Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral

Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral is a major Syro-Malabar Catholic church in East Fort, in the heart of Thrissur city, Kerala. The cathedral is noted for an imposing Indo-European facade and a carefully designed interior, but its most unusual attraction is the underground shrine beneath the main church. Both Thrissur District Administration and DTPC Thrissur identify this underground worship space as a defining architectural feature of the cathedral.

The church’s modern history is also closely connected with the development of the Catholic community in Thrissur: the present cathedral was blessed in the twentieth century, and its centenary celebrations were marked during the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Thrissur in 1986. For visitors, the cathedral offers a combination of active pilgrimage, urban heritage and distinctive ecclesiastical architecture within easy reach of central Thrissur. Travellers should remember that it is first and foremost a functioning place of worship and should avoid disturbing services or private prayer.