Kurisumala, which translates to 'Mountain of the Holy Cross', is a well-known Christian pilgrimage site about 3 kilometres from Vazhikkadavu. Hundreds of devotees congregate here each Easter week to remember Christ's trek to Golgotha by climbing the short, dusty path up the hill with wooden crosses. In 1957, Fr John Baptist, a missionary from the Belgium Carmelite Order, erected a wooden cross atop the Kondaketty Mala. Thus, the hill was renamed 'Kurisumala' to symbolise the beginning of the trek to the peak. Later, a 7-metre-tall concrete cross was installed in its place when the original was damaged by exposure to the elements.
Although the Way of the Cross is steep and rocky, the surrounding vegetation serves as a salve for the soul. A modest chapel near the summit welcomes the weary. Mornings here are extremely wonderful, with birdsong and foggy hills. Evenings are similarly magnificent, with dusk settling on the mountains and the foliage having a nicely subdued lustre. The monastery was officially formed on March 21, 1958. They immediately established a dairy farm using animals purchased from Jersey to support themselves. Within three years, the monastery's population had grown to fifteen individuals. Prayer services were initially conducted in Syriac.
