- St. Francis Cathedral, Kochi
The legend of the Thomas tradition is that he arrived by maritime routes to South India and then preached the gospel in what is modern-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Although another tradition exists: that he came to the subcontinent through overland land routes to North India, the tradition is widely ignored by South Indian Churches. It was emphasized that St Thomas came to Kerala first. not North India, as it was seen as a sign of legitimacy in the faith and the apostolic tradition.
Though neither tradition can be unconditionally proven, the importance of the tradition to the narrative of the origins of Christianity cannot be understated.
The Southern tradition believes that St Thomas landed near the ancient port of Muziris. Below is a map of the Tabula Peutingeriana, a version of which I found in the Kochi Museum. It shows the ancient Roman road network that stretched from Britain to India. 'Muziris', the ancient port city (present-day Kodungallur) is shown on the extreme left portion of the map.
- Tabula Peutingeriana, Kochi Museum
According to the acts of Thomas, the Twelve Apostles divided the world into regions where they were to spread the Gospel. St Thomas was assigned India, and after some reluctance, and some coerced divine encouragement, ended up in the province of 'King Gudahar'. St Thomas then continued establishing congregations and performing miracles through the subcontinent, until he met his death near what is now Chennai.
Today, St Thomas is seen as the most important Saint in the Christian tradition among Malabar Christian, and many denominations trace their heritage back to him. St Thomas was also said to have established seven churches throughout Kerala, with seven prominent Christian families tracing the history of their faith back to conversion by St Thomas.
St Thomas is central to the Christian narrative. Without his patronage, one could question whether the early Christian community would have been as large as it was. His supposed resting place is at the St Thomas Cathedral Basilica, near Chennai.
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