Aramana offers an important connection to the living ecclesiastical history of the region.

🚆 Nearest Railway: Kottayam Railway Station (~2.5 km)

✈️ Airport: Cochin International Airport (~90 km)

🚌 Bus: Devalokam Bus Stop (~100 m)

🏨 Stay: Hotels and homestays in Kottayam town (~3–5 km)

✅ Notes: Catholicate Palace, also known as Devalokam Aramana, is the official residence and administrative headquarters of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Devalokam, Kottayam.