ala , ▁is ▁a ▁minor ▁bas il ica . ▁The ▁bas il ica ▁dec ree ▁was ▁issued ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁raising ▁of ▁the ▁Pal li pp ur am ▁church ▁was ▁officially ▁announced ▁at ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁the ▁silver ▁j ub ile e ▁celebr ations ▁of ▁the ▁dioc ese ▁on ▁ 7 ▁October . ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁Snow ▁Church ▁goes ▁back ▁five ▁centuries ▁when ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁built ▁a ▁fort ▁at ▁Pal li pp ur am ▁and ▁immediately ▁followed ▁it ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁church ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Our ▁Lady . ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 3 , ▁renov ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁and ▁re built ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁church ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁dioc ese ▁of ▁Koch i ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 7 ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁parish ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 7 . ▁The ▁K ott ap ur am ▁dioc ese ▁was ▁formed ▁by ▁div iding ▁the ▁Var app uz ha ▁dioc ese . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 5 2 ▁AD , ▁St . ▁Thomas , ▁the ▁apost le ▁land ed ▁in ▁India ▁at ▁Mal ian k ara ▁near ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁M uz ir is . ▁This ▁Port ▁was ▁also ▁called ▁Much iri ▁because ▁the ▁River ▁Per i yar ' s ▁branches ▁out ▁into ▁three ▁( In ▁[ Mal ay al am ] ▁these ▁three ▁branches ▁were ▁called ▁Much iri ▁or ▁three ▁broken ▁lips ) ▁before ▁it