Thiruvalla is the headquarters of the Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church. The Paliakara Church here has some exquisite mural paintings. The Sree Vallabha temple in Thiruvalla is perhaps the only one in Kerala where Kathakali is performed as a ritual offering everyday. Sree Vallabha temple here is one of the important pilgrim centers of Vaishnavites all over India A granite pillar carved out of single piece with an image of Garuda on its top stands in front of the temple The pillar, which serves as a flag staff, is 60ft high kathakali, the folk art of kerala, si performed almost on all days in this temple as offerings by devotes

History is beyond B.C. 500. We can know that the present day area of Niranam and Kadapra on the western part of Thiruvalla was merged in sea . Some people believe that St.Thomas came to Niranam in A.D. 52 through Purakkadu . It will be interesting to note that the ancient name of Thiruvalla was " Valla vai". This name had some relation with the river Manimala which was known as "Vallapuzha". The mouth ‘vai’ is known as "Valla vai". On the western part of Thiruvalla, rivers, Pampa, Manimala and Achen Kovil join which gives us a panoramic view. As in many other places in India, the culture and heritage of Thiruvalla are tied up with the temples.


In olden days, temples were not just places of worship but also centers of judicial, educational and cultural activities. For instance, the Thiruvalla Sree Vallaba Temple governed a Vedic School with one thousand students and one hundred teachers. The temple also maintained a hospital in the service of the public at large. The rulers of Thiruvalla belonged to the Thekkumkoor Dynasty, which had one of its headquarters at Edathil near Kavil Temple. Today's Paliakara Palace is a branch of Lekshmipuram Palace of Changanacherry which was the branch of Alikottu Kovilakam of Pazhancherry in Malabar.


Thiruvalla Municipality started functioning in 1919, with Shri. M.K. Kesavan Nair as the first Chairman. It has a good library functioning in the Municipal Office Building. There is a public stadium in the heart of the town constructed by Thiruvalla Municipality. The very famous pilgrim centre of Sabarimala is about 100 km. from Thiruvalla. The spiritual conventions at Maramon and Cherukolpuzha are at a distance of 17 to 20 km. from Thiruvalla. The link railway of Thiruvalla - Thakazhy connecting the hilly places of Pathanamthitta District to the sea shore of Alappuzha is a golden dream of Thiruvalla.