New Delhi: St Thomas Church in Palayur, a town in Kerala’s Thrissur district, is believed to be the oldest church in the world. The Saint Thomas Christian tradition states that St Thomas founded the church in 52 AD. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and the church was one of the seven founded by him. In this article, we will learn more about the oldest church in India.
St Thomas Church: India’s oldest church
According to legends, St Thomas came to Palayur from Muziris (Kodungallur) by boat through the backwaters. Back in those days, the place was dominated by the Brahmins and the Jews. St Thomas was visiting the Jewish merchants at Palayur at Judankunnu to preach the Christian gospel.
The legends state that when St Thomas first came to Palayur, the first thing he saw was Brahmins offering prayers to God at the Thaliyakulam beside what was then the Palayur temple chanting mantras. The sight of Brahmins throwing water during their prayer amused St Thomas who challenged them by saying that God was not accepting the water as it was going back into the tank. He said that his God would accept the water if he threw it up like them. But the catch was that the water would not go back to the tank. He performed the miracle and thus the journey of Christianity began in Palayur. Interestingly, he baptised many people in the water tank, Thaliyakulam, which is called ‘The First Baptism Pond’, the place where Christianity started its venture in India.
The architecture of the St Thomas Church
Notably, the architecture of the Church is a fusion of the Hindu architectural style concerning ornamentation with a Persian church plan. The entrance is like a mandapa in a Hindu temple and there is a pillared outdoor hall intended for public rituals. In the 17th century, the church underwent substantial improvements by keeping the main sanctitude of the place intact.
A new church was built by an Italian missionary named Giacomo Fenicio around the old church made of teakwood. After the construction of the old church, the local people, who were reluctant at first for their sentiment for the wooden church, agreed to demolish the old structure. The church still has the original altar that St. Thomas consecrated.
Notably, the architecture of the Church is a fusion of the Hindu architectural style concerning ornamentation with a Persian church plan. The entrance is like a mandapa in a Hindu temple. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
