The Apostle to India (Part 1)

“Then the Lord Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” - John 20: 27 – 28

Apostle Judas Thomas, also known as Didymus (frequently known as Apostle Thomas), was one of the twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ who followed the Lord throughout His earthly ministry of preaching. Perhaps the above Bible verses contain the most famous words that the apostle has ever uttered, earning him the name of the Doubting Thomas.

According to the Bible, after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead, the Lord appeared to all His disciples to prove to them that He indeed had resurrected after His crucifixion (nailing hands and legs to the cross) and death. Apostle Thomas, however, having been absent when the Lord appeared to His disciples, refused to believe the words of his fellow disciples that the Lord had resurrected. He demanded proof and said that unless he himself touched the Lord’s nail marks (from His crucifixion) on His hands, he refused to believe that the Lord had resurrected, although the Lord had repeatedly mentioned in His teachings beforehand that He would be nailed to the cross and would die, and after three days He would rise again from the dead. Only when the Lord personally appeared to Thomas did he believe that the Lord indeed had risen from the dead, thus earning him the name of Doubting Thomas. Being the doubtful one at first, he later became the apostle who travelled the furthest, as far as the land of India.

The resurrected Lord Jesus

Various legends and church traditions of Indian churches assert that Apostle Thomas had not only preached in India, but he also went to preach in as far as China in 64 A.D. and even reached as far as Japan in 70 A.D. Nevertheless, there are no concrete historical evidences to prove that the apostle had ever set foot in the lands of China and Japan before. However, abundant evidences are available, both from Indian churches as well as the Roman Catholic Church, to prove that Apostle Thomas had done extensive missionary work in the realm of South Asia.

"My Lord and my God!"

According to a particular text known as 'The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle', also known as 'The Acts of Saint Thomas', after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ to heaven, all the Lord’s apostles held a meeting in Jerusalem to cast lots so as to divide the countries among the apostles, whereby each apostle is required to preach in the country in which the lot fell to him.

“And India fell by lot and division to Judas Thomas the Apostle. And he was not willing to go, saying, ‘I have not strength enough for this, because I am weak. And I am a Hebrew; how can I teach the Indians?’ And whilst Judas was reasoning thus, our Lord appeared to him in a vision of the night, and said to him, ‘Fear not, Thomas, because my grace is with you.’ But he would not be persuaded at all, saying, ‘Whithersoever you will, our Lord, send me; only to India I will not go.’” - The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle

Nevertheless, Apostle Thomas still went to India under the direction and guidance of the Lord. At that time, there was a king by the name of 'King Gondophares' (also known as 'King Gudnaphar' or 'King Guduvhara') whose kingdom of Gandhara (Sanskrit: गन्धार) covered what are presently parts of the Punjab region in Pakistan and north India, as well as Southern Afghanistan. Modern scholars have identified King Sases, also known as Gondophares IV Sases, as being the most probable king to have been identified as 'King Gondophares' in The Acts of Saint Thomas (the term 'Gondophares' being a title used by the kings of Gandhara).

Circled in red is roughly the kingdom of Gandhara during the time of Gondophares IV Sases

King Gondophares had sent a merchant named Habban to Jerusalem in order to look for a skilled carpenter to serve the king. Hence, in around the year 45 A.D., under the direction and guidance of the Lord, Apostle Thomas followed Habban to the kingdom of Gandhara. When Apostle Thomas went before the king, the king was pleased with him and his carpentry skills. Hence, King Gondophares requested Apostle Thomas to construct a magnificent palace for him. The king entrusted a great amount of money, gold and silver in the hands of the apostle in order to get the work done.

Gondophares IV Sases (Reigned circa 21 A.D. - 47 A.D.)

Seeing that Gandhara had so many people who were poor and needy, Apostle Thomas went around the towns and villages to preach the gospel of the Lord and to help the needy. He used the money, gold and silver that the king had entrusted him with to ease the lives of those who were suffering throughout the kingdom. King Gondophares frequently sent his men to meet the apostle and to enquire about the progress of the palace construction. Upon the request of the apostle, the king sent more money from time to time to help in the completion of the palace. However, each time money was sent, the apostle spent it to help the poor and needy as he went around the entire kingdom preaching the gospel. In the process, the gospel of Christianity was widely accepted in Gandhara and Christianity spread very rapidly throughout the North Indian region.

