St Gregarios of Parumala / Parumala Thirumeni, of the Pathanamthitta district

About Parumala in Pathanamthitta District
Parumala is located in the Pathanamthitta district of the state of Kerala in India. Pathanamthitta  is a small town located by the side the River Pampa. Parumala is well known  for the Tomb of  Parumala Thirumeni, St Gregarios. St Gregarios was one of the greatest saints of India who belonged to the Indian Orthodox church or the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Syriac Orthodox church.

Parumala Thirumeni was the first declared saint of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church   and the first canonized Indian saint. Orma Perunnal or the commomeration day of the saint is celebrated  on the1st and the 2nd of November every year. You can see large number of devotees  and visitors flock to the Parumala church to worship the saint.

Life History in Brief of the St Gregarios of Parumala 
Saint Gregarios Geevarghese was born in a well known priestly family of Pallathattu Thanagattu, located in the village of Mulunthuruthy in the Ernakulam district on the 15th June 1848. He was christened as Geevarghese / George  at the Mulunthuruthy Marthoman Church. He lost his mother in his early years and was under the loving care of his elder sister Mariam. He had followed a very austere life even in his childhood and had lots of time for prayer and fasting.  In the early days he had  a fascination for Syriac, the liturgical language of Syriac Orthodox Church. He had the extraordinary ability of singing Syriac hymns perfectly and clearly which came to the notice of Malpan Kassisso Geevarghese who was an authority in Syriac and a celibate priest, as well as his father's brother. Thoroughly impressed with the boy's ability, Kassisso Geevarghese gave proper guidance to him.  Malpan Kassisso Geevarghese Konattu (later Geevarghese Mor Julius) and St. Yuyakkim Mor Koorilos Bava, the Syrian Metropolitan who was the Reesh Episcopa to Malankara were the two other personalities who influenced the boy's mind greatly.  The boy became a monk in the later years  at the malankara Church and  made it clear to the world that Prayer and devotion is mightier than any worldly possession.  The Holy Saint's life was remarkable, he was a deacon at 10, a priest at 18, a bishop at 28 and died at the age of 54. He passed away on the 3rd November 1902, after a saintly life of prayer  to become the brightest jewel of the Universal Syrian Church.

How to Reach Parumala?
You have to reach either Chengannur or Thiruvalla to go to Parumala.  From there you have to travel about 10 miles either by auto or taxis  to reach Parumala.
If you are travelling by air, you can reach KOchi airport and then travel by train  to Chengannur or Thiruvella to go to Parumala.
If you are travelling by rail, you can reach Chengannur / Thiruvella through the Broad gauge railway network. Most of the trains running to and from Thiruvananthapuram stop at Chengannur.
You can get Kerala state transport buses from wherever you are in Kerala to reach Parumala via Chengannur and Thiruvella.