An Indian church's colorful tribute to Mary

The procession made its way around the block, marking the annual observance of Mary's ascent into heaven. Men played the Indian kumbu horn and chemda drums. The women followed behind, pastel-colored saris billowing in the breeze.

Sunday service at St. Mary's Malankara Indian Orthodox Church in West Sayville, on Long Island, is held before the Assumption Day Parade. (NYT Photo)

The congregation consists of about 100 members, none of whom live in the town. The members travel from Queens, Brooklyn, and even New Jersey and Staten Island. (NYT Photo)
In 1992, the congregation bought a building in West Sayville that once belonged to a Dutch Reformed congregation, finally creating a permanent home. (NYT Photo)
Indian Orthodox Christians trace their roots to the first century A.D., when St. Thomas is said to have traveled from the eastern Mediterranean to Kerala, a province on the southwest coast of India. (NYT Photo)

Malankaran Christians have had churches in the United States since the early 20th century, but their numbers have grown significantly since the 1970s, when immigration policy opened the doors to many nurses trained in the Christian hospitals of Kerala. (NYT Photo)
Young girls dress as winged angels for the procession. (NYT Photo)
The blowing of the kumba horns bring neighbors out to watch. (NYT Photo)

Women in the procession keep time with little brass cymbals called Ilathalam. (NYT Photo)
Bearing images of Mary. (NYT Photo)
Two young angels receive their instructions. (NYT Photo)

The colorful Indian Orthodox congregation has taken over what was once the home of the strictest Calvinist worship. (NYT Photo)