Kurisumala Ashram

Kurisumala Ashram is a Trappist Cistercian monastery located on the Kurisumala Hills near Vagamon in Kerala, on the border of Kottayam and Idukki districts. Founded in 1958 by Belgian monk Francis Mahieu Acharya, it follows Syro-Malankara Catholic traditions. Set amid tea plantations and grassy hills at about 1,100 meters elevation, it is known for its serene setting, dairy farm, chapel and interreligious outlook.

Visitors can expect a tranquil hilltop monastery complex surrounded by meadows, tea estates and forested slopes. The site includes a simple stone chapel, living quarters for monks, a dairy farm and cultivated fields. The approach involves a short uphill walk or drive through winding hill roads. The atmosphere is quiet and contemplative, with opportunities to observe monastic life, attend prayer services, enjoy panoramic views of the Vagamon hills and explore surrounding trails.

Founded on 21 March 1958 by Francis Mahieu Acharya (1912-2002), a Belgian Cistercian monk who came to India in 1955, along with Bede Griffiths. Established as a Trappist monastery of the Cistercian Order of Strict Observance and later incorporated into the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, it pioneered adaptation of Christian monastic life to Indian traditions and Syriac liturgy.

The ashram is noted for its integration of Syro-Malankara Christian liturgy with Indian monastic traditions, emphasis on contemplative life, manual work and interreligious dialogue. It serves as a retreat centre and spiritual destination, reflecting Kerala's Christian monastic heritage and the inculturation movement in Indian Christianity.