Ancient Churches , Stone Crosses of Kerala- Saint Thomas Cross, Nazraney Sthambams and other Persian Crosses

Although I donot have the right to suggest, since I myself commenting anonymously, I feel that if you reveal yourself, your writings will be considered more authentic by readers. I am well aware of our social system which might made you be anonymous. But, it is clear that you are an expert in what you write, which seems to be your first interest too, and perhaps the best expert available online and so I feel you should/can make yourself visible.

I have one suggestion. Please provide captions for the photos giving details of its exact location so that novice like me can make better use of it.

Hope that there are numeours readers for your posts, though, sadly, I see no other comments. We Nasranis are too busy in making a living and often do not have enough time for this type intellectual efforts (though we are much better compared to other communities in Kerala). This I say from my own experience. I could not study/research much about my ancestors, our traditions and history as I was too busy in my other studies/career till my 25th age. (But this was not the case with my ancestors. They are very aware of this tradition and proud of it, though at my younger age I wondered why). Only last year onwards I found the time to reflect and make connections of my childhood learnings about our culture and now I am proud for being a Nasrani. I still believe that many people of my age are like what I was one year before. And this blog will help these younger generation. As is always the case with written materials, I hope that many people will find this blog useful at a later time when they have time to think about their ethinicity, ancestors etc. They may not be able to do it now as their preference is diffent now.

Can you write about ‘Qhatheesangal’? I am aware that there were numeorus churches for them till the Synd of Udayamperoor. Now very few, especially in Syro malabar.

This reminds me of the views shared by Menachery.

No other community in Kerala has such a huge monumental stone structure.The indoor counterparts of these crosses have the earliest carvings in Kerala of the national flower lotus and the national bird peacock.

Perhaps even the national animal tiger is first depicted in Kerala art in church sculpture. There was no rock carving in South India prior to the period of these indoor crosses. The motifs, message ,and images on these crosses and their pedestals display a remarkable degree of Indianness and Malayalee Thanima or identity.

Vedic Hindu Gods and Goddessess like Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Sapthamathas , Jeshta etc. appear in the art of the central Guruvayoor/Palayoor-Quilon part of Chera country only after the 11th-13th centuries, and even in the Salem-Erode section, and the Trivandrum-Cape Comorin section Vedic Hindu deities appear in art only as late as the 9th century A.D.

As a large no. of enquiries are coming about Kerala and Indian christian art the following also may be useful, for those interested. Excuse the length of the post , pl.

Christian Contribution to Art and Architecture in India by Prof. Menachery

Draft of Article in CBCI KCBC Apostle St. Thomas St. Francis Xavier Jubilee Volume, 2003 By Prof. George Menachery

Christian Contribution to Art and Architecture in India

01.01 Intercultural nature of all art:

What art and architecture is purely indigenous? There is no art or architecture – no sociocultural formations of any significance, anywhere in the world – relating to a nation, a region, a religious or racial or linguistic group – that is fully local or indigenous. The art and architecture of India – secular or religious – is no exception. Thus Church Art and Architecture of India from the commencement of the Christian presence on these coasts at the dawn of the Christian era have been to a greater or lesser degree influenced by those of other nations and religions as they in turn have been influenced by Indias wealth of artistic and architectural traditions. All the nations and cultures that came into contact with India – the Egyptians, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Moguls, the Parthians, the Iranians, the Arabs (of Pagan, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic persuasions), and the Europeans of a later date including the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the French, and the English have all left their mark on the society and culture of India, as has also been done by the eastern countries and cultures.

01.02 Aspects of art here studied:

The topic “Christian Contribution to Art and Architecture in India” is indeed vast and complicated, as most other topics in this volume are. In addition to the necessity of discussing the chronological, geographical, and denominational aspects, the styles, varieties, types, and schools as well as the genres, localities, media, approximate dates, materials used, purposes and uses, to name but a few details, of each object, and each group of objects, of art and architecture have to be considered.

01.03 Chronological divisions of Christian Culture:

Take for example the chronological divisions. The history of Christianity in India and hence of Christian culture may be said to roughly fall into certain epochs or into various periods: e.g. a) the first few centuries Indian and Persian influence, b) the Padroado period, follwed by c) the Protestant centuries, and the d) the Propaganda period, e) periods and pockets influenced by personnel from different regions of Europe and America, and, f) the post independence period. The nomenclature employed to describe these periods does not necessarily signify that all the trends appearing in each time-span were only specific to the source/s indicated by the epochs designation. In general we may treat the story of chrstian art and architecture in India by dividing it into 1) the Pre-European period, 2) the 16th to 18th Century developments, and finally 3) the modern period.

01.04 Regions:

Among the geographical divisions with special reference to Christian art and architecture must be studied Malabar i.e. Kerala, the Konkan belt and the areas under predominant Portuguese influence even upto Mumbai and Vasai along with Portuguese pockets elsewhere, locations associated with the Mogul court, Bengal, the French pockets, and the Carnatic with special reference to the Tamil country, and many other areas of Anglo-American influence.

01.05 Genres:

Again, consider the genres. While performing arts like song, music and dance, and literary arts like poetry, or the drama or rhetoric do not come under the purview of this article, many genres of fine arts like architecture, sculpture, painting must be discussed. So also objects utilizing or made out of different media or materials like stone (granite, laterite, marble, sandstone), wood, metal and metal alloys (gold, silver, iron, bronze, brass), pigments (wooden panels, murals, frescos, canvasses, cloth paintings, colouring of statues and other wooden objects), ivory, bone, glass, precious stones, shell, plaster, straw, nutshells, leaves, bricks, mud, clay, concrete, …all claim our attention.

01.06 Items of artistic and architectural significance:

There are a large number of items of artistic and architectural significance in the religious and domestic / civil life of Indian Christians which come under one or more of the divisions and categories adumbrated above. F.i., in the churches there are ever so many types of roofs, ceilings, facades, porticos, verandahs, naves, chancels, altars, altarpieces, statues, candlesticks, pillars, doors, doorways, architraves, pulpits, crosses, cross pedestals, chalices, censers, censer-boats, bells, belfries, books, book-illustrations, and bookmarks, bibles and bible stands, choirs, tabernacles, monstrances, railings, wall paintings, wooden panels, cloth paintings, vestments, beams, rafters, processional umbrellas, canopies, chariots,… and a thousand and one other objects to be considered. And there is a plethora of household utensils and features of domestic and civil architecture to be considered.

01.07 A viable scheme of study:

Of course it would be next to impossible to at least cursorily deal with even a fraction of all this. Hence it may be more practical to make an attempt to discuss the main instances and trends in the chief centres of Christian art and architecture then and now, such as (1) Kerala upto the 17th century, (2) the Mogul court, (3) the Goan circle and pockets of Portuguese influence, (4) other regions, (5) some notable architectural landmarks, (6) some remarkable works of art, (7) the 20th century. However in an article of this size even these topics could not be discussed in any detail.

02.01 Kerala Upto the 17th Century:

The location of the state of Kerala on the western seaboard, at the centre of the international highway of seaborne trade connecting the East and the West, [and the North with the South] made it a meeting point of many worlds, a melting pot of races and creeds, from early times.1 The Hindu monarchs and chieftains of the Sangam and post-Sangam period ruled over a fertile agricultural tract the peace and safety of which were guaranteed by the Western Ghats on the one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. The land itself was [for long] a secret shared between the sea and the mountain, an illegitimate child of the two natural forces, protected by and provided for by them in a special way.2 But already we find in the first centuries B.C.E. / C.E. that while the monsoon route connected Muziris (Cranganore) directly across the Arabian Sea with cities in the west (e.g. Alexandria, Aden) the West Coastal route gave its ships ready access to the Indus3 and to countries to the North and Northwest in Asia and Europe.4

02.02 Foreign influences:

It would appear that the impact of her trans-Arabian-sea visitors were much more pronounced in the case of Kerala than that of her mainland neighbours, during and after the Sangam age. This contact with the countries west has paved the way for considerable influence of the societies and cultures of those lands and their peoples on every phase and aspect of the life of the inhabitants of Kerala. Thus from the arrival of Vasco da Gama in 1498, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and England have had a great deal of influence on the people of Kerala not only in the matter of material cicumstances of life but also in the field of ideas and ideologies. One of the strongest areas where this influence is manifested is in the field of Kerala art and architecture in general and Christian art and architecture of Kerala in particular.

02.03 Pre – European period:

Christian art and architecture in Kerala in the pre-European periods had developed obtaining nourishment from two sources: one, from the countries in the near-east including perhaps Greece, Rome, Egypt and the other Middle East countries from which ideas and practices were imported by missionaries and traders, and two, the indigenous forms and techniques of art and architecture that existed in the land.

02.04 Nature of Keralas cultural heritage:

By a happy mingling of these two streams already by the arrival of the west in Kerala there was existing here a strong tradition of Christian art and architecture which was notable for its aesthetic as well as pragmatic excellence. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English and also the missionaries from Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium &c. brought with them their own art traditions which resulted in adding certain features to the already existing structures and traditions without trying to or succeeding in totally replacing the cultural heritage of the Christians. Hence today one can see a harmonious blending of the East and the West in the Christian art and architecture of Kerala although examples are not altogether lacking of attempts made to implant certain incongruous elements into Kerala’s cultural formations.

02.05 Two-fold approach:

Hence to understand and estimate the quality and quantity of Kerala Christian art and architecture it may be best first to analyse the nature of such art and architecture at the coming of the Portuguese in 1498 and thereafter to study the items introduced by various western administrators and missionaries, along with their varieties and spread.

02.06 Two pictures:

Two pictures are available about the churches and churchbuilding activities of the Christians of Kerala at the beginning and end of the sixteenth century. At one end we have the account given by Joseph the Indian and the letter written by the four bishops in 1504.5 At the other end of the century we have the documents of the Synod of Diamper in Malayalam as found in many old Kerala churches6, in Portuguese in the work of Gouvea7, and in English in the work of Geddes8.

02.07 Similarity of Hindu and Christian places of worship:

The tale of how Vasco da Gama went into a Hindu temple in Kerala and mistook it for a church and venerated the idol of Bhagavathi (?) mistaking it for an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary would have clearly illustrated the similarity of the Houses of God in Hinduism and Christianity in Kerala had we any assurance that Gama already knew about the shape of Devalayas in the land from his many spies and scouts.

02.08 State of affairs at the beginning of the 16th century:

The description of the reception given to the bishops at the beginning of the 16th century by the faithful sheds considerable light on the state of the churches, the Christians and their cultural and artistic traditions: …they were received by the faithful with great joy and they went to meet them with joy, carrying before them the book of the Gospel, the cross, censers, and torches…9. And they, the bishops consecrated altars…10.

02.09 At the end of the 16th century:

In the Synod of Diamper, 1599, there were represented more than a hundred churches of the St. Thomas Christians. This indicates the existence of a very large number of churches already at the coming of the western powers to India. The description of the visits of Archbishop Dom Menezes to various churches before and after the Synod throws some light on the structures and arrangements of the churches before western elements and types were introduced into Malabar.11 It may be remembered that the churches and all their belongings were the property of the parishioners and each church was built completely from the parish revenues and subscriptions from the local faithful. A student selected from the parish and educated by the parish was the vicar in each parish. It was only after the Synod that westernisation of institutions and structures commenced / gained momentum. The bishops started to have any say whatsoever in the affairs of the parishes only much later, and even today in most Nazraney Churches the parish retains a great deal of autonomy.

Hence as has already been remarked to understand and estimate the quality and quantity of Kerala Christian art and architecture it may be best first to analyse the nature of such art and architecture at the coming of the Portuguese in 1498 and thereafter to study the items introduced by various western administrators and missionaries, along with their varieties and spread.

03.01 The three objects in front of the Kerala church:

There were three striking objects of significance in front of the typical Malabar churches, either inside the courtyard or just outside it: (1) the open-air granite (rock) cross which the present writer has christened Nazraney Sthamba, (2) Kodimaram (Dwajasthamba) or Flag-staff made of Keralas famed teak wood (e.g. at Parur), and often enclosed in copper hoses or paras (as at Changanassery, Pulinkunnu, or Chambakkulam), or made out of some other wood or other material, and (3) the rock Deepasthamba or lampstand. Sthambas or pillars of some type or other are to be found among the Budhists, Jains, Hindus, etc. in India.Such pillars and structures were part of the Christian heritage of Kerala much before the ascendancy of Vedic Hinduism in these parts , although J.Ferguson does not appear to have known or cared for the rock monumental Sthambas of Kerala .12

03.02 Open air granite crosses:

The ubiquitous cross of Malabar churches is best represented by the rock crosses, mostly outside the churches. The open-air rock-cross of Malabar is an obelisk, a tall stone column, with four, sometimes decorated, slightly tapering sides. Rome has many obelisks (from Egypt and East, but no originally cross-bearing structures decorating the piazzas and squares); London has one on the banks of the Thames lovingly called Cleopatras Needle; Paris has one at the place d la concorde; and even New York has one in the central park. Many memorials like the Washington Memorial are obelisk-shaped. The Asoka Pillar and other such Indian pillars were influenced by the Graeco-Parthians, under Egyptian-Persian influence. The Nazraney sthamba is a direct descendant of the obelisk, and much closer to it than the other Indian pillars- in shape, method of constuction and transportaion, method of erection, function, and solar symbolism. The Roman obelisk, bearing crosses today, have been converted to Christianity, while Keralas cross-shaped obelisks were born Christian13. The obelus and the double -dagger reference marks in printing may be profitably recalled here. Such obelisk crosses continued to be erected mostly in front of churches even after western ascendancy without much change although a few changes in the motifs on the pedestals etc. could be noticed.14

03.03 The three-tier gabled indigenous architecture of Kerala churches, which lacked facades until the coming of the Portuguese, immensely gains in richness, symmetry, and beauty because of the open-air rockcrosses, some of them more than 30 feet in height including the intricately carved pedestals, and monolithic shafts. No other community in Kerala has such a huge monumental stone structure. The indoor counterparts of these crosses have the earliest carvings in Kerala of the national flower lotus and the national bird peacock. Perhaps even the national animal tiger is first depicted in Kerala art in church sculpture. There was perhaps no rock carving in South India prior to the period of these indoor crosses. The motifs, message, and images on these crosses and their pedestals display a remarkable degree of Indianness and Malayalee Thanima or identity. Vedic Hindu Gods and Goddessess like Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Sapthamathas, Jeshta etc. appear in the art of the central Guruvayoor/Palayoor-Quilon part of Chera country only after the 9th-13th centuries, and even in the Salem-Erode section, and the Trivandrum-Cape Comorin section Vedic Hindu deities appear in art only as late as the 9th century A.D.15

03.04 The base with a socket, the monolithic square and slightly tapering shaft with cylindrical terminals, the horizontal piece forming the arms with a double (hole) socket in the middle, and the capital with a cylindrical bottom end are the four members of the open-air cross. They are so well chiselled and proportionate that when put together the socket and cylinder arrangement enables the cross to stand by itself. However for the bigger crosses, pedestals in the form of sacrificial altars or Ballikallus are found, often carrying exquisite reliefs of the flora and fauna of the land in addition to scenes from daily life and biblical scenes. The cross which represents the supreme Bali (sacrifice) or Mahabali appearing on the Balikkallu or sacrificial altar most appropriately represents the Calvary events and sheds plenty of light on the ideological, historical, cultural and technological bent of mind of the forefathers.Compare with the base of the Obelisk of Theodosius, Constantinople,.A.D.390.

03.05 The obelisk is a ray of the sun – here a ray of Christ (of Horus -Xt. the sun-God). This ray helps the lotus near – universally depicted on such crosses to blossom forth representing in a typical Indian poetic conceit the grace received by the sin – bound human soul (panka jam) from Christ. Lotus representing the sun is found in other early Indian art also.The half dozen interior Pehlavi inscribed crosses, some of them surely of pre- 7th century origin, which were mostly tombstones before they were put up on the altars, have generally the dove (Holy Spirit) depicted on top of the clover or flowertipped equal-armed Greek cross, in addition to the lotus at the bottom. In this three piece (Thri-kanda) cross one might, perhaps, with considerable effort read the lotus represented Brahma (Father), the flowery cross (Son), and the dove (Holy Ghost). But the lotus has more universal and more diverse implications in the various eastern creeds.

03.06 The arrangement to hold wicks found on the crosses may be related to the necessity to preserve fire, and the effort to make it available to the common people in the dim past, when Homakundams were rare in Kerala or beyond the reach of the common folk. It is perhaps in connection with the need to preserve fire that the oil-Nerchas and oil Araas or chambers of the churches, and the compound -wall rocklamps are to be evaluated. The oil related objects in the churches also indicate the connection of this Christianity with the trade of the land, especially oil-trade. The bell like arrangement on some crosses also are noteworthy. Veneration of the cross, angels, Adam and Eve… and of course the Indian Cross itself are some of the religious carvings on these structures.

