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Christianity in Kanyakumari district is the second largest religion in the district. Among the Christians of the district, the Catholic Church has about 400,000 followers while the Protestant groups have about 200,000 members.[1] Currently, Christians are a minority community in Kanyakumari District comprising 46% of the total population.[2]

Christianity in Kanyakumari district is said to date back to 1st century CE.[3][4] According to the tradition, St. Thomas who was one of the twelve apostles, landed in the Malabar Coast (Kerala) in 52 CE introduced Christianity in Kanyakumari District.[3][5][4] It is believed he built the St. Mary's Church in Thiruvithamcode in 63 AD.[5] During the colonial period a large number of Italian, British, Dutch and Portuguese Christians came to Tamil Nadu.[4]

Denominations

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The Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite), the Church of South India, The Salvation Army Church,the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Evangelical Church of India, the Pentecostals, and other evangelical denominations constitute the Christian population in Kanyakumari district. The Latin Rite of Roman Catholic Church is the oldest and the largest among all and has a homogeneous presence throughout the district. The second-largest church by the number of members is the Church of South India .The vast majority of Christians in Kanyakumari district are either members of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Church or the Church of South India. [6]

Nadar Revolt

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In 19th century Kingdom of Travancore, lower-caste women were not allowed to wear clothes that covered their breasts. Baring of chest to higher status was considered a sign of respect, by both males and females.[7][8] Higher-class women covered both breasts and shoulders, whereas Nadar climber women were not allowed to cover their bosoms, to punctuate their low status.[8][9] Uneasy with their social status, a large number of Nadar climbers embraced Christianity, and started to wear long cloths. When many more Nadars turned to Christianity, many Nadar women started to wear the Nair breast cloth.[9]

The Roman Catholic Church

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Our Lady of Ransom Church in Kanyakumari

In 1542, St. Francis Xavier came to Kanniyakumari District .He built a church in Thiruvithamcode in 63 AD. During the 16th century, he brought thousands of fishermen between Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari to Catholicism. Between 1543 & 1544 Francis Xavier established forty-five churches in the coastal areas of travancore.[1]

Church of South India

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The East India Company, helped Protestant churches to grow in the Kingdom of Travancore and Madras Presidency. Conversions took place in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli from among the Nadar and Paraiyan communities by the work of the Church Missionary Society and London Missionary Society. During the year 1818, 3000 members of the Nadar caste were said to have embraced Christianity.[1]

During 18th century, on the request of Rev. J.C. Kohlhoff, a German missionary, William Tobias Ringeltaube came to Travancore.[10]Over a period of ten years, Ringeltaube succeeded in building his mission. The first church was built at Mylaudy in September 1809. Many Churches and schools were established in many more villages. A large church was built in Nagercoil, which later became the home church for the CSI diocese in Nagercoil. The mission was shifted from Mylaudy to Nagercoil. Boarding schools were started for girls and education for women was gaining momentum. Even non-Christian students received education. A printing press was started by his mission in 1821 and by 1838 a medical wing of the mission was established.[10]

During the period of Kingdom of Travancore, Kanyakumari district which as under the control of the the Kingdom and was was caste-ridden and those who belonged to lower castes were denied education, choice of his occupation and even dignity. Further, they were oppressed with heavy taxes. The missionaries helped them to break some of the shackles that had bound the lower castes for centuries. Through the tireless efforts of the British Church and missionaries, slavery was abolished by the Kingdom of Travancore[11]

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

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In 1996, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church created its first `Diocese of Thuckalay` in Kanyakumari district, which was under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala till then[12]. The same year the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has also newly established the `Diocese of Marthandam` bifurcated from its Archdiocese of Trivandrum in Kanyakumari district.[13]

Notable Churches in Kanyakumari district

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Hindu Christian Communalism; Analysis of Kanyakumari Riots". www.ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  2. ^ "Kanyakumari district", Wikipedia, 2019-11-10, retrieved 2019-11-13
  3. ^ a b Asthana, Deepti. "Divine intervention". @businessline. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  4. ^ a b c Hays, Jeffrey. "CHRISTIANS IN INDIA | Facts and Details". factsanddetails.com. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  5. ^ a b Sathyendran, Nita (2013-05-16). "The church that St. Thomas built". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  6. ^ "List of Christian denominations in India". Wikipedia.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Unni Nair, Supriya. "Dress code repression: Kerala's history of breast tax for Avarna women". the news minute. Retrieved 2019-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b "Re-writing History, Saffronising Education: Remembering Nangeli Lest Government Makes Us Forget". NewsClick. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  9. ^ a b "Travancore parallel: the fight to wear an upper garment". The Indian Express. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  10. ^ a b Kent, Eliza F. (2004). Converting Women: Gender and Protestant Christianity in Colonial South India. Oxford University Press. p. 43. ISBN 9780195165074.
  11. ^ MacKenzie, Gordon Thomson (1901). Christianity in Travancore. Trivandrum : Printed at Travancore Govt. Press.
  12. ^ "Syro Malabar Thuckalay Eparchy". www.syromalabarchurch.in. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  13. ^ "EPARCHY OF MARTHANDAM". www.catholicate.net. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
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