After some time, King Gondophares came to Apostle Thomas to find out about the palace that the apostle was supposed to build. Upon finding out from friends and the people that there was no palace being built at all, but rather the apostle had spent all of the king’s money to help the poor, the king confronted Apostle Thomas with fury. The apostle replied the king by saying that the palace that the apostle had built cannot be seen in this world, but that the king can see it after he has departed from the world. This made the king even more furious and he immediately imprisoned Apostle Thomas and Habban before deciding on how to kill the both of them.

The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle

However, that night, the king’s brother, Gad, fell very ill and was at the verge of dying. After his death, King Gondophares was very grieved and wanted to bury him in a grand sepulchre. But after Gad’s death, he was taken up to heaven by angels and he was shown a very magnificent palace that, according to the angels, had been built by Apostle Thomas for King Gondophares. The palace was indeed beautiful, but the angels told Gad that it was reserved for King Gondophares. Then, upon Gad’s request, the angels allowed Gad to return to earth to inform his brother about the magnificent palace.

Gad came back to life and, to the surprise of the king’s servants, he asked to speak to his brother. King Gondophares was utterly surprised and went to meet his brother. Gad told his brother about everything that he had seen in heaven and about the magnificent palace in heaven that Apostle Thomas had built for the king. The king was even more surprised after what he was told by his brother.

Coins from the reign of Gondophares IV Sases

Immediately after that, King Gondophares released Apostle Thomas and the merchant and asked the apostle to pray for the king and his brother. Apostle Thomas prayed for King Gondophares and Gad, thereafter baptizing them. Both King Gondophares and Gad thus accepted Christianity into their lives and Apostle Thomas was given full freedom to preach Christianity throughout the entire kingdom of Gandhara. From then on, Christianity spread extremely rapidly throughout Gandhara and the regions of north India under Apostle Thomas’ preaching.

Basically, this summarizes Apostle Thomas’ work of preaching Christianity in the kingdom of Gandhara, as written in the text of The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle. In part 2 of this article, I will then cover Apostle Thomas’ missionary work in preaching Christianity throughout the “Land of the Coconuts” of India.

***

**Contents of this article:

1. Part 1 - account of Apostle Thomas' missionary works in North India as found in "The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle"

2. Part 2 - Apostle Thomas' missionary works in present-day Kerala state

3. Part 3 - Apostle Thomas' missionary works and death in present-day Tamil Nadu state

The Apostle to India (Part 2)

In the last part of this article, I have given a summary of the account of Apostle Thomas’ preaching and mission in the kingdom of Gandhara as recorded in The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle. According to these records, Apostle Thomas did extensive preaching throughout the entire kingdom of Gandhara under the rule of King Gondophares - a kingdom that included areas in present-day north India, Pakistan and southern Afghanistan.

Now, viewing another source of information on Apostle Thomas’ mission in India, we obtain an account of his preaching and mission of spreading Christianity in the region of South India. The main sources of information of these are from church traditions preserved by the various churches found throughout South India, in particular the churches of the Saint Thomas Christians (Malayalam: മാർ തോമാ നസ്രാണികൾ, Mār Tōmā Nasrānikal) in Kerala, India. These church traditions are in the form of songs which were transmitted orally from generation to generation until it was written down in 1601 by a particular Thomas Ramban, said to be a descendant of the first bishop ordained by Apostle Thomas himself in Kerala. These songs are known as the Ramban Songs (Malayalam: റമ്പാൻ പാട്ടും, Rambān Pāttum) or Thomma Parvam. There are also folk dances among the communities of Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala such as the Margamkali (Malayalam: 

മാര്‍ഗ്ഗംകളി) and Parichamuttukali  (Malayalam: പരിചമുട്ടുകളി) which recount events regarding Apostle Thomas' preaching and evangelical works in South India.

Location of Kerala in South India

The Malabar Coast (Malayalam: മലബാർ തീരം, Malabār Tīram) is the stretch of land in southwestern India facing the western side of the Indian Ocean. Situated within the state of Kerala (Malayalam: കേരളം) in South India, one can see scenic rivers, breathtaking lagoons, paddy fields and coconut trees adorning the entire land. The state of Kerala is also famous for its large plantations of various types of spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. In fact, the name “Kerala” itself means “the land of coconuts”, in line with the state’s abundant existence of coconut trees.

