Mar Emmanuel Nidhiri (27 May 1842 – 20 June 1904), also known as Nidhiry Mani Kathanar, was a significant figure in the history of the Syrian Malabar Nasrani church in Kerala.

He led his community against the European hegemony over the Saint Thomas Christians and was accepted by the factions in the Kerala church.

Furthermore, Nidhiri had a role in organizing the Malayali Memorial— one of the first steps in the social transformation of Kerala —and was a key figure in opening up his community to English education.

Born into a rich agrarian family on 27 May 1842, in Kuravilangad, Nidhiri entered spiritual service at the age of 19 as a deacon[citation needed], the title of which he worked under for 14 years, before he was ordained priest in 1876.

During this time, the Indian people were revolting against the British administration for independence, and Nidhiri had to confront and respond to the struggles of freedom from the community against the British dynasty and its ecclesial desire to become an autonomous church.