Edappally Church has seven Sunday Masses and some on a weekday, so there is nearly always service to catch but they differ by day and the First Friday of every month runs on an extended timetable. It is also one of only a handful of pilgrimage churches which welcome and are almost swamped by numbers of non-Christians creating their own practical problems. This guide contains the entire Mass schedule, non-Christian visitor rules, what not to bring in with you and others observing major feast days, and how much it costs to visit the church.

Edappally Church Mass Timings: The Short Version

Here is the core of it. Edappally Church mass timings, which are free to enter, range from just before dawn until evening with the exception of Sundays on which there are seven Masses (five in English and two in Malayalam), three on weekdays and an extended First Friday. For instance, at St. George’s Forane Church located at Edappally Junction in Kochi follows the following pattern (for instances). As times for feasts and special services do change from year to year, please verify with the church prior to traveling.

Detail	At a glance
Sunday Masses	5:45, 7:00, 8:45, 10:15 AM, 4:30, 5:30, 7:00 PM
Weekday Masses (Mon to Sat)	6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 6:00 PM
Friday Masses	6:00, 7:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 6:00 PM
First Friday	Extended schedule with extra Masses
Entry	Free, open to all, including non-Christians
Feast of St. George	Nine-day feast, late April into May
Location	Edappally Junction, NH 66, Kochi, Kerala

Sunday Mass Timings: The Full Schedule

Sunday is the busiest day, and the church runs seven Masses to handle the numbers. Most are in Malayalam, with one commonly conducted in English, so there is a service to suit almost any schedule.

Mass	Time	Note
First Mass	5:45 AM	Early and calm
Second Mass	7:00 AM	Well attended
Third Mass	8:45 AM	Popular family Mass
Fourth Mass	10:15 AM	Mid-morning, often the busiest
Evening Mass	4:30 PM	Commonly the English Mass
Evening Mass	5:30 PM	Malayalam
Last Mass	7:00 PM	Rounds off the day

The 4-30 PM evening service is the one generally conducted in English and that makes it probably the easiest for Kerala visitors to keep up with. Exact times can be flexible, so if the English Mass time matters to you ask the church to confirm.

Weekday and Friday Mass Timings

Schedule is lighter on weekdays, though generously so and Fridays have one extra midday Mass there, as Friday has a particular devotional significance here.

Day	Mass timings
Monday to Saturday	6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 6:00 PM
Friday	6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 6:00 PM
First Friday of the month	5:45, 7:00, 9:00, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM (Latin), 3:30, 5:00, 7:00 PM

The First Friday of each month is, more than any other weekday on this schedule, the most complex single day, featuring a full run of Masses including in this case a Latin-rite (noon) reflecting the special devotion to First Fridays found among many Catholics. From Monday to Fridays confession is normally available around the service times.

Rules for Non-Christian Visitors

This is one of the most commonly asked questions regarding Edappally and the answer is a warm welcome. The church is a famous place for non-Christians too, and people from all religions come pray & make donations in multitude. Entrance within you need not be Christian, light a candle, or request a blessing.

• There is also opening for everyone, to enter and visit the church, walk, go down to the holy well, stay in silence in the chapels.
• Non-Christians are welcome to attend Mass respectfully as observers, sitting or standing with the congregation but Holy Communion is reserved for practising Catholics only so do not join up in communion line.
• Light candles, make prayers and offer customary offerings is something which even non-Christian devotees do especially for the protection of St. George, and anyone can practice it.
• If you have no idea what is going on, then follow the church choir’s lead during the service to not disrupt anything and just observe quietly.
• Every visitor, regardless of faith, is required to dress modestly and behave quietly and with respect.

Basically, non-Catholic outsiders are really welcome (except for Holy Communion, which only is served to Catholics). So one thing, the prayers, candles, offerings, and holy well, is available to all.

What Not to Carry and How to Dress

It is some guides to make your visit wireless and beneficial, particularly during busy services and the feast.

• Don’t take any alcohol, tobacco or non-veg food to the church.
• It is better to leave large bags and heavy items at home, especially on Sundays and feast days when the church is full.
• Travel with valuables you can secure, and be aware of your belongings in the crowd.
• Modest dress, shoulder & knee cover Be neat-sure, simple travel clothing would be suitable for a church.
• Keep phones silent in church and avoid taking video or photos during Mass since it can distract the congregation.
• The church should also remain clean, thus, do not eat nor drink or take calls inside as well as the loud conversation in the prayer areas.

