St. John's Cathedral, Tiruvalla

St. John's Cathedral in Tiruvalla is a place of worship serving the Syro-Malankara Catholic community with architectural features rooted in Kerala's building traditions. The structure uses brick walls, a form that echoes temple design, and contains a spacious interior that holds roughly 2000 people.

The structure started as a modest chapel in 1932 and underwent transformation over the following decades as the community grew. The current building was designed by architect Laurie Baker and dedicated in 2004.

The stained glass windows display biblical scenes showing how the divine reaches toward humanity, how people search for the spiritual, and how humans connect with one another. These images shape the feeling of the space and make the spiritual purpose clear.

The cathedral sits about 2 kilometers from Thiruvalla railway station, making it fairly straightforward to reach. Nearby accommodations and eating places are within walking distance of the building.

The building deliberately blends features from South Indian temples with traditions of Eastern Christian design, creating a mixed style that is uncommon. This combination of local and religious building forms makes the place architecturally distinctive.