St Mary’s Syrian Knanaya Church Kerala

Perched on a low-lying riverside hill 2km northwest of central Kottayam, this bright-white church was founded in 1550 by Syrian Knanaya Christians (the existing building is from 1588) and contains two granite-carved crosses with ancient Pahalavi-language inscriptions, thought to date to at least the 7th century. While here, don't miss St Mary’s Orthodox Church and its altar festooned with vegetable dyes, just 200m south.