An important Syrian Christian Centre, the town of Mannanam, 8 km from Kottayam, sites the St. Joseph’s Monastery, associated with the name of Fr. Kuriakose Elias of Chavara (1805-71), one of the Saintly figures of the Syrian Catholic Church of Kerala.Among renowned institutions here is the St. Joseph’s Press. Established in 1844, this is one of the oldest priting presses in Kerala. It printed the Nasrani Deepika,Which later renamed as The Deepika,  Kerala’s first daily.