His Grace was born on August 13, 1959, in the famous Poothiyottu family at Mepral. His boyhood name was Cheriyachen. He has three brothers and one sister.

He studied in various schools in Kerala until he completed his high school education. The first two years of his college education were at Malabar Christian College. He received his B.A. in English from St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri (Calicut University). He continued his theological studies at United Theological College, Bangalore, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity and a Master of Theology.

His Grace Kuriakose Mar Coorilose ordained him as Deacon on January 4, 1986, and as Priest on May 16, 1990, at his home parish, St. John’s Church, Mepral. His Beatitude Mar Baselios Paulose II professed him as Ramban on August 5, 1993, at Moovattupuzha. His Holiness Moran Mar Ignatius Zakka Iwas I, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, consecrated him as Metropolitan on August 15, 1993.

Metropolitan Mar Nicholovos served as the Ecumenical Secretary of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church and taught as a professor at the Malankara Syrian Seminary in Mulanthuruthy. His ecumenical activities led him to serve as a member of the Syrian Orthodox–Roman Catholic Dialogue Commission. His Grace remains very active in ecumenical and inter-religious movements.

Metropolitan Mar Nicholovos was appointed as the Assistant Metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese in 2002. On February 26, 2011, His Holiness Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II appointed him as the Metropolitan of the Northeast American Diocese. .