Coconut trees in Kerala

Since ancient times, the Malabar Coast has been a popular trading centre for traders from the Roman Empire, Greek Empire, Israel, Arabia, Egypt and Persia. In fact, key ports along this coast, such as Cochin (Malayalam: കൊച്ചി, Kochi) and Cranganore (Malayalam: കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര്‍, Kodungallur), became the centres for trade and commerce in South India. This is due to the fact that the Malabar Coast has lots of spice plantations which yield lots of spices annually for trading purposes. For those of you who don’t know much about the people of India, the Indians consist of many sub-ethnics dispersed throughout North and South India, such as Hindis, Punjabis, Kashmiris, Urdus, Bengalis, Telugus, Tamils, Malayalees, Kannadas and others, each of which is frequently concentrated in a single state in India. The state of Kerala, in which the Malabar Coast is situated, is mainly populated by Malayalee Indians who speak the Malayalam language.

It was against such a background, enriched with coconut trees, scenic geographical features and vast spice plantations, that Apostle Thomas arrived to spread Christianity in South India.

A spice plantation in Kerala

From Alexandria, Egypt, Apostle Thomas boarded a merchant ship which was bound for the Malabar Coast of India. Hence, in the year 52 A.D., the apostle arrived in Cranganore, a prominent trading port on the Malabar Coast during that era.

Cranganore became the first spot where Apostle Thomas started preaching Christianity in South India. Upon his arrival in Cranganore, he preached the gospel to the Jews who were residing there, as well as to the local Malayalee Indians in the trading port. Apostle Thomas gained considerable success in preaching the gospel of Christianity in Cranganore, as proven by the warm reception of the gospel by individuals from the Brahmin, Ksyatria, Nair and Chettiar castes.

Apostle Thomas even endeavoured to preach to the King of Thiruvanchikkulam (Malayalam: തിരുവഞ്ചിക്കുളം) who resided in Cranganore at that time. As a result, the Malayalee king and his entire royal family accepted Christianity as well. The royal family was subsequently baptized by the apostle, along with numerous other Jews and Malayalee Indians. Apostle Thomas renamed the king Andrew and his prince Cephas (also known as Kepha). The apostle then appointed a convert from the Brahmin caste, Thomas Maliyakal as Ramban or Archpriest and Prince Kepha as the high priest in charge of the entire new Malayalee Christian community in Cranganore. With the conversion of the royal family of the King of Thiruvanchikkulam, Apostle Thomas received royal patronage and extensive support for his missionary work in the Malabar Coast from the royal family, thus greatly boosting the spread of Christianity throughout the Malabar Coast.

Saint Thomas Church in Cranganore (believed to be the site where the first church established by Apostle Thomas was)

With the expansion of the Christian community in Cranganore, Apostle Thomas then went on to establish a church in the port-city's vicinity, which then became the first ever church in South India. This church became the centre of Christianity’s expansion in the Malabar Coast and the administrative centre for all churches throughout the region from the first century onwards. In fact, Apostle Thomas used the church in Cranganore as his headquarters in spreading the gospel of Christianity throughout the Malabar Coast.

According to a legend, Apostle Thomas once visited a Hindu temple in Cranganore and performed a miracle there. Customarily, before prayers were held in the temple, purification of those participating in the prayers would be held in a pond nearby. While walking on the steps leading to the pond, Apostle Thomas was bitten by a poisonous viper, causing his hand to bleed. While he walked towards the pond, the viper clung onto his bleeding hand. He then pulled the viper off his hand before entering the pond. Once in the pond, he splashed the water into the air and prayed. To everyone’s amazement, the water particles remained suspended in the middle of the air until his prayers were over. Everyone present was surprised at this as they had all expected the apostle to abruptly fall dead after being bitten by the viper, which did not happen at all.

Apostle Thomas performing the water miracle in front of Brahmins

After achieving great success in spreading Christianity in Cranganore, Apostle Thomas proceeded to spread the gospel in six other main towns and cities throughout the Malabar Coast. He travelled to neighbouring towns and cities tirelessly to spread the gospel and he frequently travelled to and fro between these towns and cities to teach the gospel to the new Christians from time to time. This resulted in the establishment of six more churches by Apostle Thomas in Paravur (Malayalam: പരവൂര്‍), Palayoor (Malayalam: പാലയൂർ), Kokkamangalam (Malayalam: കോക്കമംഗലം), Niranam (Malayalam: നിരണം), Nilackal (Chayal) (Malayalam: നിലക്കല്‍) and Quilon (Kollam) (Malayalam: കൊല്ലം). All these towns are presently within the state of Kerala except Nilackal, also known as Chayal or Kayalpatnam, which is presently within the state of Tamil Nadu. Together with the church in Cranganore and a smaller 'half-church' in Thiruvithankodu (Tamil: திருவிதாங்கோடு), these churches became collectively known as the 'Seven and Half Churches' (Malayalam: ഏഴരപ്പള്ളികൾ, Ēḻarappallikal

).