03.07 Deepasthambas and Deepams: . The square or polygonal shape of the individual pieces in the granite or rock lampstands at Kallooppara, Niranam, Kundra, and Chengannur churches indicate the antiquity of such lampstands in the churches. Unlike in the churches, in the temples the tradition of these lamps continued and thus developed in to the present-day round shape of the pieces. In art history generally the simpler forms make their appearance first, and refinements and complications indicate a later date. Even when the tradition of lampstands declined in the churches, many open-air crosses had wickholders incorporated into them, with the advantage that wind and rain did not put off the flames. Church walls still display rows of rock lamps. Inside the churches the tradition of bronze lamps continued vigorously, representing a variety of shapes and types, and some lamps having even hundreds of wickholders, e.g. the Aayiram Aalila lamps at Arthat or Angamaly.

03.07 In front of the church the third interesting object is the flagstaff, sometimes covered with copper paras. Every festival is announced with the Kodiyettu or flag-hoisting, a tradition going back to early Buddhist times at least. All these three objects in the courtyard of the church have a variety of liturgical functions associated with them.

03.08 Baptismal Fonts:. Crossing the portico or mukhamandapam one enters the Haikala or nave beyond the huge doorway with intricately carved doorpanels called Aanavathils. Either in the nave or in the little room set aside as baptistry one comes across the rock baptismal font. There are interesting rock baptismal fonts at Edappally, Kanjoor, Mylakkombu, Muthalakkodam, Changanassery, Kothamangalam, Kadamattom etc. The similarity of these baptismal fonts with illustrations of the fonts used for the baptism of Constantine (4thC.) and Clovis (Rheims C.496) is remarkable. All the old baptismal fonts are of granite or very hard laterite. They are all huge in size indicating that baptism by immersion must have been the order of the day. Many of the dozens of old baptismal fonts depicted in the STCEI15 & the ICHC16 were probably of a date prior to the decree of the Synod of Diamper which made permanent fonts more or less compulsory. Although most of the old baptismal fonts/ baptistries are found near the west end or middle of the nave on the northern side – Kaduthuruthy(Big), old Edappally, old Kanjoor, Changanassery (Southern side), in many churches, mostly Jacobite/Orthodox they are today found close to the sanctuary e.g. Angamaly (Middle-church), Kallooppara.. They are exquisitely carved with reliefs of the baptism of Christ, Mary feeding the Child, angels, or Indian crosses. There are also wonderful motifs of leaves, the basket pattern, coir pattern, etc. engraved on these stones. By the way the very Malayalam word Mammodisakkallu indicates a font made of stone. Another term is mammodisath-thotti. The Holy Water Font is called Annavella Th.-thotti, also generally of stone.

The Architraves and doorposts in many churches are good examples of south Indian rock-carving. (e.g.old Kayamkulam, Chengannur, Kanjoor). But the rock-baptismal fonts are the real pride of many an old church.16

03.09 Another aspect of church architecture that has scarcely been affected by the later types from abroad is the old three tier gabled wooden roofing with the highest roof for the Madhbaha or Sanctum Sanctorum and the lowest for the Mukhamandapam or portico with the nave or Hykala having a roof of middle height. Although the rock crosses, the flagstaffs, the rock lampstands, the baptismal fonts, and the three tiered roofing pattern have not been much affected by the western visitors and administrators many of the objects found inside the churches and the very appearance of the inside have undergone many changes after the arrival of the Portuguese and other westerners. Let us look at some of these changes.

04.01. There is an interesting description of Kerala churches in the account of Joseph the Indian, c.1500. The Christians have their churches, which are not different from ours, but inside only a cross will be seen. They have no statues of the saints. The churches are vaulted like ours. On the foundation is seen a big cross just as in our place. [May be the open air cross?] They have not any bells. 17 There is much truth in the statement of George Varghese: But once these churches came under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, the ornate monumentality of the European churches was introduced into the small temple-like Syrian Christian churches, which even did not have windows in the early past. The baroque and ornate altars with statues and foliages replaced the Chaldeo-Syrian altars, which were in fact only stone-tables with nothing more than candles, Chalice and the Holy Book on them, the bare necessities for observing the Holy Mass. Despite unpleasant frictions with the Portuguese, both in political and ecclesiastical matters, this was the golden era of Church Art in Kerala. They introduced the Romano-Portuguese style, which was assimilated with such artistic and structural finesse by the artists of Kerala, so that it created some of the finest pieces of artistry in the Nazraney school. Later, the British also were equally enthusiastic in introducing their skills and forms into the Church Art of Kerala. Hence, from a conservative perspective, the art in these churches may appear eclectic, with diverse traditions, both western and eastern, superimposed one over the other. The exclusively Asiatic symbols like stone lamps, flag masts, stone-crosses, arched entrances etc., untouched by the foreign hands, co-exist with the Renaissance frescoes, and the Baroque Art of Europe in the same church-complex. There is, in fact, an underlying unity behind this apparently confused juxtaposition of images, symbols and monuments; this is due to the fact that as universal archetypes, images and symbols of religions, both in the west and in the east, have many common elements.18

04.02. Among the additions which took place in Kerala churches with the advent of Europeans might be counted paintings and sculptures on a large scale, imposing altarpieces or reredos; rostra or pulpits, statues of all sizes, types and shapes; plaster mouldings and pictures; huge bells and belfries. Murals and frescoes on a very large scale make their appearance as well as paintings on wood panels and clothe. But the most apparent introduction of the Portuguese was the facades they put up between the portico and the nave in order to impart a Christian appearance to the churches.19

04.03 . The mural tradition of Kerala is ably represented in the churches of Kerala. Many pictures depicted on the walls of Kerala churches may be older than the well known Mughal and Rajput paintings.20 Some interesting murals, all of which use only pigments extracted directly from natural objects like leaves, laterite stone, &c., are to be seen in the churches at Angamaly, Akapparambu, Paliekkara, and Cheppad. Silparatna esp. its Chitralakshana division , the Sudhalepavidhana etc. deal in detail with the colours and additional materials and their application in Indian mural painting. It is interesting to note that the early paintings and iconography of Kerala churches strictly adhere to the concepts of Indian sages and craftsmen on these matters. Interesting old-time wooden panels are seen at Piravaom, Kottayam, Changanassery and Ollur churches. The vast interior of the Ollur church has thousands of square feet covered with frescos.

04.04. Today we have a few churches and places of worship in Kerala which adhere more or less to one or other of the classical christian architectural styles like the Basilican, Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, Baroque, Rococco, etc. but more often than not the churches built in the twentieth century are combinations of various styles, both eastern and western. Elements of Saracenic, Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist origin are also common. And there are a large number of churches which are like any other place of assembly such as a Cinema-house, an international conference centre, or a town-hall, or Kalyana Mandapam.

04.05. Kerala churches built, restored, or reconstructed after the 16th century have many features in common with such structures elsewhere in India, esp. in Goa and environs, and as such are not treated separately.

05.01 Portuguese Influence and the Goan Circle:

After the arrival of Vasco da Gama and more especially after the commencement of Portuguese ascendancy in India two distinct patterns of Christian art developed, one within the areas of Portuguese influence, mostly along the coasts of the peninsula, and the other at the Mogul (Mughal) Court in the North.

05.02 Twelve years after the arrival of da Gama at Calicut in Kerala Alphonso de Albuquerque brought Goa under Portuguese rule in 1510. Thirtytwo years later Francis Xavier arrived in Goa in 1542. Christian communities began to grow up in Goa. In the words of Mathew Lederle, S. J. :21 It was a characteristic of the Lusitanian period that the newly gained Christian Faith found expression in feasts, customs, songs, dances. In Goa grew up what has become up to now the only complete form of Christian art in India, comprising both the sacred and the profane, encompassing the whole of human life. We speak of the Indo-Portuguese Baroque. This phrase is not to be taken in too literal a meaning. Though being predominantly Baroque, it was not restricted to Baroque nor to Portuguese. Almost any form of European religious art of the 16th to 18th centuries and cultural traditions of various countries left their traces in Goa. The Portuguese were great builders and promoted architecture more than any other form of fine art. The Christian art of Goa reached its climax in church building. [For some illustrations cf. Thomas Encyclopaedia,Vol.1.] These churches were elaborately decorated; they expressed the Baroque ideal of making visible here on earth the heavenly darbar, centred round the Eucharistic presence of Christ among his people.

The composite Indo-Portuguese culture which developed in Goa [and elsewhere in India] over more than 450 years of Portuguese presence in this locality of Indias West Coast, is a fascinating but vast subject..with…the shapes which European Baroque, with the Christian art and architecture which came with it, took in the hands of the Indian artisans and craftsmen who had their own repertoire of skills, styles and motifs, developed through millennia of building and carving – the unique, locally developed style of the Hindu temple and its companion lamp-tower…22

05.03. Cochin continued to be the Portuguese capital in India until 1530. Western style forts, houses, churches with their spires, and monasteries began to be built in Cochin and Goa. Fort Manuel at Cochin was enlarged and the Mattanchery Palace, now called the Dutch Palace was constructed and gifted to the Maharajah of Cochin for the favours granted. In Cochin even today can be seen many of the churches and convents the Portuguse built – such as the St. Francis church, the first European place of worship in India perhaps, where Vasco da Gama was first buried, although the church itself became afterwards a Dutch church and later an English church and finally came to be under the Church of South India. It is a protected monument today under the Archaeological Survey of India as is also the so-called Dutch Palace not very far from it. In this locality can also be seen the Santa Cruz Cathedral, the palace of the Bishop of Cochin, the St. Bartholomew church, the Dominican church and the St. Pauls church.

05.04. Already by 1542 Francis Xavier writes that Goa is a city entirely of Christians, something worth seeing. There is a monastery of friars,… he continues, and a noble cathedral with many canons, and many other churches. City planning and building activity continued apace so much so by the end of the 16th century Goa is compared to Lisbon and is termed the Rome of the East. And Francois Pyrard has this to say: The buildings of the churches and palaces, both public and private, are very sumptuous and magnificent. The Se Cathedral begun in the middle of the 16th century, some years after the completion of the first church of St. Catherine of Alexandria, and the church of Our Lady of the Rosary are examples of the earliest large-scale building activity in Goa. The latter brings to mind the contemporary need for a church to be also a fort at the same time.

05.05. The ecclesiastical furniture of that time was artistically formed altar pieces, pulpits, statues, sepulchres, tombstones, chairs, tables, confessionals. Special attention was given to the sacristies, their ceilings, their walls, their almirahs. [See the illustrations in Vol.II (1973) and I (1982) of the Thomas Encyclopaedia.] Even now a large number of excellent statues both in churches and in homes are still available, done in wood or in ivory, the delight of the tourist and the souvenir collector. These statues betray their European artistic inspiration, but they also show the hand of the local artisans. Some figures have local face expressions. In a large stucco representation in the Margao church, the Virgin in standing on a peacock which may have been influenced by the presentation of Parvati standing on a peacock. Goa had a developed art of painting, first done by Europeans, then taken up by local craftsmen. Often the paintings were on wood, as it was difficult to get a good canvas. Murals too are to be found, as also work in precious metals. The most outstanding piece of craftsmanship done in Goa is the reliquary of St.Francis Xavier executed in Goa in 1936-37. Embroidery too, was encouraged. The Indian contribution to Goan art is more in the decorations than in the church structures, which on the whole, kept the forms of their European origins.Though the employment of Hindu artisans to produce objects of Christian worship was forbidden by ecclesiastical and secular authorities, both Christian and non-Christian artists were employed even by religious orders.23

The new Euro-impressed, Indian Baroque made its first appearance in Kerala, where Catholic churches came up on the Indian temple plan [Kerala architectural plan], giving full scope to the native wood-worker to show on a wider scale than he was accustomed to , his carving skills while sculpting church-ordained motifs and themes. These skills were to meet, in a dazzling display of gold painted wood carving, the challenges of crafting ceilings, outsized altars, retables and pulpits in numerous churches in Goa and other Portuguese territories on the West Coast.24

05.06. The tower of the Augustinian monastery, the Jesuit hospital, the Bom Jesus Basilica cloisters and the shrine of the saint, the church of St. Peter, the Santa Monica, Rachol, Pilar are only some of the edifices which must be studied for their architectural features and artistic treasures. And many other churches and public buildings in the various divisions of Goa still proclaim the glory of Golden Goa as sung by Luis de Camoens in his celebrated epic Os Lusiadas.25

05.07 The Hellenistic inspired Gandhara school of art and the Indo-Persian creations of the Mughal period have been claimed as Indian art. The European-Christian inspired art of Goa, too, has to get its place among the various forms of Indian art.26

It is remarkable that Goan art reached its highest development during the 17th century, a period of political decline, and of a growing Hindu dominance of Goan economy. The Christian art of Goa was carried on not by political patronage but by the devotion of the people. (For this section cf.E.R.Hambye, S.J., Christian Art in Goa-Some Reflections, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, XIL-XIIL,1966-67, New Series, pp.194-202).27

06.01.The Mogul Court and Christian Art 28:

The Christian art in Goa grew up within a Christian community reflecting the socio-cultural mood of this community. Something quite different developed in Northern India at the court of Akbar(1556-1605). The Mohammedan empire in the North was different from the various smaller political powers in the South of India. Akbar, open to other religions, invited Jesuit priests to his court. They aimed at gaining influence at the highest cultural and intellectual level. Jesuits stayed at the court from 1550-83,1591,1595-1603. They could even continue their stay when Aurangzeb ascended the throne in 1658.

As there were no large Christian communities in the North there was no need for big churches. The Jesuits made good use of paintings, and especially engravings which were more easily available and transportable. These gifts were appreciated for their artistic qualities and for their religious contents. For example they presented to Akbar a copy of Plantins Polyglot Bible printed in 1569-72 for Philip II of Spain, illustrated with engravings by Flemish artists of the school of Quentin Matsys.

Akbar ordered his court painters to copy the new art. They copied, adapted and in some cases created new pictures, a happy blending of Christian content and local forms. Throughout the period there was interest in and preference for religious themes. This continued even when secular pictures reached India through officials of the East India Company and the Dutch embassy. Religious pictures in India at that time referred mainly to mythology or they showed human beings who were not divine. The Gospel scenes appealed as they showed the divine through human forms. They were religious paintings with historical motives. The Jesuit mission at Agra succeeded not only using art as a very effective missionary medium, but also in founding a new school of painting. This was profoundly influenced by Western techniques and was in a way of Christian art, yet it was also free enough and copious enough to be a genuine and almost a major element in the art-life of its time and place.(J.F.Butler, op.cit., p.66) At present, upto one hundred Christian pictures of the Mughal period are still in existence. Besides paintings, ivory and wood work, statues and panels with Christian themes were produced at that time.

Along with the general decline in creativity during the period preceding British rule in India, Indian Christian art also lost its impetus. Of the works of the later period some have their origin in Pondicherry, Vishakapatnam and other centres of French influence.

Some Sources for Christian Art in the Mogul Court:

Space does not permit the present writer to go deeper. However exhaustive information on this phase of Christian art in India can be obtained from the Sir Edward Maclagan, The Jesuits and the Great Moguls, London 1932. The chapters dealing with the first, second, and third missions to Akbar (II, III, IV), and the fifth chapter dealing with Jahangir, must be read. But more especially chapter XIII entitled Culture and Language (pp. 190 – 202) and chapter XV, The Missions and Mogul Painting (pp. 222 – 267). The works by Fr. Hosten also has a great fund of information on the present topic.

Attention of the reader is invited to these illustrations in Maclagans book: The first Jesuit mission arguing before Akbar (Narsingh); The Good Shepherd (Maskin); S. Matthew (Kesho); The court of Jehangir, including a Jesuit priest; Shah Jahan and a courtier, with Christian symbols (Bichitr); S. Cecilia (Nini); The inn at Bethlehem; An Indian artist drawing the Madonna (Kesho); and Figures from Durer.

The interest shown by Akbar and Jehangir in the missionaries and the western paintings was not unmixed. For example see this passage in Jahangir and the Jesuits, London, 1930: While he (Jahangir) prized the sacred pictures which the Fathers gave him, not, as they fondly imagined, out of veneration for the subjects represented, but because he had a passion for works of art and curios of all kinds, and especially for pictures, of which he was not only an enthusiastic collector, but a very competent judge.

