The Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC), the first Carmelite Indigenous Congregation of India, was founded by Venerable Mother Eliswa Vakayil on February 13, 1866, in Koonammavu, Diocese of Verapoly, Kerala. God marvellously chose Mother Eliswa, a widow, as the foundress, with her daughter, Mother Anna, and sister, Mother Theresia, as co-foundresses and the first members of the congregation. Originally known as TOCD, the congregation was later divided into CMC and CTC in 1887, based on rites, as per the decree of Pope Leo XIII. In 1971, CTC was elevated to the status of an Institute of Pontifical Right by the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The congregation has expanded beyond Kerala, with its mission now spread across 55 dioceses in India, Africa, Germany, Italy, Sudan, America, and Rwanda. Today, CTC consists of twelve provinces, serving through 212 convents worldwide. The first CTC convent in Tamil Nadu was established in 1948, later leading to the formation of Amala and Vimala Provinces. Amala Province currently has 28 convents, with 198 sisters serving in 14 dioceses across Tamil Nadu.