(1) Shrine erected in memory of 'Mor Thoma II' in the 'Kserbono' (portion between Madbho & Hykalo) of the Niranam Church

(Mortal remains of the holy father is interred in the wall of Madbho)

(2) Inside view  of the Niranam church   (Shrine of Mor Thoma II is located on the left side, in front of the Madbho)

Mor Thoma II was the second native bishop of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church after the historic 'Koonen Kurishu Sathyam' of 1653.  He was consecrated as Metropolitan by his immediate predecessor and uncle, Mor Thoma I, and the Patriarchal representative St. Gregorios Abded' Jaleel in 1670.  Little is known of this Metropolitan, except that he was a man of amiable character.  After administering the Malankara Church for 16 years he died on the 13th of April, 1686 (M.E. Medom 3, 861)  and was entombed at the St. Thomas church in Niranam.

During his time, two noteworthy incidents took place.  One is the arrival of a Syrian named Anthroyos (Andrew).  Some of the historians are of the view that he was a bishop, while others deny this contention.  There is no evidence to show that he had ever exercised any functions of a bishop.  In 1692 while bathing in Kallada River he was drowned and was buried in the Syrian church there.  He was of a pious and noble character and his memory is being celebrated in some of the Malankara Syrian churches even now. 

The second incident is the blessed arrival of Maphryono St. Baselios Yeldho in 1685, who came here as per the requests made by Mor Thoma II to the Supreme pontiff of the Church the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.  The Maphryono was accompanied by the Episcopo Mor Ivanios to Malabar, having been deputed by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Abdul Messiah I.  After much hardship they reached the church at Kothamangalam; but sadly the the saintly Maphryono who was very old, did not live long.  The holy father passed way on the thirteenth day of his arrival and his mortal remains were interred in the church at Kothamangalam, where his Dhukrono (death anniversary) is celebrated with great pomp and ceremony by the Malankara Syrian Christians to this day.  The Episcopo Mor Ivanios who accompanied the Maphryono was ordained Metropolitan by St. Baselios Yeldho, a few days before his demise, at Kothamangalam.  Mor Ivanios was a very able, energetic, zealous, hardworking bishop, a profound Syriac scholar, a renowned poet, and a sound theologian. He reclaimed several Syrians from the Roman Church, and reaffirmed with special emphasis several of the most important doctrines of the Church.

The church at Niranam established in the place where the Apostle St. Thomas is believed to have

established a Cross and where the mortal remains of Mor Thoma II and Mor Thoma V,

the 2nd & the 5th native Metropolitans of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church rests

References:  

    1.  The Malankara Syrian Church history by  Very Rev. Kurien Corepiscopa Kaniamparambil. (published in 1982)   

    2.  Photos taken in August 2004.

    3. 'Calendar of The Syrian Orthodox Church', published by Travancore Syriac Orthodox Publishers, 2004