Indian Christian Art in Modern Times:

When the third period of Christian influence in India began, its missionary method was pioneered by William Carey in Bengal, stress was laid on literature (the Bible) and education. The fine arts were neglected; compared with the previous period there was less interest in music, drama, feasts and festivals.Church buildings showed often the influence of the country of origin of the respective missionary society. Still, as regards painting there have been more creative attempts during this modern period than ever before. We find two types of paintings: those done by non-Christians and those done by Christians. This corresponds to two efforts at understanding Christ in relation to Indian traditions. Non-Christian painters expressed their search and insights in relation to the person of Christ, Christian Painters interpreted Christ through the means of Indian traditions. Christian painting in India, and especially its modern period is excellently treated by R.W.Taylor, Jesus in Indian Paintings, Madras, CLS, 1975.

Contributions of Non-Christians to Indian Christian Art.

Members of the modern renaissance movement in India showed great interest in Christ, especially during the early religion based period, above all in the Brahmo Samaja movement of Bengal, and then again in the Gandhian movement. The first modern school of art in India, the Bengal School of Art centred in Shantiniketan, was through the Tagore family closely linked with the Brahmo Samaja movement. Also Gandhijis influence was felt at Shantiniketan. C.F.Andrews lived there for some time.

Nandalal Bose studied under Abindranath Tagore and exercised great influence in the Bengal School. Of the Christian painters Angaelo da Fonseca and Vinayak S. Masoji studied under both of them. One of the recurring themes of Nandalal Boses Christian paintings is the cross. Representations of Christ on the cross and his passion, his love of the humble and the low, along with the representation of the incarnation (Christ and his mother Mary) will for many an artist be the medium through which they express their own ideals and struggle, their experiences and insights.Jamini Roy, for several years chose Christ as a main theme for his paintings. He did not belong to the Bengal School, but drew his inspiration from Bengal folk art of Western Europe. K.C.S.Paniker carried on the spirit of India in a modern form. Intense in his colours and expressive in his form he was often drawn to Christian themes. R.W.Taylor sees in his Christian paintings a pronounced social dimension and a tendency largely towards the events of the passion.(R.W.Taylor, op.cit., p.78). It was also Paniker who said, and this shows one of the reasons why he was attracted to paint Christ, If you scratch Christ there is the carpenters son, something authentic.(Taylor, ibid, p.73). P.V.Janakiram specialised in wash and tempera techniques and later in sculpture and reliefs. Christian themes are recurring in his works. The most often portrayed theme is the cross, followed by the theme of the Virgin and the Child. Christian themes with these artists share their place of predominance with many other themes and there are many artists who never painted any explicitly Christian subject, yet the number of those who did is astonishingly great.

Christian Artists in Modern Times

During recent times several Christian artists have come forward to express their Christian Faith through the medium and form of Indian art. The comprehensiveness and openness with which this is done is something new. The newness is in this that the artist, not always consciously perhaps, regards the traditional and contemporary forms of Indian art as his own also. He is not an intruder into something not related to him. Still he has to do a pioneering job. Christian paintings now in use in homes and churches are to a large extend western and often than not of an inferior quality. The artist can in a visible way express the ideal of the integration of the Christian community in the country. He can also contribute towards activating an Indian orientation of the Christian communities. The people using religious art in India are not always attuned to modern trends in painting. Indian Christian works of art are more accepted if they are linked up with one of the periods of the past: Ajantha, Mughal, Neo-Bengali. Experience shows that the artists themselves undergo a change. We can recognise the development of an even greater individuality, a more personal note as the years go by.This requires that the individual artist finds encouragement, enlightened sympathetic criticism – and also patronage. Art can only progress if the artists can also live from their art. The purchase of original works for homes and institutions is a very realistic way of promoting art.

The Christian artist in India is confronted by a number of difficulties. The popular, widely accepted bazaar art shows that many are satisfied with cheap, artistically inferior works of art, as their artistic taste remains underdeveloped. It is a widely spread opinion that representations related to a historic religion have to show the religious events and persons in a historically true setting, in something like a photographic presentation. But with the exclusion, perhaps, of the shroud of Turin, we have no historically correct representation of Christ. Besides the art of painting is different from the photographic art. An artist expresses in colour and form what he feels, how he understands. He does this through the media which are congenial to him, the media from his own culture. In Western modern art, Christ is portrayed in many ways; he is seen as the leader of masses, the redeemer, the man of sorrow, the bringer of peace besides all the various other forms Christian Faith or the inspiration of his person suggests. He is depicted in realism, impressionism, expressionism, cubism and many other trends of painting. An Indian artist will look at Christ through Indian eyes and this will give his discovery meaning, form and beauty.

In the Bible, for example, in the childhood narrations of Christ, passages are expressed as midrash. Midrash means research.The sacred writer searched the old scriptures for passages which would interpretatively depict a present reality. That the child was brought to the temple 490 days after the angels announcement to Zachariah depicts the 490 years mentioned by Daniel and supposedly required till the coming of the Messiah. The child brought to the temple is therefore the Messiah. Should one not speak of a cultural midrash also? Searching in the treasures of a given tradition, modern and ancient, the artist takes the language of this tradition to explain his own insights. As there are many traditions in India the Christian artists in India may speak in many ways of the one reality of his Faith.

As the Christian influence in the shaping of Indian traditions is a minor one, the symbols of these traditions will therefore not always adequately express Christian meanings. While Christians in India have a preference for typically Christian symbols (e.g. the cross) or at least neutral symbols (e.g.flame, flower, gesture of offering), they are reluctant to accept symbols with a typical Hindu cannotation (e.g.the word OM). Art India, Pune a publishing centre for Indian Christian art, prints pictures with various symbols, the same amount at the same time. It is possible, therefore, to determine the likes and dislikes of the buyers.It has to be kept in mind that most symbols, in the course of centuries, have been given various meanings. Let us take the symbol of the peepal tree. Ancient Indian tradition represents the cosmos in the form of a giant, inverted tree. This tree, a peepal tree, buried its roots in the sky and spreads its branches over the whole earth. It represents creation as a descending order. There have been interpretations which were pantheistic and therefore not acceptable to Christians. There were also other interpretations fully agreeable with Christian ideas. This gives the symbol a certain ambivalence. A Christian can see in the inverted peepal tree a representation of creation in a descending order. This can point to Christ, as He, through Him and for Him all things were created, appeared as man and Saviour. The peepal tree reminds then of the first creation and of the new creation brought about by the coming of Christ. (In this sense the peepal tree has been used for a Christmas card by Sr.Veera Pereira.)

Symbols become part of a culture; they stay even when philosophies change; they are then reinterpreted.This holds good also as regards basic concepts, e.g. karma,maya,etc. Symbols may even have been given tantric interpretations with erotic meanings, even shocking erotic meanings. But this does not mean that these symbols are necessarily connected with such meanings. If a symbol is reinterpreted, it is done in the hope that the new meaning can hold its ground, does not lead to syncretism, and strikes a new cord in the depths of ones soul.

The number of Christian artists who struggled to present their Faith through the medium of Indian culture is considerable. One of the great pioneers is Angelo de Fonseca, a Catholic of Goan origin who grew up in Pune and studied under Abanindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose. When he left Shantiniketan, Abanindranath gave him the commission, Now go out and paint churches. It was only towards the end of his life (he died in 1968) that the general climate had changed in favour of Indian art. He worked for many years in the inspiring atmosphere of the Anglican Khrista Prem Seva Ashram, Pune. His more than 500 paintings show how he grew in his work, how he left the early Bengal School influence and developed his own style- mainly,harmonious,impressive,with its clear lines and the preference for earthen coloured shades. A.da fonsca freely shared his wide experience when an altar had to be erected, an ecclesiastical vestment designed, a church built, vessels to be used. He pointed our how much, genuinely good, was available in the small shops of the cities and in the bazaars.

Alfred D.Thomas, an Anglican, from Uttar Pradesh, depicted Christs life and ministry. His Christ had the ideal male body of classical Indian sculptures,with broad shoulders and narrow waist. His Christ was soft but not feminine. His women had the fully flowered female forms of the classical tradition.

Vinayak S.Masoji, born 1897, at Kolhapur, a member of the United Church of Northern India, studied at Shantiniketan, and became the Director of its Kalabhavan. He painted, modelled, worked with leather, wood and in Batik. He wanted to express a message that India could understand. In the Mughal style of painting he found a method suitable to tell stories, in his case to retell biblical events in an Indian setting. A biography is now being prepared and published by friends.

Angela Trinidade, comes from a distinguished artist family of Bombay. She painted Christs life in the Ajantha style, a wide step away from the Western techniques of her father, often called the Rembrandt of the East. Later she changed and painted in triangular forms. She explains this to be the result of a religious experience she had. Now she wants to express everything in this triangular trinitarian form.

Frank Wesley, a Methodist from Northern India, lives at present, like A.D. Thomas and Angela Trinidade, outside of India. He intends to paint the external rather than the historical Christ, to paint Him with Indian feeling.(c.f.R.W.Taylor, op.cit.p.135). Frank Wesley likes to use symbols. He is a gifted artist,able to use various styles and methods. In this way he conveys an idea more than he reveals himself.

The most popular Christian artist in India at present, (popularity here means demand for her paintings), is Sr. Genevieve, now at Bangalore, a nun of French origin. She likes to give importance to lines and to striking colours. (There are two pictures by her in the Thomas Encyclopaedia II, 1973.) Her figures, often the humble, the meek in the spirit of the Gospels, have an intense quality of Indianness. She painted many scenes of the Lords life, especially Christmas scenes. She has prepared huge compositions, slides series, film strips, and the Old Testament series of the NBCL Centre, Bangalore. Sr. Genevieve, in more recent years, has raised a voice of warning against the use of Hindu symbols, which she regards, to a large extent, as unsuitable for use in Christian paintings.

Sr. Genevieves disciple, Sr. Claire from Andhra Pradesh, a convert from Hinduism, is a member of the same religious congregation as Sr. Genevieve. Sr. Claire has great talent, her paintings are attractive, simple, and full of feeling. At Nueremberg, Germany, a calendar for 1976 with her pictures was published. She writes about these pictures, I love our Mother Mary so much that you will find her on all my pictures. Recently she has worked with cloth also and for silk-screen printing and painted two sets of stations of the cross.

Jyoti Sahi, Catholic from Bangalore, had some ashram experience and has a wide cultural background. He built his home, an artists ashram, in a village near Bangalore. He wrote ( 19.2.76) about a prospective chela, I would teach the person what I can, but would expect the person to be fully involved in my work, that would be not only painting, but helping in the village, doing things about the house, even gardening at times, helping me to teach others – you know, the sort of creativity events I am increasingly involved in. It would be good if he thought of the possibility of religious art being his profession eventually. Jyoti Sahi combines art with theological reflection. His lectures at the Jnana Deepa Vidyapeetha, Pune are greatly appreciated. For him the symbols of the Hindu tradition are to be creatively interpreted. It can be said about him, that he searches for the Unknown Christ in Hinduism. Missio, Germany, published a beautiful calendar with mandalas (symbols helpful for meditation) in 1975. This was received as a gift of the Indian Church to a Church in the West, in a spirit of partnership.

Due to shortage of space we can mention only the names of other Christian artists: A. Alphonso, Madras; Sudhir Bairagi, Bengal; Frederick Chellappa; Anthony Doss; F. N. DSouza; Eustace Fernandes, Bombay; John W. Gonsalves; Taba Jamyang, Mussoorie; Peter Lewis; K.N. Misra, Lucknow; Lemuel Patole, Bombay, (now – 1976 – in the USA); Albert O. Pengal, Bombay; Duckett J. Prim; G. D. Paul Raj; Olympio C. Rodrigues, Bombay; V. M. Sathe; G. R. Singh; Sr. Sylvestra, FMM, Madras; Sr.Theresa, O. Carm., Sitagarha; Marcus Topno (+), Ranchi; Joseph V. Ubale (+), Bombay; W. Vandekerckhove, SJ, Ranchi.

In the field of painting modern Indian Christian art has achieved considerable results. As regards statuary, most of what is produced is on the level of artistically inferior plaster-of-Paris production. The artistic level of the 17th century has not been reached. The more extensive use of wood, metal and ivory for statues would mark a big step forward. The present (1976) mood for function and utility does not include sufficient encouragement for the promotion of embroidery and woodwork.

Conclusion:

A number of other artists and a large number of objects of art and architecture aught to be dealt with in this article. Some areas and locations are almost left out. But it is hoped that a general appreciation of the origin and development of Indian Christian art, its variety, its spread, its influence could be gained from what has been attempted here.

Notes:

1. M. G. S. Narayanan, Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala, Trivandrum, 1972, p.1.

2. Id., p. vii.

3. George Menachery in Kodungallur : City of St. Thomas, Kodungallur, 1987, p.4, et.sq. of 2000 reprint.

4. Id. p. 19, n.3 which refers to the many relevant maps in Bjorn Landstorm, The Quest for India, Stockholm, 1964 and in the Atlas by G.M. in Menachery, George (Ed.), The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Vol. I, esp. those dealing with the Journeys of St. Thomas, Marco Polo, B. Diaz, & St. F. Xavier.

5. We quote from the edition by Schurhammer, Georg, The Malabar Church and Rome, Trichinopoly, 1934, the relevant portion of which is reprinted in the Indian Church History Classics, Vol. I The Nazranies, Ed. G. Menachery, Ollur, Jan. 1998, pp.526 – 529.

6. Cf. Scaria Zachariah, Udayamperur Soonnahadosinte Kaanonakal, in Malayalam, 1998.

7. Jornada, Lisbon and Coimbra, 1606. A new English translation is being published by the LIREC, Mount St. Thomas, Ernakulam.

8. London, 1694; reprinted in Vol. II of Hough, History of Christianity in India, pp.511 – 683; and a new rendering in Menachery (Ed.), The Nazranies, pp. 31 – 112.

9. Schurhammer, op. cit. p.526, col.2 in The Nazranies.

10. Id., ibid.

11. Geddes, op. cit., passim. Visits to Mangate (Alangad), Cheuree (Chowara), Canhur (Kanjur), Molandurte (Mulanthuruthi), Carturte (Kaduthuruthy), Nagpili (Nagapuzha), Diamper (Udayamperur),Paru (Parur), are quite illuminative in this respect.

12. History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, London, 1876. Quoted by Menachery, George in Pallikkalakalum Mattum (Malayalam), Trichur, 1984, p.60.

13. This writer during interviews on Radio Vatican in 1975 and 1978.

14. For these thoughts vide G. Menachery, Pallikalile Kala, Mathrubhoomi Weekly, March 1978.

15. For details Pallikkalakalum Mattum and also paper by Menachery, G., Social Life and Customs of the St. Thomas Christians in the Pre-Diamper Period, Mt. St. Thomas, June 1999. Printed in The Life and Nature of the St. Thomas Christian Church in the Pre – Diamper Period, Ed. Bosco Puthur, Kochi, 2000, pp.188 – 203. Also the writers papers at the World Syriac Conferences and the Societas Liturgica Congress reproduced in various issues of the HARP, Kottayam (Ed. Dr. Jacob Thekkepparampil) and the St. Thomas Christians Journal. Rajkot ( Ed. Mar Gregory Karotempral).

16. For hundreds of illustrations dealing with the art and architecture of Kerala Christians see Vol. II of the STCEI (alternately the Thomapedia) and the Nazranies.

17. India in 1500 A. D. about Joseph the Indian by A. Vallavanthara, Trivandrum, 1984, chapters 4 and 5.

18. His unpublished paper Construction of Images in the Art of Early Christian Churches, presented at Trichur and Kottayam which may be seen on the ICHR website. Also see articles by Dr. James Menachery and P.Andrews Athappally in the STCEI, II, Trichur, 1973.

19. From Yule Ed. Cordier, Travels of Marco Polo , Vol. II, London, 1926 reproduced in the STCEI, II, pp.12, col. 2 ff.

20. George Menachery, Malayala Manorama, Sunday Supplement, April 19, 1987.

21. Unpublished article written by Mathew Lederle (21.2.1976) for the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India now scheduled to be included in STCEI Vol.III.

22. T.P. Issar, Goa Dourada The Indo-Portuguese Bouquet, Unesco aided work, Bangalore,1997. This interesting volume has an excellent collection of photographs dealing exhaustively with the art and architecture of the Goan Circle along with many insightful comments.

23. Lederle, op. cit.

24. Issar, op. cit., p.35.

25. There were constructed in Goa hundreds of churches, chapels, wayside crosses and statues, monasteries, and convents in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. For example 25 churches in Ilhas, 25 in Salcete, 7 in Marmugao, 27 in Bardez, and dozens in other locations including Old Goa. Other Portuguese territories also had their own share of churches in these centuries. Cf., f.i., An Illustrated Guide to Goa, Furtado,1922 (pp.183 ff.). Also cf. the many other guides, ecclesiastical directories, and publications.