These building and grounds can be photographed generally ensure of the service times but keep discreet, look for signs and listen to volunteers.

Major Days and the Feast of St. George

The major event of the season, is Feast of St George – Edappally Perunnal one among largest Church feast in Kerala attracting lakhs of pilgrim from around the globe.

• This feast is celebrated with a festival of nine days in length, usually from approximately the 23rd of April into early May, with the principal feast days at the beginning of May.
• It begins with a raising of the flag, announced by forty hours of adoration and nine days of novena.
• A magnificent procession takes its St. George statue bedecked with gold on a beautifully decorated teak chariot through the Edappally streets every 1st May.
• The most cheerful atmosphere in the area as devotees offered betel leaves and puffed rice to the procession.

In addition to the feast, the Fridays and First Fridays various devotion days are perhaps most significant during the year, while Sundays sees much of the church at its fullest. For a low key visit, stay away from the feast fortnight and plan your visit on any weekday.

Offerings and the Holy Well: How Devotion Works Here

Edappally boasts of a line-up that is somewhat quirky and part of what makes it famous even outside Christian circles.

• Fowl and eggs: The church also accepts chickens or eggs as offerings that are reputed to protect the etchings from rattle snakes and reptiles, an ancient tradition associated with St. George. At the feast, fowls are auctioned off at the church.
• Gold ornaments: devotees give gold and this beautifies the statue of St. George in the procession during the feast.
• Candles and figurines: the lighting of candles, or presenting a wax or metal piece representing some need that they want me to pray for.
• The holy well: The well next to the ancient church is said to have curative water, which believers collect for prayerful and corporeal wellness.
• Nercha and vazhipadu: age-old offerings and prayer requests at the church counters.

Contributions can be made through official church counters and boxes. If you want to give, do it through these versus giving to any person and the counters help direct the custom offerings.

What to See in the Church Complex

One of the big appeals of this site is that it actually two churches in one.

• New Church – A large building opened in 2015 and one of the largest churches built within South India; holding more than ten thousand people, with the foundation stone consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
• The old church: the ancient stone beside it, still petrified where we left it, giving us a rare juxtaposition of anthing -the solidity of the past and multiplicity of now.
• The holy well: the well next to the ancient church, crucial for the pilgrimage and healing folk tradition.
• The Adoration Chapel and Kappela: little, quiet spaces for personal prayer.
• The book shop, which sells candles and holy items as well as oversees a small gift store where visitors purchase souvenirs, has clean toilets along with drinking water on the grounds.

Entry and Overall Cost: What a Visit Involves

A visit to Edappally Church costs very little, since the church itself charges nothing. The figures below are approximate and revised from time to time, so confirm at the counters.

Item	Approximate cost
Church entry and Mass	Free
Candles and figurines	From around Rs 10 to Rs 100
Nercha or vazhipadu offering	Voluntary, as you wish
Holy water from the well	Free, bring a small bottle
Parking	Nominal, for cars and two-wheelers
Local transport to the church	Rs 20 to Rs 150 depending on mode

So a simple visit can cost nothing at all beyond your travel, while the traditional offerings are entirely up to you. Parking is available on the campus, with volunteers helping on Sundays and feast days.

How to Reach Edappally Church and What It Costs

The church is located at Edappally Junction, which is one of the busiest & well connected places in Kochi, on NH 66 and hence super accessible.

Mode	Details	Approximate cost
By metro	Edappally Metro Station is about 300 m away, a short walk	Metro fare, very low
By train	Ernakulam Town (North) station is about 6 km, Ernakulam South about 7.5 km	Auto around Rs 100 to Rs 150
By air	Cochin International Airport is about 22 km away	Taxi around Rs 700 to Rs 1,000
By road	On the NH 66 at Edappally Junction, with frequent city buses	Bus fare very low, auto Rs 20 to Rs 100
Local buses	Almost every Kochi city bus passes Edappally Junction	The cheapest option

The metro is the easiest and cheapest way to reach the church, since the station is barely a few hundred metres from the entrance. Autos and city buses passing Edappally Junction are the next simplest options, and the junction is a landmark every local driver knows.

