Two churches and a volatile chasm on the Malabar coast

The December 3 verdict sparked tensions along the Malabar coast and prompted the top court to order status quo on December 17

Morning has just broken over the gleaming white spire of the St Thomas Jacobite Syrian Cathedral in Mazhuvannoor, a canopy of trees obscuring the view of the horizon. Eliyamma K and AmminiPS, both in their 50s, are sitting on a wooden bench inside the imposing 150-year-old structure. Seemingly unaware of the early hour, the two middle-aged women are excitedly exchanging news about upcoming weddings or troubles in their village of Mazhuvannoor, settled on the eastern fringes of Ernakulam district

An Orthodox church near Perumbavoor. (Sourced)