30 January 2017

200 Years of the Orthodox Pazhaya Seminary in Kottayam 21.4. 2015

The foundation of Orthodox Theological Seminary(OTS), known as Old Seminary or Cottayam Syrian College, was laid in February, 1813. The Seminary is run by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the St Thomas Christians, commonly known as ‘Malankara Nazranis’. This is a heritage monument recognized by the Government for its importance as a two hundred year old quadrangular edifice where English education was started for the first time in the state ofKerala. The institution, which once served as a co-ordinating centre of public education under the Christian missionaries continues to serve as the earliest nonRoman Catholic Seminary for Christian Priests.
Besides the serene Chapel of the Seminary, the structure holds the Nalukettu (four sided courtyard made of wood) depicting the rich architectural beauty of the 18th and 19thcenturies. The Nalukettu structure today houses a heritage museum which acts as a repository of 2000 years of Christianity in the country. According to the Department of Archeology, Government of Kerala, the Old Seminary Building which is approximately200 years old and is one of the earliest public institutions in Kerala, has a historical significance in the context of Kerala’s socio cultural history.

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