The Cheriapalli — the "small church" — stands close to the Valiapalli on the same hill and dates from 1579. It is the more intimate and visually striking of the two churches, its interior walls covered in a remarkable set of Portuguese-influenced paintings: angels, saints, and biblical scenes rendered in a vivid palette that shows how thoroughly the Syrian Christian tradition absorbed the influence of its Portuguese visitors in the 16th century. The paintings were restored in the 20th century but retain their expressive quality.
The church also has an unusual pulpit and an ornate altar screen. Like the Valiapalli nearby, it is an active church used by the Jacobite Syrian Christian community. The two churches together — just steps apart — make for an absorbing comparison: the Valiapalli older and more austere, with its great stone crosses; the Cheriapalli livelier and more decorated. Allow an hour to see both properly.