26. Lederle, op. cit.

27. Lederle, op. cit. As this pathbreaking article written in 1976 by. Fr. Lederle for the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia could not be included in the 1982 volume by this writer and as it did not see the light of day during the authors lifetime large portions from it are being reproduced here for the first time.

28.Lederle, op. cit.

29.Lederle, op. cit.

30.Lederle, op. cit.

Dear enarsea:

I’ve read a few articles by Prof. Menachery (basically, what I could find on the internet), and I’ve not been extremely impressed.

He’s obviously done much research, certainly it seems that he’s done more research that any other individual on Kerala Nasrani history. And he writes fantastic history: stories that anyone would love to believe. And I would never deny him the accolades he deserves for bringing the study of Nasrani history out of the (often perverted) clutches of Church historians, and into more scholarly venues.

But … what kills it for me is I’ve never seen his sources! Has he done carbon dating (or whatever other process) of the monuments he claims to be over 1000 years old? His claim that “Christianity is older than Hinduism in Kerala” is interesting — but he doesn’t offer proof with substantially strong foundations. Sure, his theories may sound possible, but are they in fact correct? One needs more evidence, or at the very least substantial citations of prior work by scholars, archeologists, etc.

Other than the works of Dr. Menachery, is there anyone else that did a scientific study of these artifacts? Or perhaps my limited familiarity with Menachery’s work is at fault: in that case, has anyone read his more substantial printed works, and can they provide some insight into the proofs that Menachery offers?

John Matthew: w.r.t. .“MACKENZIE :CHRISTIANITY IN TRAVANCORE.”
The complete book is available at the BOOKS page of http://www.indianchristianity.com on the net.

Dear Enarsea:

It seems that the entire Mackenzie book is not on the page; a large fraction of it is, but it seems to be missing some pages (e.g., the part that refers to footnote 95).

Do you, or does anyone out there have a copy that they could share?

Thanks!

Dear Admin,

Yes, I’ve checked the link; however, it seems that page 2 is cut of (“Go” is the last word, and it seems to end mid-sentence). Also I’ve looked for the part of the text that refers to footnote 95, to no avail. The text seems to jump from p. 2 to p. 3. I spent a few hours going through his end notes — an incredible amount of historical and scholarly info can be found there. In particular, note 95 was a little interesting and I wanted to find the text that referred to it, but couldn’t.

Am I missing something?

Also, Google books doesn’t seem to have a pdf … am I mistaken?

By the way, Mackenzie was British, but he was also a Roman Catholic (at least according to another reference—I could be wrong). At any rate, his text seems to be written by a Catholic (he certainly does not seem to be Protestant) but, unlike other authors, he doesn’t seem to express any overt bias: he seems very scholarly, and defends most of his points by appeal to either evidence, or citations w/ analysis of those citations. I think his work isn’t perfect (omissions, dismissing some theories too quickly, leaps of faith in some circumstance), of course, but it’s the best I’ve seen thus far.

Dear John,

You are right. A few pages are missing on the web page( between page 2 and 3 on the web page) but it is complete in the book “The nazraneys” Ed by Prof. George Menacherry. If you send me an e mail on [email protected], I can share the information missing.I think the story of the Bishop John brought over by Ezhechiel and the import of three jacobite Bishops Basil, Gregory and John by the Dutch and the following disputes with them etc are described in “Whitehouse”‘ book.

Re Mackenzie,
Nidheerickal Mani kathanaar was involved in the issue.The Government of Travancoore decided to publish a state manual containing tne exhaust history of the state and the then British resident in Travancore took over the charge of thr history of christianity.He was naturally under the influence of European missionaries and european historians but sent questionnaires to the local syrian christians including vicar apotles at Changanacherry and Ernaculam.Both Bishops at Changanacherry (Mar Makil) and Ernaculam ( Mar Pazheparambil) and the Proir of CMI monastery at Mannanam requested Mani kathanaar to take up the task. He did extensive research work and sent a thesis but without that, Mackenzie published his book. Upon Mani kathanaar’s letter to Mackenzie, he added those findings as an additional note on the revised edition. (ref.Father Nidheeri, a history of times, byAbraham M Nidheeri, 1971) See the foot note 116.
Nidheerickal Mani kathanaar argues that Mar Sabour and Mar Afroth were Catholic chaldeans with evidences. I would be very interested to see his 86 page thesis sent to Mackenzie. Does anyone know whether it is available anywhere ?

The evidences presented by Nidheerickal Mani kathanaar was satisfactory to Mackenzie-“that is the therory put forward by these two syrian priests. The tone is hostile to the portuguese but the arguements deserve consideration on their merrits and certainly the attitude of St Francis Xavier towards these christians is a point which cannot be explained away”( ref. foot note 116, mackenzie)

I have great problem with google books. I can find the read and download pdf buttons on some books but not all, esp mackenzie, another book by Kollamparambil etc.

GRANITE OBJECTS IN KERALA CHURCHES: An Investigation into their Distribution, Antiquity, and Significance.
Prof. George MENACHERY,

Indigenous advances in archaeology , numismatics , anthropology , epigraphy , geography and ocean studies , geology , art, architecture,culture, literature , folk arts, place name studies , etc. in recent years have shed considerable new light on the origins and situation of early Christianity in Kerala and as such serve scholars as meagrely used but excellent resource tools for Kerala historical studies in general and Thomas Christian studies in particular . Perhaps this is the place where we might once again stress the importance of the study of local history , and the necessity for following an interdisciplinary approach, and for publishing scholarly findings in Malayalam and in the popular media for the ordinary Nazraney who is only too eager and extremely enthusiastic to learn about one’s own roots, and stress also the compulsions of modern Kerala society where it is necessary and even essential to collaborate with secular scholars even in the investigation of matters relating solely to Church History, Art, or Culture .

Rock Objects in Kerala Churches:

The present paper is an attempt to survey examples of rock-work in the art and architecture of the churches of Kerala in the light of recent studies and surveys, and to essay their significance for the study of Kerala history and culture. The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India , Vol.II, April 1973, (hereafter STCEI II), and the Indian Church History Classics , Vol.I (i.e. The Nazranies), January 1998, (hereafter ICHC I) may be consulted for some one thousand illustrations, a large number of which bearing on Christian art and architecture in India . In those volumes there are scores of pictures of rock objects from churches. Rock art in churches, represented by the Nazraney Sthambam or rock obelisk cross, the rock Deepa Sthambam, or lamp-stand, rock pedestal of the copper-sheathed Dwaja Sthambam or Kodimaram /flagstaff, are all found in front of the typical early Nazraney churches. There is also the exquisitely carved baptismal font or Mammodisakkallu in the baptistery, often situated at the west end of the nave, immediately after the portico or Mukhamandapam, beyond the main door called in Malayalam Aanavathil, which last often with granite doorposts and architraves. (However of late, especially in the west-Syriac tradition of Kerala, the baptismal fonts are to be seen near the altar to the right of the congregation, in keeping with the universal trend,where more and more Churches are allowing unbaptised persons to come near the altar.) True, these objects will only cover the front courtyard of the church and just take us beyond the threshold of the nave into the baptistery; but then we must stop with that for the present; although there are also a few statues, doorposts, Gopurams, pillars and tablets with reliefs, and architraves all in stone which deserve our attention.

Flights of Rock Steps:

Places of worship in Kerala as in many other climes were generally constructed on hilltops or the highest available spot in a locality, except of course those on the sea-coast and river banks. It is found that the reputedly earliest churches were on the sea shore, or on the shore of the lakes or Kayals and rivers. Later churches were constructed in the interior at High Places. People reached these places of worship navigating the steep slopes, afterwards replaced by granite steps. The Thrissur Vadakkunnathan temple of Pooram fame is still reached by climbing the slopes, but most churches today have constructed granite flights of steps and side roads leading to them. The churches at Ollur, Kuravilangad, Uzhavoor, Parappur, Ramapuram, Kaduthuruthy (both churches), Kottayam (Valiya Palli), Palai (Old Cathedral), Parel, and Changanassery are reached by going up the flight of rock steps or Nadakkallus. There are many churches with Sopanams with balustrade like handrails on either side or without those handrails, all carved out of rock (e.g. at Parur and Kothamangalam. By the way the Parur Sopanam, at least one of the carved hand rails, was seen last week in a broken condition!)

There are three striking objects of significance in front of the typical Malabar churches, either inside the courtyard or just outside it: the open-air granite (rock) cross which the present writer has christened Nazareney Sthambam; the Dwaja Sthambam or flag-staff made of Kerala’s famed teak wood (e.g. at Parur), and often enclosed in copper sheaths / hoses or Paras (as at Changanassery, Pulinkunnu, or Chambakkulam), or made out of some other timber or other material; the Deepa Sthambam in granite as at Kundra, Kallooppara, Chengannur, and Niranam. Sthambams or pillars of some type or other are to be found among the Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, etc. in India. Such pillars and structures were part of the Christian heritage of Kerala much before the ascendancy of Vedic Hinduism in these parts, although James Fergusson either did not know or did not care about these .

Rock Crosses:

The open-air rock-cross of Malabar is an obelisk, a tall stone column, with four, sometimes decorated, but without inscriptions,slightly tapering sides, with arms added. Rome has many obelisks (from Egypt and the East) which have been sometimes made into cross-bearing structures decorating the piazzas and squares (e.g. in front of the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican). Others are near the Lateran , in the Piazza dell’ Esquilino , in Piazza dei Cinquecento , in the Piazza del Quirinale , near the Piazza di Spagna ( near the Propaganda Fide) , near the Piazza del Popolo , near the Piazzo di Montecitorio , and in the Piazza Minerva .

London has one on the banks of the Thames (Cleopatra’s Needle) as one gets down from the Houses of Parliament; Paris has one at the place d’ la Concorde; and even New York has one in the central park. Many memorials like the Washington Memorial are obelisk-shaped. The Asoka Pillar and other such Indian pillars must have been inspired by the Graeco-Parthians, under Egyptian-Persian influence. The Nazraney Sthambam is a direct descendant of the obelisk, and much closer to it than the other Indian pillars – in shape, method of construction and transportation, method of erection, function, and solar symbolism. The Roman obelisk, bearing crosses today, have been converted to Christianity, while Kerala’s cross-shaped obelisks were born Christian . The obelus and the double-dagger reference marks in printing may be profitably recalled here. The Celtic rock crosses with their peculiar shape and intricate carvings are in another category.

The three-tier gabled indigenous architecture of Kerala churches , which lacked facades until the coming of the Portuguese, immensely gains in richness, symmetry, and beauty because of the open-air rock crosses, some of them more than 35 feet in height including the intricately carved pedestals, and monolithic shafts. No other community in Kerala has such a huge monumental stone structure, and no other Christianity has such a universal and huge emblem in front of the churches, except the obelisks of the Vatican and Rome which of course were not originally Christian symbols, but were later Christianized by the addition of crosses at their top . The indoor counterparts of these open air crosses have the earliest carvings in Kerala of the national flower lotus and the national bird peacock. Perhaps even the national animal tiger is first depicted in Kerala art in church sculpture. It has been said that there existed no rock carving in South India prior to the period of these indoor crosses . The motifs, message, and images on these crosses and their pedestals display a remarkable degree of Indianness and Malayalee Thanima or identity. Vedic Hindu Gods and Goddesses like Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Sapthamathas, Jeshta etc. appear in the art of the central Guruvayoor/Palayoor-Quilon part of Chera country only after the 11th-13th centuries, and even in the Salem-Erode section, and the Trivandrum-Cape Comorin section Vedic Hindu deities appear in art only as late as the 9th century A.D.

The rock open-air cross employs three sets of sockets and cylinders. The base with a socket (cavity), the monolithic square and slightly tapering shaft with cylindrical terminals to fit the sockets, the horizontal piece forming the arms with a double socket (one cavity above and one below) in the middle, and the capital with a cylindrical bottom end are the four members of the open air cross . They are so well chiselled and proportionate that when put together the socket and cylinder arrangement enables the cross to stand all by itself. However for the bigger crosses, pedestals – in the form of sacrificial altars or Balikallus – are found, often carrying exquisite reliefs of the flora and fauna of the land in addition to scenes from the daily life of the early Keralites and biblical scenes. The cross representing the supreme Bali (sacrifice) or Mahabali appearing on the Balikkallu most appropriately represents the Calvary events and sheds plenty of light on the ideological, historical, theological, cultural and technological bent of mind of the forefathers. Compare with the base of the Obelisk of Theodosius, Constantinople, A.D.390.

The Obelisk and the Rock Cross:

The obelisk is a ray of the sun – here a ray of Christ (of Horus – Xt. the sun-God). This ray helps the lotus near – universally depicted on such crosses to blossom forth representing in a typical Indian poetic conceit the grace received by the sin – bound human soul (panka – jam) from Christ. Lotus, representing the sun is found in other early Indian art also. The Buddhist Padmapada concept also comes to mind. The half dozen interior Pehlevi inscribed crosses, some of them undoubtedly of at least pre 7th century origin, which were mostly tombstones before they were put up on the altars , have generally the dove (Holy Spirit) depicted on top of the clover or flower tipped equal-armed Greek cross, in addition to the lotus at the bottom .

In the three piece (Thri-kanda) Pehlavi cross one might, perhaps, with considerable effort read the lotus represented Brahma (Father), Vishnu, and Shiva. The arrangement to hold wicks found on the open air crosses may be related to the preservation of fire, and the effort to make it available to the common people in the dim past, when Homakundams were rare in Kerala or beyond the reach of the common folk. It is perhaps in connection with the need to preserve fire that the oil-Nerchas and oil Araas of the churches, and the compound – wall rock lamps are to be evaluated.The oil related objects in the churches also indicate the connection of this Christianity with the trade of the land, especially oil-trade. The bell like arrangement on some crosses also is noteworthy. Veneration of the cross, angels, Adam and Eve… and of course the Indian Cross itself are some of the notable religious carvings on these structures.

Deepa Sthambam:

The square or polygonal shape of the individual pieces in the granite or rock lamp stands at Kallooppara, Kundra, and Chengannur indicate the antiquity of such lamp stands in the churches. Unlike in the churches, in the temples, the tradition of these lamps continued and thus developed into the present-day round shape of the pieces. In art history generally the simpler forms make their appearance first, and refinements and complications indicate a later date. Even when the tradition of lampstands declined in the churches, many open-air crosses had wick holders incorporated into them, with the advantage that wind and rain do not put off the flames. Church walls still display rows of rock lamps (Kanjoor, Angamaly, Ollur). Inside the churches the tradition of bronze lamps continued vigorously, many churches still displaying rows of bronze lamps, representing a variety of shapes and types, and some lamps having even hundreds of wick holders, e.g. the Aayiram Aalila lamps at Arthat, Akapparambu, or Angamaly. The lamp, be it in bronze or rock, represents Christ who is light, as does the rock cross which is a ray of the Sun or Christ shining from the East.

Dwaja – Sthambam:

In front of the church the third interesting object is the flagstaff, sometimes covered with copper Paras. Every festival is announced with the Kodiyettu or flag-hoisting, a tradition going back to early Buddhist times at least. The flag-staff at times has a carved rock pedestal. All these three objects in the courtyard of the church have a variety of liturgical functions associated with them, into which we are not entering at present .

Granite / Stone Baptismal Fonts:

Let us now climb and go across the portico and enter the Haikala or nave beyond the Aanavathil to look at the rock baptismal font in the baptistery. As we enter the church the huge doorways flaunting Aanavathils or elephantine doors or door for elephants have Architraves and doorposts displaying good examples of south Indian rock-carving. (E.g. old Kayamkulam, Chengannur, Kanjoor). But the rock-baptismal fonts are the real pride of many an old church.

There are interesting rock baptismal fonts at Edappally, Kanjoor, Mylakkombu, Muthalakkodam, Changanassery, Kothamangalam, Kadamattom etc. The similarity of these baptismal fonts with illustrations of the fonts used for the baptism of Constantine (4thC.) and Clovis (Rheims c.496) is remarkable. All the old baptismal fonts are of granite or very hard laterite. They are all huge in size indicating that baptism by immersion could have been the order of the day. Most of the old baptismal fonts depicted in the STCEI II & the ICHC I were probably of a date prior to or very near the promulgation of the decrees of the Synod of Diamper which made permanent fonts more or less compulsory. Although most of the old baptismal fonts/ baptisteries are found near the west end or middle of the nave on the northern side – Kaduthuruthy (Big), old Edappally, old Kanjoor, Changanassery (Southern side), in many churches, mostly Jacobite/Orthodox they are found today close to the sanctum sanctorum e.g. Angamaly (Middle-church), Kallooppara. They are exquisitely carved with reliefs of the baptism of Christ, Mary feeding the Child, angels, Indian crosses, etc. There are also wonderful motifs of leaves, the basket pattern, coir pattern, etc. engraved on these stones. By the way the very Malayalam word Mammodisakkallu indicates a font made of stone. Another term is Mammodisath-thotti. The Holy Water Font is called Annavella Thotti also often in stone.

