﻿ox THE COAST OF MALABAR. 377 



annum, is paid by the Coiigregatio de propaganda 

 Jide. aiu! his residence is at Varapobi. in a convent of 

 his own order, Avhich is also supported by the propa- 

 ganda. 



His diocese extended formerly as far as the poli- 

 tical influence of the Dutch could reach, and with 

 the rrraduai decline of their power he also lost suc- 

 ccssivelv tli^grearesr part of his churches ; which re- 

 turned either under the Portuguese bishr)p of Coiian, 

 or the Plcar General of the Sijrian churchesbrought 

 overtotheZ.'7f//2 rite ; so that at present onlv fourteen 

 churches remain under his episcopal jurisdiction. 



The ruins of an old Syrian or Nestorian church 

 are still extant, on a rising ground at the eastern ex- 

 tremity of the village of CVjor/^j/, two miles distant 

 from Ramiseram Gate, on the high road leading to 

 Trichoor It was the first Cliristian temple that 

 TiPPoo's bigoted fanaticism doomed to destruction, 

 after his successful storm on the too extensive and 

 feeble barrier, the Travancore lines, in 17')0; from 

 whence a general conflagration of all Hindoo tem- 

 ples and Christian villages, with their churches, 

 jnarked the progress of the destroying host, as far as 

 Varapoly, and in the space of three davs, thirteen 

 large, and in many respects handsome piles of build- 

 ing, were laid in ruins. 



Almost air temples belonging to the St. Thome 

 Christians in the southern Malabar, of which I had 

 occasion to observe more than forty, were built in 

 the same style, and nearly upon the same plan. The 

 facade with little cohnnns, (evidently in imitation of 

 the style of architecture prevalent in Asia Minor and 

 Syria, from which the Christian religion, and with it 

 the model of their temples, appears to have been 

 transplanted into Malabar;) being every where the 

 same; only that those belonging to the old Xesto- 

 riatjs or Schismatics have preserved their ancient sim- 

 plicity, 



