The Valiapalli (the "big church") is the principal church of the Kottayam Syrian Christian community, a congregation that traces its origins to the St Thomas Christians — the ancient Christian community of Kerala who claim descent from converts made by the Apostle Thomas on his mission to India in 52 AD. The current church building dates from 1550, but the community it serves is far older. The interior is covered in elaborate painted murals in a style that blends Indian iconographic conventions with Christian subjects — a visual record of a Christianity that developed in India largely independently of Rome.
The church stands on a low hill above Kottayam town, approached through a garden of old trees. Two carved stone crosses in the churchyard — one of them the Pahlavi cross — are the most important historical objects here, and both have been designated national monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India. The church is an active place of worship; visitors are welcome but should dress modestly and ask permission before photographing inside.