[Here permit us by way of digression to mention a word about Asoka the Great and Taxila the major source of Indian sculptural tradition, other than Mathura. Alexander the Great and his general Selucus both westerners were in Takshashila or cut stone (Taxila) in Gandhara, the land of Gandhari and Shakuni on the banks of the Indus, before the architect and builder Thomas arrived in those parts. The daughter of Selucus supposedly married Chandra Gupta Maurya. Their (?) son Bimbisara was the father of Ashoka the Great. Was Ashoka a foreigner? Until James Pincep deciphered the writings on an Ashoka Pillar in the 19th century, our knowledge even of this great Indian emperor was minimal. Compared to this our knowledge of Apostle Thomas’ Indian sojourn must be considered quite adequate. But that is another story.]

The national emblem of India is derived from one of the Ashoka pillars. One can see this emblem of four lions and the wheel on any Indian currency note in one’s pocket. Those lions of Ashoka roared not in hostility but in love. The roar of these four lions for love we next hear from the amazingly attractive ancient rock baptismal fonts of Malabar, at Edappally, Kanjoor, and elsewhere. These four lions support the hemispherical basin of the font, as the Ashoka lions were supporting a globe, in the very same manner in which the Egyptian obelisks were supporting the shining disk of the Sun. But in the midst of our other interests we failed to give our ears to these voices and to preserve these great Malabar lions, an endangered species, indeed, in our own midst. For at Edappally e.g. the stone baptismal font was dismantled into three pieces and strewn about the courtyard of the church, at the mercy of the innumerable pilgrims and pick-pockets frequenting the spot. At Angamaly one could still see (i. e. before the huge new church was built) the old baptismal font in many pieces near the priests’ kitchen. In Punnathra the font is used to collect rain-water, a euphemism this writer has been using for a salty human out – pouring. At Kudamaloor in 1970 to photograph the font once used to baptize the Blessed Sr. Alphonsa this writer had to rescue it from the many layers of plaster on the wall. This list it is not necessary to prolong. Cry, the beloved country. font>

Antiquity and Significance

Although to investigate the antiquity of art objects in Kerala is a complicated exercise, and a discussion of their significance is even more tricky, let us proceed with some observations here in this regard, most of which have already been made from time to time, in one form or other, by the present writer, hoping that others would travel farther along these and other roads, and would indeed find better paths…… As the time and space allotted this paper have long been overrun we will have to be content with a few pointers only.

A schoolboy definition of philosophy is “the contemplation of the unknown”. And theology thus becomes the contemplation of (the unknown) divine. What follows is merely some stray thoughts on the antiquity and significance of the rock objects in the churches of Kerala.

The Unique Place of the Cross in Kerala

The ubiquitous cross of Malabar churches is best represented by the rock crosses, mostly outside the churches. This open-air granite cross is the central point of many liturgical observations and ceremonies and processions. Festival related and liturgical processions in Malabar are of at least four kinds: certain Pradakshinams or processions starting near the altar end at the Mukhamandapam or portico of the church; many others, importantly, enter the courtyard and go round the rock cross, others go round the church, still others wind along the valley-roads and Angadies surrounding the church-hill, commencing and concluding at the foot of the rock-cross. In every procession processional crosses occupy places of honour. In funeral processions also the cross is at the forefront of the procession.

The Kerala Christian gets up in the morning making the sign of the cross, and goes to bed making the sign of the cross. Not only that. The night prayer before going to bed “Yudanmarude Raajavaaya Nazraayakkaaran Ishoye” is a translation of the INRI on the cross of Jesus. The sign of the cross is made at the four ends of the bed before retiring at night. The sign of the cross is made on doors and entrances with the ash on Ash Wednesday, now Ash Monday. The Way of the Cross is a favorite devotion of the Malayalee.

St. Thomas is the Old Man of the Cross or Kurishumuthappan. Wayside chapels are Kurisu Pallies. There are large numbers of crosses in gold and silver and other metals and in wood and cloth and paintand ivory and every other imaginable medium in every church. There are crosses adorning the triple facades of the churches or triple Monthayams. The cross and the crucifix are to be seen everywhere in the churches. The cross is the symbol of Christianity in Kerala, especially when it is recalled that there were no images other than the cross in Kerala churches before the advent of the Portuguese.

Another Significance

Tree worship, characteristic of pre-historic, primitive, and aboriginal communities must have been common at the time of the arrival of St. Thomas in India. Sangham literature has many descriptions of kings, especially the Moovarachars – the Cheran, the Cholan, and the Pandyan – planting, nourishing, and celebrating their own dynastic trees, and of cutting down and destroying the sacred trees of the enemy . The tree, like the pole and the tower represents the axis mundi and connects heaven and earth, and sometimes even hell . The sacralisation of a spot was often achieved by the planting of a tree like Arayal, or the setting up of a stone, or the building up of a tower – as the means of communication between man and the divine, between earth and heaven. This idea is perhaps well represented in the obelisk and in the open-air rock cross of Kerala. Before a place could be inhabited it must be created and the establishment of the cross creates sacred space, around which people could stay and live. Was this the meaning behind Thomas the Kurisu Muthappan, and Sapor and Proth the Kandeesangal planting crosses all over the place, initiating Chrstian places of residence and commencing Christian Congregations and Communities.

Certain other ideas which could be read into the rock objects have already been mentioned in this paper, and as such are not being gone into again.

Procedures for assessing Antiquity

How old are the rock objects in the Kerala churches? Have their antiquity been measured scientifically? What are some of the means at our disposal to measure the antiquity of these objects? These are a few questions which ought to be discussed.

As the maximum possible age of Christian artefacts cannot be more than two millennia, and will be in most cases only 1500, 1000, or even less years, certain kinds of scientific tests could not be conducted with any hope of obtaining reliable results even were the necessary facilities available here for conducting such investigations. The possible lack of the presence of organic material (such as wood, bone, charcoal) on these objects has been pointed out by certain archaeologists and associated scientists as reasons for the inability to precisely fix the dates of such objects . However it may be possible to get better results in the future if experiments could be conducted with international collaboration. However the State and Central governments and departments of archaeology must have a positive approach to these studies.

One of the methods used today is based on typology. Using this method Kerala archaeological departments and archaeologists and historians associated with the study of Kerala artefacts have come to the conclusion that the Pehlevi crosses are most probably of a period between 3rd and 7th centuries, although some of these crosses are replicas of the earlier crosses and hence might belong to the 9th or 10th centuries. While a member of the Archaeology Advisory Board of the Government of Kerala (1975 – 1982) this writer had many opportunities to discuss these matters with archaeologists from India, and also with archaeologists in Britain, Egypt, Rome, and elsewhere during wanderings abroad, and their views have helped to formulate these tentative conclusions, although final conclusions could be arrived at only after more systematic consultations.

The history of the royal Sassanid language provides another clue. The Sassanid,the dynasty that ruled Persia from 226 to 641 CE. had Pehlevi (Pahlavi in Parthian) for their official language. Since the language itself ceased to exist soon after the decline and fall of the Sassanid dynasty around mid 7th century original objects with the script could not be later than say 4th or 5th century CE. Hence the Pehlevi crosses could not be later than the 7th century at the latest.

There are listed in the Diocesan Directories and elsewhere the accepted dates for the establishment of the various churches in Kerala. Choosing only the pre-Diamper (i.e. 16th C. and earlier) churches mentioned in the Malayalam records of the Synod and Gouvea’s Jornada , the churches founded in different centuries could be chronologically classified . Also each Malabar church acknowledges a mother church; by going from mother church to mother church until arriving at the first seven churches the chronological position of a church could be decided vis-à-vis other churches . This will help decide the approximate date of the church.

The copper plate grants, the rock inscriptions, the wooden beam inscriptions, the Granthavaris, the statements of missionaries and travellers, folklore, the Song of Thomas Ramban , Margam Kali Pattukal , Pallippattukal , Kurishinte Pattukal etc. also have clues to the establishment of churches, and directly or indirectly to the establishment of the Rock Crosses &c. All these aids must be intelligently utilized to decide the dates of the rock objects in churches.

The tools are there, the persons are there, only our firm will is required to compile an authentic history of our land and our Church. Let us wish ourselves Good Luck!

==============================
Dates of Churches: from those dates, Contents page of Pallikkalakalum Mattum, KHA paper repro. In PalliKK…, Shadabdhi Smaranika..

Kurishu and kurishumuthappan,
Typology…
Pehlavi Crosses….
Diamper and Baptismal fonts…
72 privileges…
In every metal, wood, clothe, ….
Kurishupalli, kurishadi, kurishu Varakkuka, Edges of bed, INRI at bed time prayer,
Axis Mundi, Centre of the world, Hierophany, Sacred space, Near sacred space, Eliade, Coomaraswamy, Eluvathingal,…
Jyothi Sahi..
Theology of the cross..
Mahabali..
Panka-Jam..
Veneration of the cross everywhere…
======================================

A recent instance is the discovery of a large selection of artefacts such as a Chera coin with elephant, ankusha, bow & arrow of the 1st. century CE, a portion of an amphora, shards of pottery, bricks used in construction, ringwells, beads, rouletted ware, b&w ware… all from the early historical layer during excavations conducted by Dr. Shajan and Dr. Selvakumar at Pattanam near Parur on the south bank of the present Periyar river, a few miles to the south of Kodungallur. Roberta Tomber of the University of Southamton, Dr. M.G.S Narayanan, Dr. P.J.Cherian and many others believe that this was the site of the ancient Muziris of the first century Greek and Roman writers. Cf. their papers presented at the seminar conducted by the Kerala Historical Research Society, Sahitya Academy, Trichur. Also see the Administration Reports of the Royal Cochin Archaeologists, Rama Pishariti and Anujan Achan for pre-independence years, reprinted in George Menachery, ed. The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Trichur, 1973, left col.,p.53 to right col., p.159. Cf. “Numismatics at the Service of Historical Research,” papers presented by G. Menachery at the Madras and Karur congresses of the Numismatic Society of Tamilnadu and at the Thrissur, Kanyakumari, and Veliyanad conferences of the Numismatic Society of South India. Some of these papers may be read in the issues of the HARP, Kottayam (Ed. Dr. Jacob Thekkepparambil); The St. Thomas Christians Journal,Rajkot (Ed. Bp. Gregory Karotemprel); and the many issues of the electronic journal ‘Light of Life,’ 2003 – 2004, New York, N.Y. One such work is the ‘Anthropology of the Syrian Christians’, L. K. Anantha Krishna Ayyar, 1926, Ernakulam portions from which have been reprinted in ICHC I, pp. 485 et. sq. The excellent translations of the Tharisappalli Christian plates of 849 CE and the Jewish plates in Cultural Symbiosis, M. G. S. Narayanan, Kerala Society Papers, 1972 are essential tools for all students of Early medieval Kerala history and culture. See “Roads to India,” article by Maggie G. Menachery in the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, II,Trichur, 1973, Ed. G. Menachery. This topic is elaborately treated in Chapter I of Kodungallur:.. G. Menachery and W. Chakkalakkal, 1987,(reprint 2000), Azhikode. A. C. Perumalil SJ, The Apostles in India, Fact or Fiction?, 1952, Patna elaborately deals with the first century Roman and Greek contacts with India and Kerala. K. S. Matthew and collaborators have much on early and middle second millennium ocean trade. The tectonic plate below the area from Palayoor to Parur is supposed to be the largest one in Kerala and as such earthquakes &c. were quite rare in this area, helping the development of a continuous civilization here, giving birth to the growth of Muziris and other famous international trade centres down the centuries. Cf. Menachery, notes to Chapter I of Kodungallur: above. The Malayalee ought to study the Sangham literature with some enthusiasm as it is the common heritage of all South Indians. The reluctance of certain historians and authors, especially of the secular historians and scholars of Kerala , to refer to the Sangham literature is somewhat beyond one’s comprehension. The neglect especially of the beautiful lines of the Aka-nanooru, the Pura-Nanooru and the Pathittuppathu has no justification except the prejudices of such persons. How come the avoidance of passages from the Sangham literature in the text books of Kerala? The mysterious loss of the first and tenth Pathu of the Pathittuppathu must be more vigorously investigated. Each of the place names in the Palayur area f.i., such as Chowghat (Shapakkadu), Orumanayoor, Puthumanassery, Arthat, Chemmanur carry some historical significance and as such ought to be scrutinized by the student of Kerala history. Cf. G. Menachery, Aashamsa, in Chemmannur Kudumba Charithram by Major Cherunny, Guruvayur, 1999. The many efforts to throw light on Kerala historical problems from an investigation of local history and folklore must be enthusiastically encouraged. See “Introduction,” G. Menachery, in George Emmatty, “Kuttikalkku Kerala Charithram,” 2003, H & C Publishing House, Thrissur.

For more thoughts on these aspects of Syrian Christian historical and cultural studies the curious may refer among other sources the many end-notes by this writer in Chapters I and II of George Menachery & W. Chakkalakkal, Kodungallur: City of St. Thomas, 1987 (reprinted as Kodungallur: Cradle of Christianity in India, 2000), Mar Thoma Pontifical Shrine, Azhikode. Certain efforts have been made to utilise the expertise of secular scholars and institutions in these fields by conducting seminars, workshops, courses of lectures &c. on related areas by the Institute for Lay Leadership Training, (Estd. 1967) Thrissur; LRC, Kakkanad; Pontifical Seminary, Mangalapuzha, etc. For more references also see “Introduction” by the present writer in ‘Angamaly Rekhakal’(Malayalam, = Angamaly Documents) by Varghese Angamaly and Jomon Thachil, Merit Books, Cochin, 2002; “Introduction” by G. Menachery, in Dalitbandhu N. K. Jose, “Adisthana Keralam,” Vaikom, 2001; introductory article “Kerala Patanathinu Oru Kaivilakku” by G. Menachery in The ‘Naalagamam of Palakkunnel Valiachan,’ Alleppy, 2001 &c. The museums set up / being set up at Mt. St. Thomas, Kakkanatt; Bishop’s House garden, Cochin; Jeevass, Alwaye; Palai; Ernakulam as well as the exhibits from the Christian Cultural Museum of Trichur (1980) now being displayed at the Palayur Museum could shed considerable light on these aspects of the question. The lists of exhibits at the Christian Cultural Pavilion, Kanakakkunnu, Trivandrum (First World Malayalam Conference), 1977; Christian Cultural Exhibition, Trichur Pooram Exhibition, 1978; Christian Cultural Exhibition, Malankara Golden Jubilee Celebrations, SEERI, Kottayam, 1980 also may be helpful here (Pallikkalakalum Mattum, G. Menachery, Eiffel books, Trichur, 1984). Including historical and even quasi-historical studies, works, “souvenirs” &c. on families (e.g. Kudumba Charithram), churches (e. g. Palli Mahathmyam), parishes, places (e. g. Sthala Puranam), persons (autobiographies, biographies), institutional and organizational commemoration volumes.

The popularity of the many Christian historical and cultural museums and exhibitions is an indication of this.The huge crowds of lakhs and lakhs of people who enthusiastically assembled and exuberantly cheered the 1983 Cultural Rally and the 2004 CBCI Conference Historico-Cultural Programme at Thrissur were quite heartening. As these ideas have more than once been expressed from this very platform it is not perhaps necessary to go into that again. And the good news is that already substantial steps have been taken in this direction at least in a few quarters. Cf. f. i. the LIRC publications Ed. Dr. Bosco Puthur containing the proceedings of the Pre-Diamper Seminar and the Seminar on Brahmins, Jews, and the Sangham.

Published from Trichur,Ed. G. Menachery. Published from Ollur, Ed. G. Menachery.

The Diocesan Centenary Celebrations Volume of Trichur “Shadabdhi Smaranika” (1987-91) has some two hundred related pictures. The Kanjirappilly Diocese has published an interesting volume of text and pictures. The Kottayam Diocese has a number of publications in the field to its credit. The Ollur Forane Church St. Anthony Octingenary Celebrations Souvenir (1996) has dozens of pictures. Of late many other dioceses and parishes have published useful works with quality visuals. Naturally, concerning recent works, one could speak of only those works which have come to one’s attention.

“Christianity Older than Hinduism in Kerala,“ paper by G. Menachery, World Syriac Conference, SEERI, 2002, published in the HARP and afterwards in the St. Thomas Christians Journal and recently in the Light of Life.

