Trail of Christianity in Kerala
- Learn historical facts and interesting stories of the spread of Christianity in India.
- Understand how successive Colonial powers literally destroyed churches of other denominations and built theirs over the ruins.
- Learn how the earliest Christian traditions and teachings of Christ reached India and flourished.
- Discover the relationships of the Christian community with the other communities in India and what makes it unique.
Trails of Christianity in Kerala
India is a blessed land where many of the world’s religions took birth like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and of course, Hinduism which is a continuum of religious beliefs over many centuries which has assimilated many thoughts and streams of spirituality.
Interestingly, both Islam and Christianity came to India, and more precisely, to the emerald coasts of Kerala during the times of the Prophet and Messiah themselves!
When the Western countries vied with each other to be the first to reach India by a sea route after the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, it was Vasco da Gama, a nobleman from the household of the King of Portugal, who was first to reach the Indian shores. The Portuguese landed at the port of Calicut in South-West India on 27 May 1498.
What amazed them apart from everything else new and unique about India were the Church spires with crosses atop them that arose above palm groves along the riversides. They had little knowledge that Thomas the Apostle of Christ came to Muziris on the Kerala coast in 52 AD. He had arrived in Kerala much before the gentiles of the West had accepted Christianity.
At that time, even the word ‘Christian’ did not exist! Christian – was a word coined in Antioch around 65 A.D. to refer to the followers of Christ. Until then the followers of Christ were known as Nazranis, a name that continues to be used in Kerala even today!
The Christians who were initially converted by Saint Thomas, also called Syrian Christians of India or Malankara Nasrani or Nasrani Mappila, have a full ancient historical understanding of the Apostle’s evangelization.
This historical recall was reinforced through the practice of retelling of oral histories (bardic song). In India, the subtle position of a section of society is strengthened through epic historical narratives of how they came to occupy this position (itihasa-puranas).
According to the oral traditional retelling of the events, Saint Thomas reached Kodungallur (Cranganore) or Mahadevapattanam, also known world over in those days as the port city of Muziris.
Taking aid of the monsoon winds that would blow ships across the Arabian ocean during certain months and then blow them back again a few months later, traders from Arabia, China, Malacca and other places in Africa would come to Muziris for trade in sandalwood, exotic birds, pepper – and other spices.
Visitors to Kerala who have a keen interest in Christianity and the historical developments of the religion in such a far-flung area will be thrilled to visit the historical churches and places of worship here.
They include – the Malayattoor Church – believed to be the place where St.Thomas first preached; St. Alphonsa’s Church, Bharananganam – the church dedicated to the first Saint canonized from India by Pope Benedict XVI on 12th October 2008; the Vallarpadam Church, also known as ‘The Church of Our Lady Ransom’ and dedicated to Mother Mary originally built by the Portuguese, destroyed by the Dutch rebuilt again in 1676.
The Government of India recognized the church as a divine and holy church in 1951 and Pope Leo XIII declared the church as a “special church” in 1888; Santa Cruz Basilica – one of the eight well-known Basilicas in India – is at Fort Kochi. It was built by the Portuguese missionaries in 1500 CE, with permission from the then Raja of Cochin; Arthunkal is a famous St. Sebastian Church; Kadamattom is a famous Malankara Jacobite Orthodox Syrian Church and is well-known for its old Persian cross.
There are numerous ancient and historical churches in Kerala which would be extremely interesting for any visitor, especially if they are believers who have set out on a quest for knowledge.
