What is "palayoor"

Palayoor is famous for its Christian church, St. Thomas Church which is founded by St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 AD. It was the first Christian Church in India. St. Thomas, the Apostle, arrived in 52 AD at Crangannur {now Kodungallur} with Jewish merchants for the propagation of Christ’s message and through the sea route reached Palayoor in 52 AD and built the Church here. Palayoor also had an ancient Jewish settlement known as the Jews' Hill. Palayoor was connected from the first century onwards even up to this day to other ancient trade centres of Kerala, especially Muziris, by rivers and backwaters. The river and backwater system in the erstwhile Cochin State opens out into the sea at Chettuwaye, Cranganur and Cochin with the three Thomas churches at Palayoor, Kodungallur, and Parur connected together by this system. People from far off lands have found their way to Kerala and to Palayoor since ancient times. The coast was familiar country to the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs and the Chinese long before Vasco da Gama arrived in 1498.