Holy Virgin Mary Church alias Valiyapally, belongs to the Knanaya Orthodox
Syrian Community, is located at Thazhathangadi , 4 km northwest of
the Kottayam. Built in the year 1550 AD, it is one of the largest churches
in Kottayam dedicated to St. Mary . The church is famous for its two granite
8th-century Persian crosses with Pahlavi (official language of Sassanian
dynasty in Persia) inscriptions. The cross on the Southern Altar is similar
to the one at St. Thomas Mount, Mylapore, Madras.