The Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica (also known Kotta Palli) at Fort Kochi, Kochi, is one of the nine basilicas in Kerala. Counted as one of the heritage edifices of Kerala, this church is one of the finest and most impressive churches in India built in the Gothic Style. It houses many murals on it walls and ceiling. The basilica serves as the cathedral church of the Diocese of Cochin. It was built originally by the Portuguese and elevated to a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558, was spared by the Dutch conquerors who destroyed many Catholic buildings. Later, the British demolished the structure and João Gomes Ferreira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984