Best Time to Visit: Day, Time and Season

Your timing can change the nature of your visit, from a prayerful experience to a huge feast crowd.

• Weekday mornings: The most serene and suitable times to pay a leisurely visit to the churches and the water body.
• Sunday: The busiest days with seven Masses and a large number of people visiting, but crowded.
• The feast fortnight, from late April till May: Most spectacular with processions and lakhs of people in attendance, but extremely crowded.
• October to February: The best time of the year to visit Kochi because of the weather conditions the rest of the year.

If you are looking for the right blend of atmosphere and serenity, you could visit on a weekday evening, when the masses are held.

How Long to Spend: Planning Your Visit

The average visit is likely to take about thirty minutes to an hour for prayer at the holy well, the two churches, and prayer. In case you are there to attend Mass, you would need another hour or more, and in case you visit on the feast day, much more time would be required due to the processions.

Since the church is located in a key junction and the metro station is nearby, it will fit right into your Kochi tour and you do not have to plan a complete day for visiting it.

History: A Church Founded in 593 AD

History of Edappally Church dates back to more than fourteen centuries ago. It was constructed in 593 AD on land donated by the Elangalloor Swaroopam, at an era when the Arabian Sea is believed to extend up to Edappally, making the original structure face the sea. The church was one of the oldest in Kerala after seven churches that were believed to be constructed by the apostle St. Thomas in the first century.

The church was originally named Marth Mariam Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but it was reconstructed in 1080 for increased capacity and eventually earned the reputation of St. George’s Church due to the increasing number of devotees visiting it because of its perennial spring and veneration of St. George. The large modern structure adjacent to the old church was built between 2001 and 2015, blessed with the foundation stone by Pope John Paul II, and now it is considered to be the biggest church in Asia devoted to St. George with more than five million devotees a year.

Nearby Attractions: What to Combine With Your Visit

Edappally is strategically located, and many tourist spots of Kochi are near it.

• Lulu Mall: Lulu mall is one of the largest malls of India, which is just a kilometre away from the church.
• Marine Drive, Ernakulam: The famous sea-side walkway of Kochi, just a drive away from here.
• Fort Kochi: The historic part of Kochi known for its Chinese fishing nets and old churches and streets, situated in the other part of the city.

As the metro station is right next to the church, travelling to the other parts like Marine Drive and Fort Kochi becomes easy.

Trivia and Lesser-Known Facts: Edappally Church

• The church dates back to 593 AD and has an establishment for over fourteen centuries.
• It is said to be the largest shrine of St. George in Asia and attracts about five million pilgrims per annum.
• The ancient church and the huge modern church exist together and make an unusual combination of both the ancient and modern.
• The famous offering of chickens and eggs is said to offer protection from snakes and reptiles.
• The holy well next to the ancient church contains holy water collected by the faithful of all denominations.
• The cornerstone of the new church was blessed by Pope John Paul II on the millennium day.

Quick Tips: Making Your Edappally Church Mass Timings Work

• For English Mass, go for the one held on Sunday at 4:30 pm; however, make sure to check the timings from the church itself.
• The non-believers too can visit; though, the Holy Communion is limited to Catholics only.
• Visit either during the weekday mornings or Sunday.
• Skip the fortnight during late April and May if you wish to have a peaceful visit.
• It’s best to use the metro as the Edappally station is less than 300m away from the church.
• Wear modest clothes, switch off your phones, and make donations only at the official counters.

Final Take: Planning Your Edappally Church Visit

The Edappally Church conducts seven Masses on Sundays, and there are three on weekdays, besides a midday Mass on Fridays and a long list of services on the First Friday. The entire experience is free of cost to all pilgrims. For the service in English, 4:30 p.m. Sunday Mass is the usual one, though confirmation would be wise just to be sure. Non-Christians are welcome to pray, light the candles, visit the holy well, and make donations, though the sole restriction is that Holy Communion is limited only to practicing Catholics.

Pilgrims should dress modestly, refrain from drinking, avoid carrying alcoholic beverages, large bags, remain silent on mobiles, and make all the donations at the designated counters. Take the metro, because the station is just around three hundred metres away. Pilgrims should not visit during the late April to May fortnight, because that is when the Perunnal occurs, drawing in lakhs of people. Regardless of what time one visits, it is one of Kerala’s most fascinating pilgrimage spots.

Frequently Asked Questions

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