James Fergusson, History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, London, 1876, passim. 135 ft., brought from Heliopolis in 37 A.D. Sixtus V ordered its placement before the basilica, employing it is said 900 men, 150 horses, and 47 cranes for the operation.
Oldest obelisk in Rome ( from Thebes, 15th C. BCE) brought by Constantius II,357.Set up here by Sixtus V in 1587. 48 ft.
Incorporated into the monument for the 500 Italian soldiers fallen at Dogali.Shifted to this spot by Pius VI in 1786 only. 47.5 ft.
The hieroglyphics were incised after bringing to Rome.

78.5 ft. Augustus brought it to Rome from Heliopolis and was dedicated to the sun. Most obelisks have various sun connections.
72.5ft. high. Brought to Rome by Augustus to celebrate his victory over Cleopatra.
The hieroglyphic on this small obelisk relates to the last
of the independent Pharaohs, ally of Zedekiah the last king of Judah in the Bible.
G. Menachery,1975 & 1978 in the course of
interviews at Rome broadcast by Radio Vatican.
Cf. Article “Kerala Church Architecture” by Andrews Athapilly in the STCEI II, 1973; and “Thomas Christian Architecture” by E. J. James Menachery in the same.
With their typical three tiered gabled roofing, which is the harmonious blending of the Kazhukkol, Vala, Sheelanthi, Thulam, Monthayam,and Pattika, reflecting the great skill of the Kerala Moothasari or carpenter.
Vide notes 17 to 26 supra.
The Pallava rock carvings of Mahabalipuram are either posterior to or contemporary with the Pehlevi crosses. In any case in Kerala no rock carvings have been noticed before these Pehlevi crosses.
K. V. Soundara Rajan, Art of South India: Tamil
Nadu and Kerala, Delhi, 1978.
Aja – Eka Paada: – Thonda Mandalam, 8th C.; Chola
Mandalam, 11th C.; Paandi Mandalam, 13 th C.; Kongu –
Chera Nadu, -.
Ananthashaayi:- Thonda Mandalam, 6th C.; Chola
Mandalam, 5th C.; Paandi Mandalam, 8 th C.; Kongu –
Chera Nadu, 8th C.
Ardhanaari:- Thonda Mandalam, 7th C.; Chola Mandalam,
9th C.; Paandi Mandalam, 13 th C.; Kongu – Chera Nadu,
9th- 10th C.
DakshinaaMoorthy:- 7; 9; 9; c.8.
Ganesha:- 8; 8; 7; c.8.
Harihara:- 8; -; 8; 11.
Jvarahareshwara:- 10; -; 9; 13.
Jeshta:- 8; 9; 8; 11.
Lingotbhava:- 8; 8; 8; after 11.
Sapthamatha:- 8; 9; 8; 14.
Thrimoorthi:- 8; -; 8; 8.
This socket and cylinder arrangement of the rock crosses can be easily studied if one examines the recently discovered pieces of the rock cross at the Changanassery Cathedral Cemetery or the pieces in the Eastern church compound at Angamaly. In spite of requesting the church and convent at least a dozen times from 1971 to 2004 the pieces of the rock cross at Angamaly are still in a discarded condition there, approachable only in the hot summer when the grass withers away or when the snakes take a holiday.
In 1980 while establishing the Christian Cultural
Museum, Lourdes Cathedral, Trichur the present writer
came across all four pieces of a granite open
air cross underground in the sandy compound surrounding the
Enammavu Church (c. 500 CE). This was taken to the Cathedral on the eve of the inauguration of the Museum. Other office bearers of the Museum Committee, including its
chairman who was the V.G. of Trichur then, waited with many bags of cement and two masons and helpers to put up the
cross in front of the Museum. But when the four pieces
were unloaded from the truck and put in place
utilizing the sockets and cylinders carved out on the
pieces the cross stood by itself sans aid of mortar or mason! Such experiences enabled the writer, when he was shown three pieces of the fallen cross collected at the Changanassery Cathedral Cemetery a few years ago by the Cathedral Vicar, to request him to look for a fourth piece, which was eventually discovered as a result of the old vicar’s search. The discovery by this writer of pieces of a cross submerged in mud at Kalpparambu (1978?) led to its re-erection, once again providing the writer a chance to study the techniques employed in carving such crosses.
These are the aspects which should have been discussed in detail in connection with the significance of the rock objects had we not already hugely exceeded the allotted time and space. The discovery of the St. Thomas Mount ‘bleeding cross’ while digging the premises is well known. The Alangad cross (see picture and description in ICHC I, Ollur, Jan. 1998, p. 576 reproduced from the Light from the East, Chicago Bi-Monthly, 1953 with the caption: ‘Persian Cross on tomb of Mar Jacob, Alangatt, India’.) remained for very long in the cemetery. The size and inscriptions on the other such crosses also show that they were tombstones before they were removed to the altar / wall. The ‘Tree of Life’ theory and the ‘Great Rivers’ theory can hardly hold water archaeologically and sculpturally in the case of the vast majority of rock crosses where the lotus or the Pookkallu of the Kerala sculptor is only too well depicted, and finds comparison with the lotus on the Balikkallus of temples. But in theological and theoretical interpretations such ideas can perhaps help. Cf. unpublished doctoral thesis “Thomas Christian Architecture,” by Dr. E. J. James, Calcutta University, 1980. Also his article on the same topic in the STCEI,II, 1973 and the unpublished doctoral thesis on Nazraney culture submitted by Ms. Joicy James Menachery, Mysore University, 2004. In Pathittuppathu, Second Pathu, Pattu One, the tree of protection of the enemy Poonkkadambu is cut off at the king’s command. In his introduction to Pathittuppathu G. Vaidyanatha Iyer speaks of this custom, p.xvi (Kerala Sahitya Academy, 1961).Similarly in his introduction to Puranaanooru P. R. Parameswaran Pillai also speaks in detail of this custom, p.xxxii (Kerala Sahitya Academy, 1969). The tree of protection or the tree of victory was generally Venga, Punna, Veppu, etc. Also cf. James Fergusson, Tree Worship.

The idea of axis mundi as understood by various peoples is elaborated by Mircea Eliade in his Encyclopaedia of Religions and elsewhere in his Cosmos and History: The Myth of the Eternal Return (trans. from the French , Harper Torchbooks, New York, 1959 &c.) and in his Sacred and the Profane : The Nature of Religion, (trans. from the French , Harper Torchbooks, New York, 1959 &c.)and his many other books and articles such as Pattern in Comparative
Religion (trans. Rosemary Sheed, Sheed and Ward, London and New York). Mircea Eliade’s thoughts were unknown to me, and
his works could not be found in the libraries of even some major seminaries. However after being introduced to the wealth of his thoughts by Fr. Elavathingal I have become an addict of his works. I find Jyothi Sahi and others greatly influenced by these thoughts ( e.g. Holy Ground, Jyothi Sahi, Pace, 1998). Another writer who should be the constant companion of the student of Indian and Indian Christian art is Ananda Coomaraswamy (e.g. Art and Swadeshi, Ganesh and Co., Madras). There are a number of old editions of books by Coomaraswamy in the Public Library, Trichur and elsewhere in many of the major seminaries.
Finally the attention of the listener is drawn to Anthony Kalliath, “Paths of Contextualising Indian Spirituality”
in Christian Contribution to Nation Building: A Third Millennium Enquiry, Ed. S. Ponnumuthen, CBCI-KCBC, Alwaye, 2004, esp. pp. 193-194 and related notes.
Vide note 40 above.
See note 40 above. Space does not permit us to go into the details of these observations. May be another time.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 ± 40 years—i.e., half the amount of the radioisotope present at any given time will undergo spontaneous disintegration during the succeeding 5,730 years. Basically this means that half of the original amount of C14 in organic matter will have disintegrated 5730 years after the organism’s death; half of the remaining C14 will have disintegrated after another 5730 years and so forth. After about 50,000 years, the amount of C14 remaining will be so small that the fossil can’t be dated reliably. Under optimum conditions it has proved to be a versatile technique of dating fossils and archaeological specimens from 500 to 50,000 years old.
In f.i. Scaria Zacharia, Udayamperur Soonnahadosinte Kanonakal, Edamattam, 1998; Samuel Chandanappally,
Christian Culture (Mal.), Kottayam, 1979.
Gouvea, Jornada, Coimbra, 1606; in English Geddes, London, 1694 (fully reproduced in ICHC I, 1978). Recently LIRC has published a new translation of the Jornada by Pius Malekandathil.
Cf. the paper on “Sculptures of Kerala”, G. Menachery,
Kerala History Association, Ernakulam, 1983 where churches founded in each century from the Ernakulam area are listed: Akapparambu (16th Century), Kudavechoor (15th C.), Koratty (14), Chendamangalam (13), Chowara (12), Kanjoor (11), Vadayar (10), South Paravur (9), Moozhikkalam (7), Udayanperur (6th C.), Angamaly (5th Century), and Ambazhakkad in the 4th Century.

Another approach is seen in G. Menachery, Kodungallur… 1987 (p. 41 ff. of 2000 reprint): Take one particular instance: The church at Ollur near Trichur used to be one of the wealthiest in the whole of Kerala. This church was founded only in 1718, one of the first important churches established after 1599. Before 1718 the people of Ollur used to go to Pazhuvil church for Mass, which Church was founded in 960. Before that, tradition Goes they used to go to Enammavu church founded in 500. The nearby Vadakkan Pudukkad church was founded in 400, separating from the Palayur church of 52 AD. What is important is that the people of all these places unanimously subscribed to the truth of the Chronology, although time has brought about great changes in the status of each place, and yet the traditions concerning the origin of each church is recognised by all the churches unanimously… “Thus these traditions have no less value than documents written on paper or stone.” The Shadabdi Smaranika of Trichur Diocese has a similar approach in one of the articles by G. Menachery, 1987, where the 19th section closes with the remark: That the followers of various faiths and castes of a land unanimously accept certain historical realities increase the credibility of such tradition based beliefs.

A 1926 English translation of the Song, by T.K. Joseph, has been published in 1931 by Fr. Hosten s.j., reproduced in the Nazranies, p.520 ff. Fr. Bernard T. O. C. D. gives the Malayalam version, Pala, 1916.
Excellent English translations of many of the songs are given by Anantha Krishna Ayyar in his famous Anthropology of the Syrian Christians, Ernakulam, 1926. This portion is reproduced in the ICHC I, pp. 485–508. For the Malayalam see P. U. Lucas, Kottayam, 1910, reprinted in Purathanappattukal by Jacob Vellian and Cummar Choondal, Kottayam, 1980.
Ibid.

I always feel to laugh after seeing Kerala Christians, especially Syrian Christians, trying to make fake history about their parishes. Many times, they ignore the real history and try to make a fake one. Actually there is not enough written Syrian Christian history before 16th centaury (before the Portuguese came to Kerala). Very few churches still have few documentation on the walls/stones in old Tamil or Sanskrit languages. By the way Malayalam is not an old language. In ancient Kerala, Tamil and Sanskrit were the languages spoken. If there is some old documentation, then it should be in old Tamil or Sanskrit. I agree some churches like, Champakulam (Kalloorkadu), Kuravilangadu, Palayoor, Aruvithura, etc got some old documentation on the walls/stones in those languages. We had written Kerala Christian history, which was destroyed by the European political/missionary personals, who invaded Kerala churches in the 16th centaury.

Well, what I am trying to say is, none of the churches in Kerala has any documents explaining how the church was administered in Kerala before the Portuguese came; what was the social life system of Kerela Christians, from where the finance came for the churches to run, etc.

First of all, how many parishes were there in Kerala before Portuguese came? We believe that there were 7 and a half churches founded by St.Thomas, then came the 2nd generation churches like, Kuravilangadu, Champakulam (Kalloorkadu), Angamaly, Edappalli, Aruvithura, Mylakombu, Kaduthuruthy, Udayamperur etc. 2nd generation churches were founded between 4th and 6th centuries. Then came the 3rd generation churches like, Chalakkudy, Manarkadu, Koratty, Changanacherry, Athirampuzha, Kayamkulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha etc. The 3rd generation churches were founded between 7th and 12th centuries. After that, western missionaries came to Kerala and there were many churches built. Basically, they took control of the Kerala Christians and churches, destroyed traditional Indian style churches and rituals, destroyed Kerala Christian history, and implemented western style churches and rituals.

Let us think about the past centauries before the Europian invasion of the churches. Who was ruling the Kerala Christians and Churches, which was spread across many small kingdoms? Some people many say that the representatives from the Patriarch of Antioch. In order to send and get a message from Antioch, which is in western Syria, it probably took a whole year. Someone needs to take a wooden boat, which is controlled by the wind, probably from Muziris (ancient Kodungallore port), or from Berekke (ancient port at Purakkadu, south of Alleppey) or may be from old Kollam, to somewhere in Mesopotamia (ancient Iraque), then from there on horse or camel to western Syria. It probably took the see journey part itself six – seven months, then the horse/camel journey through land another six months. Who knows how often there were boats between ancient ports in Kerala coast and Mesopotamia? So it was impossible for the Patriarch of Antioch to fully control Kerala Christians. What I am saying is, probably the ancient Kerala Christians were controlled by selected personals from Kerala Christians itself. I am assuming there were major priests in the seven churches, and other ancient churches like Champakulam (Kalloorkadu), Kuravilangadu, etc. It is believed that Kodungallore, Palayoor, Angamaly, and Kuravilangadu were the Administrative centers of ancient Kerala Christians.

Now, how did the churches run in Kerala before Europeans came? From where did the finance come? Almost all the ancient Kerala churches were built probably by the help of the landlords (Hindu kings). For example, Champakulam (Kalloorkadu) was built many times by the help of Chera (Kollam) and Chembakassery (Ambalappuzha) kings. So these landlords gave lot of land to some churches, especially Champakulam (Kalloorkadu). It is believed that Champakulam church had thousands of acres of land (mostly paddy fields in Kuttanadu) between 10th and 15th centauries. So, probably the finance to run the Kerala churches came mostly from Champakulam church (In old days, Champakulam was called Kallorkadu and Sampathkulam, which is land of money). This church gave twenty thousand Travancore Ana (old currency in Travancore kingdom) to Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara and with that money Blessed Chavara bought the Mannanam hill and founded the Monastery. Also, I just wanted to remind everybody that before the Europeans came to Kerala, the main sources of income for the ancient Kerala kings were from rice and coconut cultivation, and exporting spices. British brought rubber trees to Kerala in 19th century from Amazon rain forests in South America. Tapioca was brought to Travancore by the Portuguese during the time of Sri Moolam Thirunal Maharaja. Kuttanadu was the most paddy cultivated area in Kerala may be until early 20th century. Ancient Kerala Christian families were not wealthy until the Europeans came, except for some families here and there, mostly in Kuttanadu area, who were friendly with the Hindu landlords and the Brahmin communities (Hindu landlords and the Brahmin communities controlled the land, trade and the ancient ports). Those Christians mostly owned land and helped the kings with the ports.

So, in conclusion, many of the written history books about ancient Kerala Christians are not true and they were written recently. Also, most of the churches and Christians in Kerala became wealthy after the European rule/influence started in Kerala. Many churches/communities that say about their old history are mostly not true. By the way, the ancient history (real or fake), or the wealth won’t guaranty heaven.

John,

I just mentioned some facts based on our strong belief. There are no evidences to prove our past history. This site has many false information documented. Years mentioned for foundation of churches are not correct based on our belief. For example, this site shows Kuravilangadu church was founded in 105 AD, but the parishioners say 337 AD. Also, this site shows that Pallippuram as the 2nd church founded after the churches founded by St. Thomas, that too in 290 AD. What I heard and read in newspapers, Pallipuram is only thousand years old. Another wrong information is regarding Kalloorkadu church at Champakulam. Parishioners say that the church was founded in 427 AD, some even say that 427 AD is the year the church named after Mother Mary (before that the church was named after Holy Little Children) and the church was founded the same time or before Kuravilangadu was founded. Anyway, I just wanted to point out few of the wrong info mentioned on this site. Again, it’s all based on our belief and there are no evidences to prove.

Well, about 20 years back I visited Kalloorkadu church and talked to then vicar. He explained to me the vast land the church had in old times. He said there are old Travancore documents in Trivandrum and the documents in Ambalapuzha Temple that says about it.

Well, regarding the Patriarch, my non catholic friends say the Patriarch of Antioch. You are saying Patriarch Catholicos of Babylon. Who is correct, who is wrong, and where is the evidence?

Ref: Fake history by Syrian Christians (cont. of post: 21166)

1) West syriac/East Syriac: It is an old argument propagated by respective parties without looking into its merits to prove respective sides. East syriacs say that they have documentation but they are not keen to understand that these documents are not older than 13th century (Most of them date after 1700 A D). On the bases of this they argue that Malankaranazranies had relations only with Nestorians. How far it is true?

