Malabar Coast of their orientation to the sea and to maritime commerce, the Malabar coast cities feel very cosmopolitan, and has been home to some of the first groups of Jews, Syrian Christians, Muslims and Anglo-Indians in India. During Ming China's treasure voyages in the early 15th century, Admiral Zheng He's fleet often landed at the Malabar Coast. Soon after, Vasco da Gama landed near Calicut in 1498, establishing a sea route between India and Europe. Portugal became the first of several European maritime empires to grow rich from the spice trade with this area. The Malabar Coast is repeatedly referenced in
St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Palayoor Seven churches traditionally assigned to the time when Saint Thomas preached in Malabar. The wooden structure must undoubtedly have been very old, and constructed no doubt of teak, which formerly grew all over the country, even in comparatively recent times: at that early age the supply must have been very plentiful. In ‘Lingerings of light in a dark land: Researches into the Syrian church of Malabar’ published in 1873, Thomas Whitehouse quotes: "Of palur,little can be said having any special interest.It was the most northern of the seven ancient churches,as Quilon as the most southern.The village at present an unimportant