March 29, 2012:Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours in Thrissur in the South
Indian state of Kerla, known to be the tallest church in Asia, has constituted an
all-India award for outstanding contribution in the field of the history of Christianity
in India.
The award comprises 25,000 rupees equivalent to US$ 500 and a citation.
The candidate for the award would be selected by an experts’ panel. The award will
be presented at the commemorative function on the 70th death anniversary of Bishop
Francil Vazhappilly in May this year.
Bishop Vazhappilly was the first Bishop
of Thrissur Diocese and also the founder of the Basilica, which is famous for its
Gothic style architecture.