The other group say Malankaranazranis had relations with Antioch from the beginning since the church of the east were under the jurisdiction of Antioch .They also suggest that they have an East Syriac branch which was in charge of Malankaranazranies. It is true that some of the prelates came from this branch. They also put forward the Buchanan bible the best proof of their West Syriac connection. But the former group argues that it is brought by some of the prelates during later years without much proof.

So what I am saying is that both parties need to search for more evidences to prove their arguments. Is there any other method to understand this situation? Let us consider the documents before 13th century. But unfortunately we have no clear documentation except some references of visits /representations. It is not worthy enough to make a conclusion on the basis of this information.

It is appropriate to look into the linguistic shift taken from old Syriac to west/east Syriac. This may some time indicate what happened. We all know that old Syriac used Estrangelo script before the linguistic shift into west/east Syriac after 8th century. West Syriacs developed ‘Serto’ while east Syriacsdeveloped ‘Madnhayo ‘script. Though there is not much difference between them the respective parties developed identities based on this. But interestingly the Nestorianism spilt the eastern church in to two groups one accepting Nestorianism and other rejecting it. The group rejected Nestorian belief continued its earlier belief and relation with Antioch .This put propagators of East Syriac in a difficult position. There is no logic in the argument that no Madnhayo Syriac orthodox ever visited Malankara.

When we search documents based on Syriac script we find Esrangelo inscription on the Persian cross which indicate an early connection from old syriacs. That means the syriacs before the linguistic shift visited Malankara. Then how can one argue that there is no visit from Antioch .That is why I suggest visits by all group of syriacs including Manicheans(because Manicheans also used old syriac) .There is no clear demarcation existed during this time.

But note that these are visits not hierarchical connections as propagated by these groups. These groups are making fake claims and turning Malankaranazrani history a laughable one.

2)There is another interesting thing I wanted to suggest to these groups is all about our Alexandrian connection. After the Coonen kurisu sathyam Malankaranazranies send letters to Patriarchate of Alexandria, Antioch and Yerusalem .What made them to do so? How did they come to know about these patriarchs? More interestingly Malankara Nazranies followed apostolic/Alexandrian tradition of consecrating bishops by 12 Kahnoosas. Those Romo Syrians who opposes these practices of Malankaranazranies skillfully avoid discussing what is written in The Bible. Another practice of Malankaranazranies is also worth mentioning that before 1789 they used to celebrate Qurbana without wearing Kappas. The decision on wearing the kappas was arrived on the meeting at Puthenkavu on1789 (Niranam Grandhavari).kindly note that the practice of celebration of qurbana without wearing kappas was from Coptic Church. (Varthamana Pusthakam –paremakkil thomman kathanar-a prominent romo-syrian).

In response to Jeevan:

1. He wrote: “When we search documents based on Syriac script we find Esrangelo inscription on the Persian cross which indicate an early connection from old syriacs.”

There is nothing conclusive to be ascertained from the Estrangelo inscription on *ONE* Persian cross. Why? The Estrangelo could have been written at any time in history by anyone. Note: the Estangelo appears on no other cross other than ONE single cross. Perhaps that’s an indication of it’s novelty.

2. I used to like to believe the “Madhenhoyo Orhodox” connection that Jeeven tries to establish. You can read my (embarrasing) posts to that effect right here on NSC. All I can say is that none of the Madhenhoyo Orthodox mention Malabar. Not even Bar Hebraeus, the great scholar. India is conspicuously absent from any Syriac Orthodox literature prior to the 17th century. Paulose Mar Gregorios dig some research in to this, and couldn’t find anything either.

3. The Buchanan Bible is a 12th century Bible, according to scholars. I won’t even debate the issue of whether it was written in India or the Middle East, since that would be a fool’s debate. There’s no proof either way. The only thing I’ll stress is: *12th* century. All you can establish with the Buchanan Bible is that there may have been Madenhoyo Syriacs in Kerala at the 12th century. Is there any other proof to this effect? Nope.

4. Jeevan says there is only a 13th century MSS from India to demonstrate the East Syriac connection. Sure, perhaps. But there is also the letters from the East Syriac Church that indicates that they knew about Malabar far before the 13th century. The recent discussions on NSC pertaining to the Prelates from the East Syriac Church who visited India demonstrate this.

5. The Pahlavi Cross is the oldest Christian monument in Kerala. And it’s written in Pahlavi. How much Jacobite literature exists in Pahlavi?

6. Let’s exclude the Buchanan Bible for a second, since it’s inconclusive as to where it was written and when it was brought to Kerala. Now, what’s the picture? Nothing other than East Syriac right up to the 17th century.

7. If there was an Alexandrian connection, why is Syriac the language being used? So is Jeevan suggesting:
a) the Indians used to use Estrangelo and Pahlavi
b) AND they used the coptic style of celebrating the liturgy and ordaining people
c) AND they had some sort of Indianized liturgy

If you can prove this Jeevan, you’ll expose perhaps one of the greatest examples of cross-cultural fertilization ever seen in Christianity.

Mr. Iype,

If you have some information to present that corrects my stands taken here in this thread, then I — and likely many here — would be interested in seeing it. I hope you have something objective to present.

I am a “Jacobite” (i.e., a Syriac Orthodox, or a “Patriarkis” to use that silly nomenclature), and love the West Syriac rite and it’s fathers (perhaps not, however, some of its prelates which is another story…) — but I don’t put much stock in the ridiculous distortion of history that the recent Indian Jacobite “historians” like to engage in, trying to prove the Malabar connection to the West Syriacs from times pre-Mor Gregorios Abdul Jaleel. In this respect, I regard the Malankara Orthodox as superior — they have no problem acknowledging the debt the Malabar Church owes to the East Syriac Church. They don’t dismiss the efforts of our early fathers (genetic and spiritual) from the Persian Empire and the later Chaldean Catholic ones.

Some of my compatriots in the Jacobite Church seem to like to dismiss the overwhelming East Syriac presence in Malabar (as judged by what evidence exists) as mere “recent Nestorian influence” — a stand that I find highly offensive and insulting. The proof these sham historians provide is non-existent, as far as I can see based on the “objectively” obtained evidence I’ve seen. (What I mean here, is evidence gathered by scholarly sources, and not partisan fanatics, whether Puthenkoor, or Pazhayakoor, Indian Orthodox or Syriac Orthodox.)

The Alexandrian hypothesis is similarly flawed. What is this based on? Pantaneus? It can’t be Cosmas because Cosmas was a Nestorian. And it shouldn’t be the foolish stories of Indians visiting the Coptic Church, because those reports likely referred to Ethiopians or Arabs, and not proper Indians. Is it this notion of whether a cap was used by Malabar priests that Jeeven makes a fuss about? Jornada seems to indicate that the Malabar priests did use a cap back when the Ports were observing us. Then what? The style of ordination? Do we even have evidence of how prelates were ordained in the past by the Malabar Church?

Regarding this story about Mar Thoma I’s appeal to the centers of Antioch, Alexandria and Babylon, I think that’s a bit of fiction. Show me the appeal, or show me the oldest sources that describes this incredible event whereby two Miaphysite Patriarchs were consulted by our Nestorian and/or Chalcedonianized quasi-Nestorian fathers of the 16th century. I don’t buy it, mainly because I haven’t seen the source. But also because of how utterly ridiculous the scenario is.

The modern Indian Christians seem to be very good at taking an iota of BS and amplifying it and repeating it, until its veracity is taken for granted by the masses. Witness how the “Knanaya” fiction is now taken as fact by all of our Church historians. Utterly nauseating — no wonder why our history is so screwed up.

But — if there’s something I’m missing, please fill me in. I’m open to anything if it has some basis — and where that basis is not some faulty Indian Church pseudo-historian.

Ref: Fake history by Syrian Christians.

1) Alexandrian connections: I have already discussed about Alexandrian connections in this site earlier. Now I don’t want to repeat. But I shall give briefly the points which forced me to arrive this conclusion.

I) Malankara (Muziris)-Alexandrian trade: There are lot of reference indicating that there existed a trade route touching Muziris and Alexandria. (Periplus of erithryan sea, George wood cock, Pliny etc.)

II) The pantaneous story. (of course I am not forgetting story of Bartholomeo) the excellent example of Alexandrian connection. Your logic about the geographical region is also applicable to your early east Syriac documents/visits.

III) Cosmos Indicopletus: From Alexandria, there is no proof that he was a Nestorian. Some authors guessing about his allegiences, but nothing concrete have been un earthed.

IV) The letters send by Malankara Nazranies: Most of the historians write about this. James Hough clearly state that Coptic patriarch was the first one to react. Of course John need source. (Is this applicable to him also?).But I am more concerned with what happened later. There was an Ahathalla (Arabic name for Greek Thevodoros), later an Abdul Jaleel. How come these people just appeared among Malankaranazranies? It is like some Indian mythological stories or some cross starts bleeding. If these Patriarchs are not received any letters or they hadn’t had any contacts why would they come to Malankara Nazranies. How many similar cases one could find in history?

Now from malankara nazrani side, if they didn’t know about any other patriarchs other than John’s one this unprivileged Hindusthanies would have been Romo Syrians or Assyrians. Which did not happened because they knew pretty well about Christendom.

V) Most of the East Syriac documents describe the relation through Kodungaloor (or other) not Muchiry which indicate a later day visits.

VI) Consecration by 12 kahnoosas: this is a practice followed by apostolic churches in their early period. Many writers like Fr.Dr.V.C.Shamuvel (the famous professor and church historian) Charles Gore etc clearly write about this.

‘’’’’Mark, the evangelist appointed with Hanania the Patriarch, twelve presbyters to be with the Patriarch. So that when he died they should choose one of the 12 presbyters (kahnoosas) and the other eleven should lay their hands upon his head and bless him, and make him patriarch. Afterwards they should elect another eminent man and make him presbyter with themselves in the place of him who had been made patriarch and they might be always twelve”””””” (Charles Gore: the Ministry of Christian church (Alexandria), 1887.

Now take the case of Malankara Nazranies after the historic Koonan kurishu sathyam, they conscecrated Marthoma I like any early apostolic church did. The relations/visits by Alexandrians in the early period of malankara nazrani history helped them in this consecration. The Roman propaganda forced Malankara Nazranies to ask for re-consecration otherwise it was unnecessary. They made a blunder at the behest of colonial power in turn they still suffer today.

VII) KAAPPA (The covering vestment kahnoosas use while celebrating Qurbana): I have clearly mentioned about this in my previous post .The Malankaranazrani Kahnoosas never used kaappa during the celebration of Qurbana until the decision was made in a meeting at Puthenkavu 1789(Niranam grandhavari).The crusader of Romo Syrian cause Paremakkil Thomman Kathanar clearly state that this practice was from Coptic church. (I don’t understand John’s‘’’’’CAP””” and Jornada, can he be little more specific)

There are many authors like Dr. Neal, Day, Rev.Fr.Kuriyakose oic., George Wood cock etc. talk about our Alexandrian connections.(I have discussed this in my earlier posts, John’s logic was simple that he don’t accept it because they are not worth believable persons or he can not trace the source. I think, for John the propagators of Palayoor pally stories are more believable than these credible men. John has pre determined agenda (COE) to prove like any Roman/Antiocian and that is why he is adamant on East syriacs when many practices, visitors indicate otherwise. (To be continued.)

Ref: Fake history By Syrian Christian.

Now John has got the same Fever like Thomas Antony .He is changing the statements to accommodate his views. But it is a futile exercise. He talks about Pantaneous & Cosmos and accept that their writings are not concrete. Then why did he add it in to his “Avanazhi”?

You talk of Big Boys. Who are they? Romans? I am not afraid my dear, I am a Malankara Nazrani.

Before asking clarifications answer me the points I have raised in my previous posts. I can promise you I won’t leave this discussion without answering all your objections.

Research? Shall I need to answer? Does John really know about research? (His logic …I have not seen the documents so it can not be existed!!!!!!)

Tail piece.

Tomorrow morning I am going to Delhi and I will not be able to answer/discuss these things at least for 25 days. I am giving John next 25 days to research and prove his points or disprove my objections.

Ref: Fake history by Syrian Christian

Now this fellow turning this discussion in to personal one .This has been his practice in this thread. When he can not answer he uses his dictionary to call the opponent all sorts of names. Thanks, I consider it is his culture.

Now quickly, go through the argument he put forward. He first reiterates that Cosmos was a Nestorian. When I suggested that it cannot be said so because there is no evidence, he changed his positions. Now he argues that cosmos clearly indicate that there was a bishop from Persia. Please read once again and find out what exactly he might have said. Then read my small article in ‘’talentsglobal.org’’(link is given in previous post)and find out what exactly Cosmos is indicating with your intellectual capacity.

John, please don’t jump in to conclusion until we discuss East Syriac history in detail. By that time please have patience to answer me about your…. CAP….thing and Jornada. Alexandrian practice of ordaining bishops is a well known thing in Christendom .Also please note that I never said in my posts(Anywhere since beginning)that I don’t need proofs, but I don’t accept manipulations. There are many methods to find out veracity of these proofs like the one in the case of PALAYUR PALLY stories

Ref: FAKE HISTORY BY SYRIAN CHRISTIANS (Let us discuss John Mathew’s so called East Syriac history)

East Syriac documents: before going into details one should have basic idea about old Syriac and the linguistic shift taken place after 8th century. The old Syriac used Estrangelo script i.e. before 8th century. The east syriacs developed ‘Madnhayo‘ while west syriacs developed ‘Serto’. But the Persian church split into two groups; one accepting Nestorianism and other rejecting it. The group rejected Nestorianism continued with their old belief and relation with Antioch .But interestingly they used east Syriac script (Madnhayo) while continuing with old traditions. It is also to be noted that there is no much difference except slight difference in script and some pronunciation.

It is appropriate to study the early history of Eastern Church to understand the so called east Syriac documents. The origin of Christianity in Persia still shrouded in legends. But the origin of Christianity in Edessa can be considered as apostolic one. We cannot attribute it to Seleucian church or any other part of Persia. It is certain that the originators of the Persian church were Addai and Mari. It is obvious that the church at Seleucia were independent as like any other church in Christendom .The relation with church of Antioch started from when they ordained Abrosius (185-201) as Kohnoosa. I am not sure about that whether we could call him a metropolitan or not because the church at Seleucia was in its early stage. Why the church Seleucia did took help from Antioch.

The church at Seleucia was at its infant stage when it started its relation with Antioch .This was during the end of 2nd century. There was an interesting development taking place during this period. Earlier Christendom had kahnoosas and shimshonos to perform duties. When the population increased the number of kahnoosas also was increased. This end up in creating a position called Reesh kohane (chief priest or bishop).Earlier the kahnoosas had the power to ordain a priest. This was the practice followed by early Christendom .The position of Reesh kohane was given to more than one person in major cities.i.e the earlier practice were not ordaining monarchial reesh kohane/bishop. This can be seen in writing of early church fathers. It is interesting to notice that St. Ignathios of Antioch was the early propagators in favor of Monarchial Bishops. During this period Rome had at least three bishops calling themselves Bishop of Rome. It was Antioch first developed practice of monarchial chair for a metropolitan city. The rest of the Christendom followed it. This was during the mid of 2nd century.

Now one can understand the request made by a junior church to a senior one. It is also being told us that Abrosius was at Antioch on a good will visit at the time of Mari’s death. The other thing which one should notice that the church at Seleucia were not a product of apostolic work which also explains the situation .If this is the case how can one suggest that the church of Seleucia was under Antioch. But Antiochians may ask why did the church of Seleucia approached Antioch not Edessa. to answer this one should go deeper in to evolution of episcopacy in early Christendom .As I stated earlier movement in favor of monarchial bishops were started from Antioch and it already established its prototype .It was early centre of Christian thought .These things gravitated Seleucia towards Antioch. This connection was misunderstood by historians and reported that the church of Seleucia was under Antioch in its early stage.

The next heads of the church at Seleucia were Abraham (201-213), Yacob (213-231) andAhod Abuei (231-246).Abraham was consecrated at Antioch .Death of Qom Yesu due to political reasons between Roman empire &Persian empire forced Antiochian fathers to send letter to Jerusalem fathers asking them to consecrate Ahod Abuei as Kahnoosa of Seleucia .But the understanding fathers of Jerusalem went a step further and gave him the authority to appoint other Kahnoosas. This was an act perfectly according to the practice of apostles. We get this information from our great scholar, philosopher BAR EBRAYO. But interestingly we get little different information from CHRONICLE OF ARBELA .It says that Ahod Abuei was the Bishop of Arbela during the reign of Shapur l and there was no bishop at Seleucia during this period. It took many years to get even a bishop for Seleucia according to this chronicle. That means church of Seleucia was a far junior church to church of Arbela or church of Edessa .Also please note that the CHRONICLE OF ARBELA is considered as a manipulation(not whole but part) by Alphonse Mingana in 1907. Acording to Fr.Dr. V.C. Shamuel there was no bishop at Seleucia till towards the end of 3rd century. But our Roman Catholic historian Fr.Dr.A.M Mundadan skillfully avoid discussing about the early period in his book “History of Christianity in India” .It is also noted that the division of Persian church according to Mundadan is the heresy or schism from roman church. He skillfully forgets the Madhonoyo Persians (How idiotic our church historians are!!!!)

Now consider the information we get from Nicaea Sunnahadose. There we get information about special status given to Antioch, Alexandria, Rome &Jerusalem but not a word about bishop of Seleucia though bishop Papa and bishop of Edessa also attended the Sunnahadose.

How ever the Seleucian church managed to conduct a synod in order to control the affairs of the eastern church with the help of Mar Marutha of Maipherqat the personal envoy of Roman emperor Arcadius to the enthronement of the Persian emperor Yazdegard .The council adopted the Nicene Creed and elevated the bishop of Seleucia the Grand Metropolitan and head of all bishops. But it was not an easy way .Though forty bishops attended the council many of them objected to elevation of a junior church/chair to the head of all bishops. This reflected in 421 Dad-ishu was in chair. He was imprisoned by Persian authorities instigated by rebel bishops who challenged his primacy .With the help of offices of the ambassadors of the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius ll he was liberated. He was persuaded to continue at the office by council of bishops held at Markabta in 428 AD. In this council the decision was taken to elevate the Persian church to an autonomous church. But if we read the history further we could see that many bishops from senior church of Arbela, Fars, Susa etc. objected to the supremacy of bishop of Seleucia. It is also important to note that the church of Persia divided in to two groups; one accepting Nestorianism while other continuing with orthodox beliefs. The church of Seleucia turned Nestorian at the time of Acacius(485-498).but interestingly Yezdad the metropolitan of Fars never accepted or followed the Nestorian way of theology of the grand metropolitan of Seleucia .Again you can see the struggle between Catholicos Ishuyab lll (650-660)and Mar Shimun ,Metropolitan of Fars. Ishu Yahb accuses in one of his letters” closing the doors of Episcopal ordination in the face of many peoples of India and impending the gift of God for the sake of perishable gains which feed bodily desire. As far as your province is concerned, since your revolt against ecclesiastical canons, the priestly succession has been broken for the people of India (which India?).”

Our Philosopher bishop Dr. Paulose Mar Gregorios traces this independent and insubordinate stance of the Metropolitan of Rewardisher (Fars) up to the time of Patriarch Timothy l (779-823) in the early nineth century. All these point to the fact that The Metropolitanate of Fars was not Nestorian till it was run over by the Muslims. Now the truth is that the chair of Seleucia was not in a position to exercise its power even in Persia, how can it exercise in Malankara? (To be continued)

Admin,

What is the problem? Don’t prevent anyone from answering or prevent others from reading it.This shows how week you are in the subject. I sincerely ask you to counter my points with logical arguments and evidences not a hide and seek game.Healthy discussion always bring out the truth.
Grow up please

jeevan

can u please clarify whether the st.thomas christians of kerala followed east or west syrian liturgy,beleif ,smthing like that?????
was all of them were following eastern (chaldean) rite?

Or at least no concrete evidence of any west syrian influence prior to 17th century. But there are many pointers (documentations and mentions) to the east syrian influence from 9th to 17th century…pretty long time I say!

Dear All,

There is an old church in Maramon ( Marthoma Church Maramon near Kozhencherri, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala , where Reformation action first started in Kerala.
Abraham Malpan on Sunday, August 27, 1837 conducted the Holy Communion service in Malayalam at his home parish at Maramon. Clergy, who supported him also did the same thing in various other parishes on the same day. Every year on the first week of October, there was a church festival at Maramon, connected with a saint who died in 1685 at Kothamangalam. During that time a wooden image of that saint (they called it ‘Muthappen’) was taken around in procession and people used to venerate that saint by offering prayers and ask for intercession. In 1837, Abraham Malpan took the image and threw it into a well saying, “Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19). So when the festival came there was no image to be taken out for procession.
This Church is believed to be established on 28 August, 1440 (Chinghom 12, 616 M.E.) . Five MarThoma Metrans ( MARTHOMA 13 th, 14 th, 15 th, 16 th & 20th ) were the members
(Palakunnathu Family ) of this Church. The rear side of the Church ( Mukhavaram is full of different
achitecture. Also Western side of this Church ( now it is in AMM up School Compound ), there is a
large and old Stone Cross and Kalvilakku which has old insription on it. Can any expert can inspect
all these things and provide some information regarding these historic monuments which till today
no body seriously studied,

3) CHRISTIAN TOPOGRAPHY:- Cosmas Indicopleustes narrated in his book Christian topography, book 3

“”””””The gospel has been preached throughout the world. This I state to be definite fact, from what I have seen and heard in the many places which I have visited .Even in Taprobane there is a church of Christians, which clergy and body of believers, but I don’t know whether there are any Christians in the country beyond it. In the country called Maale where the pepper grows, there is also a church, and at another place called Kalliana there is moreover a bishop, who is appointed from Persia. In the island of Dios-Korides which is situated in the same Indian Seas, and where inhabitance speak Greek, having been originally colonists sent by Ptolemies who succeeded Alexander the Macedonian, there are clergy who receive their ordination from Persia, and are sent to the island, and there is also multitude of Christians…””””””” this quotation is from J.W. McCrindle

This is being the translation different church historians manipulate things in favor of their vested interests. It is very interesting to read from ADMIN of this site “”””. 535 AD- A Persian Bishop (whose name is unknown).

Cosmas Indicopleustus mentions an anonymous Bishop in Malabar who was ordained from Persia, One among the former travelers to India, the Alexandrian Cosmas Indicopleustes who passed Malabar in AD 535, saw there, the Christians, Priests and Bishop.

In his “Christian Topography” he writes, “In the island of Taprobane to the interior India (ad interiorem Indiam), where the Indian Ocean is, there exists a Christian Church where clergy (clerici) and faithful are found; whether further also I do not know. So also is Malabar, as they call it, where the pepper grows. But (also) at Calliana (they call it thus) there is a bishop generally ordained in Persia “

How hilarious people create history !!!!

Actually no one till convincingly proved that where” Kalliana” is, but Dios-Korides is convincingly identified

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=RqdPcxuNthcC&pg=PA326&lpg=PA326&dq=dioskorides+another+name+of+socotra&source=bl&ots=b6-WGwQanb&sig=_71_05

Stupid church historians say it is kollam/kalian/konkanam without any evidence. But there is some indications given by some historians, which we will be discussed when we take up MYLAPORE MYTH. What exactly cosmos might have described. Let us understand the situation here. He was a merchant traveler describing about Christian believers and their geographical spread. He start with Thaprobane and made a passive reference that he do not know whether any Christian towards further east of it .Again he talk about Maale which is certainly our Malankara where pepper grows. But it is logical to believe that he could not find any bishop appointed buy Persians at our Malankara that is why he didn’t mention it. But he certainly mentions about Kalliana and Dios –Korides because he find bishops (Reesh kohane) appointed from Persia. Now if Dios-Korides can be away from Maale, why can’t Kalliana be little away something like ’Calamina ’’which many historians identify with Dilmun.

4) MAR KOMAI AND HIS INDIAN HELPER DANIEL THE INDIAN:- Iso’Dad of Merv((9th century) refer to one Indian priest who helped him in translating St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans from Greek to Syriac .Again one Mar Mana a writer(Pahlavi) of the last quarter of the 5th century ,is said to have send his translations of Diodorus to different countries ,including India(wow! this is also from Chronicle of seert which itself is a questionable manipulation by Nestorians in 9th or 11th century)Only vested interest can take this as an evidence to prove that Malankara church were under the Asserians without considering the geographical orientation of place called India which has a length of 1200 Parasangas!!

5) MAR MARUTHA:- Story goes like this that our “”Khatha Nayakan”” goes to meet Patriarch(Catholicos) Shabrisho I (A.D.596-604) and received as presents from him perfumes and other gifts, which used to sent to the Patriarch from India and China. So Indian church historian’s logic say Malankara Nazranies under Patriarch Shabarisho. Let us go little deep asking which Marutha visited Patriarch. Our great Roman Catholic Historian Rev.Fr. A. M. Mundadn says Mar Marutha who was Ambassador of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice(A.D.582-602) to the Sassanid Emperor Khosrau II(A.D.590-628) visited the Patriarch. Mundadn as well as Research scholar of Orthodox church Rev. Fr .T.P.ELIAS copy pasted it from “Some Eastern Evidence Concerning Early and Medieval Christianity in India ”by Mr. E. R. Hambye.

But I have mentioned about this Ambassador Bishop in my earlier posting that this Mar Marutha of Maipherqat (bishop during 399-410) was ambassador of eastern Roman empire during the reign of Arcadius(395-408) and Theodosius II(408-450) to Persian emperor Yesdegerd I(399-421).It is very unlikely that this Mar Marutha ,the ambassador Bishop met Patriarch Shabaisho who reigned during 596-604.This ambassador Physician(he was a Mesopotamian physician) Bishop was instrumental in helping Bishop Izhaq to conduct a synod in 410 A.D. He visited Persia as a special envoy of Arcadius to the enthronement of Yesdegerd II (399) and again came to help with the reorganization of the Persian church (409) .The synod was conducted not at the chairman ship of any bishop but under the Marzban or provincial governor !!!! He even took our feeble Catholicos to King Yesdegerd II to get an order from him favoring the synod and catholicos. Now Mundadan and Elias project historically impossible meeting of Patriarch Shabarisho with Mar Marutha.(See How the so called Syrian Christians create History!!!!).

Now let us check any other Marutha lived during the period when Patriarch Shabrisho(596-604) was in chair so that he could share the gifts send by so called subjugated Malankara Nzranies as our great historians of Syrian Christians describe.Yes there was another Marutha lived during this period.Mar Marutha of Takrit, Maphrian of Madnhayo Syriac Orthodox.(He was Maphrian from 628-649).Is it possible Mar Marutha(even in his younger age) of Takrit from rival group of Madnhayo syriacs visted a Nestorian Catholicos to get his share of gifts which is sent from India. More over him was not an Ambassador Bishop as described by E.R.Hambye. So it is also out of question. Now every secular historian knows that propagandist writers of church history tend to make this kind of mistakes.

Dr. Paulouse Mar Gregorios in his book “”The Indian Orthodox Church-An Over view”” put another angle of this story that “””””Marutha (Ex.600 A.D.) of Takrit who later became the west Syrian Mphriana of the east received gifts from India and China. Orthodox Church also takes their dig in the pool. For the sake of argument let us agree with Mar Gregorios, but what is the surety that the gift sent to Catholicos is from Malankara. It is illogical or foolish if we argue that “”India”” described in these manuscripts/books/Manipulations is Malankara When India represent a vast geographical region comprising Abyssinia ,east of Persia to far east with many kingdoms, races, cultures and languages. On the basis of this only a propagandist Historian can say that we were under East Syriacs

7) MAR SABOR AND MAR APHROT AT KURAKKENIKOLLUM( around 825 AD):-Migration of these Christians to Kurakkenikollum due to religious intolerance in Persia/Armenia will not be taken as East Syriac subjugation theory since we do not know where did these people belong or which section of Christianity they represented. We have no documented evidence other than the Tharisappally Cheppedu which was seen by Menezez himself from Tharisappally (Thevalakkarapally-Read Jornada ).If Eastern syriac had any bishops in above mentioned name then there might have been some documentation available since history of East Syriacs is pretty well documented during this period.

It is interesting to read ADMIN’S argument that””””” Le Quien says that “These bishops were Chaldeans and had come to Quilon soon after its foundation. They were men illustrious for their sanctity, and their memory was held sacred in the Malabar Church. They constructed many churches and, during their lifetime, the Christian religion flourished especially in the kingdom of Diamper.”””” Now who was “”Le Quien “” ?

’’’’Michel Le Quien (Boulogne-sur-Mer 8 October 1661–Paris 12 March 1733) was a French historian and theologian. He studied at Plessis College, Paris, and at twenty entered the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where he made his profession in 1682. Excepting occasional short absences he never left Paris.’’’’’ Which is the source? How did he arrive his conclusion?

8) LETTERS OF MAR ISHU YAHB III (650-660) :-It is said that the patriarch wrote a letter to the Metropolitan of Rewardashir Shimun “””closing the door of Episcopal ordination in the face of many peoples of India and impending the gift of god for the sake of perishable gains which feed bodily desire as far as your province is concerned, since your revolt against ecclesiastical canons , the priestly succession has been broken for the people of India “””

Most of the historian are putting this forward as the evidence to prove that the Malankara church were under Patriarch of Babylon . But most of them fail to recognize that if this letter shows that the India refers to Malankara Sabha then that is enough to show that Malnkara Sabha was not under the Catholicos of Seleucia .I have already described about the politics behind the formation of the grand Metropolitan of Seleucia in my earlier post that most of the senior churches of Persian Empire objected to the enthronement of a junior church to a grand metropolitanate. Metropolitan of Fars(Rewardshir) was also objected to the Nestorian theology of the metropolitan of Seleucia. i.e. this put propagators of only Nestorian connection of Malankara in a difficult position. The independent stand of Fars continued till it run over by Muslims in 8th century.

But , can it be possible that a name “India” in a letter said to have been written by a disputed authority possibly indicate a remotely placed church called Malankara or could anyone take it as evidence of a subjugation theory? Various literature related with old geographical knowledge indicate that the proposal by these church historians will make one of the blunders in the Malankara church history.

Sir,

i would like to know the source in connection with the foundation Kadamattom and Kolenchery Churches ?? COuld u please tell me the primary source of this.. I think those dates are not correct…
Please clarify me on this..

Regards
Manu Kuruvilla

Sir,

Can u please tell me the source on the date of foundation of Pallipuram church as 290 AD.

It is extremely unlikely that Saint Thomas the Apostle visited Kerala in the 1st century AD, though one may argue that the circumstances in the 1st century were highly favorable for the apostle to have reached the Kerala coast and spread the Christian faith. The arguments supporting my view are given below:

1. The earliest account linking Thomas the apostle with India is the apocryphal book “Acts of Thomas”, which was written in the 3rd century AD. However, the book does not mention about the Malabar coast, but refers to the Far Eastern frontiers of the Persian empire as India (North India).

2. The unanimous testimony of early Christian historians state that Thomas preached among the Persian and the Parthians, and does not mention about India.

3. The Church of the East (Nestorian church), which is today called “The Assyrian Church of the East” has a strong tradition which claims Thomas is their founder. Now, since the Kerala Syrian Christians were governed by the Assyrian Church of the East from as early as the 6th century, they too were influenced by the “Thomas story”, which, over a period of time, led to their believing that Apostle Thomas was their founder.

4. The Apostolic tradition of the Malabar church was not something that was widely talked about or recognized, prior to the Synod of Diamper. Though people may argue that the “Ramban Paattu” is an ancient proof that validates the firmly held beliefs of the Nasranis, the Songs’ authenticity is really doubted by historians, in the sense that it was edited years after the Synod of Diamper.

There are many more evidences that prove the Traditional Thomas theory false. Unfortunately, we aren’t willing to give away our often exaggerated and falsified traditions for the truth!

I read somewhere that Mar Thoma went towards ‘Socotra’ near Yemen from Parthia, but wind became hostile and the ship sailed to Malabar. Check out such leads and we may stumble upon truth.

Eusebius and/or Pantaneus of the 4th Century say/imply that the Mar Bartholomew (Apostle) did visit Malabar. So, if Mar Bartholomew, then why not Mar Thoma?

To me, it really does not make a difference whether it was Thomas or Bartholomew, I am happy that we have an Apostolic heritage. My gut feeling is that both came. Ha!! We have double Apostolic heritage!

Would like all those interested in the Tharisappalli Copper Plate Grants of 849 CE and about the presence of the Jews, Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians in the port towns of Kerala and about the royal (72) rights and privileges granted to Christians &c. and for a comprehensive view of Kerala Society in the first millennium to read the “tharisappallippattayam” by Raghava Varier and Veluthatt Kesavan published by the NBS, Kottayam, 2013. It has some good reproductions of all the pages of the Grant in addition to reproductions of amny of the earlier articles and readings on the topic. It has been strongly recommended as essential reading of his students by Professor George Menachery, and for all Malayalam and History PG students of Malayalam Sarvakalasala, Kerala University, M.G.University and the Calicut University.. It is a must read for the readers of your site.

Dear Friends,
It is said that St. Thomas built or established seven and half churches in Kerala. What does it mean? Does it mean that he was really involved in constructing the building for a place of worship or converting people and establishing christian communities or both? Which is the half church? Why it remained as half? Please can some one clarify this?

Thank you.