Locations of the 'Seven and Half Churches' said to have been established by Apostle Thomas

Apostle Thomas made it a habit to plant a cross on the ground in places where he spread Christianity and established a new Christian community. For example, he planted a cross in Kokkamangalam and Thrikapaleswaram respectively after establishing a new Indian Christian community there. At the site of where the cross was planted, a new church would be built for the Christian community. In the case of Thrikapaleswaram, Apostle Thomas planted a cross near a Hindu temple so as to provide a place of worship for the new Christian community there. However, some of the locals there did not like it and they plucked out the cross, subsequently throwing it into a nearby river. The cross floated some distance along the river and rested on the riverbank near Niranam. Apostle Thomas then decided to build a new church in Niranam for the Christian community, thus bringing about the establishment of the Indian church in Niranam.

An Indian Christian festival held in a church in Kerala

In another legend, Apostle Thomas was said to have done another miracle involving pond water in Palayoor. When he arrived in Palayoor, he saw a group of Brahmins (the priestly caste) standing in a pond to perform a drink offering or libation, which was done by chanting mantras and throwing the pond water into the air. Apostle Thomas found this to be an opportune moment to spread the gospel by performing a miracle, so he went into the pond, took some water and threw it into the air. To the Brahmins’ amazement, the water he threw did not fall down at all, but instead disappeared in the air. Hence, the Brahmins consequently found interest in accepting and learning more about Christianity and the gospel.

The Palayoor Church, one of the 'Seven and Half Churches' said to have been founded by Apostle Thomas himself

Throughout these towns and cities along the Malabar Coast, Apostle Thomas was extremely successful in spreading the message of Christianity. It was said, according to the Ramban Songs, that 2800 people accepted Christianity in Nilackal, 1770 people in Kottakavu, 1600 people in Kokkamangalam, 2200 people in Paravur and 2400 people in Quilon. Amongst those who accepted the gospel were the Brahmin families of Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom, Kalli and Kalliyankal families, which were from Palayoor. Many from the Chettiar caste, which was the prominent trading caste in the Malabar Coast at that time, also accepted Christianity. There were also some who heard the gospel but chose to remain as Hindus, but over time influences from the gospel were incorporated into their traditions, dances, songs and family history up to this day.

After successfully spreading Christianity in the Malabar Coast, Apostle Thomas proceeded to Tamil Nadu to continue the spread of Christianity, where he was later martyred in the ancient “Town of Peacocks.” This I will cover in the next and last part of this article.

The Apostle to India (Part 3)

Let me start this part of the article with a question. The Lord Jesus Christ had 12 closest disciples, of which one of them, Judas Iscariot, betrayed the Lord and then committed suicide. Later on, the remaining 11 disciples, with one more selected to replace Judas Iscariot, became the famous 12 apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who went to various places to spread the gospel. However, out of these 12 apostles, the tombs of only 3 of them have churches or cathedrals built over them, thus making these churches famous sites for religious pilgrimage. Where would you expect these churches to be in the whole world?

The first is Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City, within the confines of Rome, Italy. This cathedral is built over the tomb of Apostle Simon Peter, as its name suggests. The second is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. This cathedral is built over the tomb of Apostle James son of Zebedee. Now, where do you think the third church is? In Europe? In Russia? In the Middle East? In North Africa? I just have the feeling that some of you reading this might think so. Perhaps most of you might think that it’s somewhere in Europe or Russia. Did I guess correctly? Well, if that’s what you thought, then IT’S ABSOLUTELY WRONG!

Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City (Rome, Italy)


Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain

Little do many know that the third church, which is built over the tomb of Apostle Thomas, is the San Thome Basilica (Tamil: சாந்தோம் பசிலிக்கா) in CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA. Did some of you know that?

San Thome Basilica, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Before this, I have written about Apostle Thomas’ activities of spreading Christianity in the Malabar Coast and throughout what is known today as Kerala in South India, as narrated in Indian church traditions in the form of songs and poetic literary works such as the Ramban Songs or Thomma Parvom. Apostle Thomas’ tireless efforts in spreading Christianity throughout the Malabar Coast bore great results, as many Malayalee Indians in various towns, ports and cities in the Malabar Coast during first century accepted the gospel. Churches were established by the apostle to serve as places of worship and gathering for the various Indian Christian communities in those towns and cities.

For some time, Apostle Thomas remained in these towns and cities in the Malabar Coast, teaching and sharing the message of the gospel to the new Indian Christian communities there. Christianity made such a big impact in the lives of the people there that even those who heard the gospel but chose to remain as Hindus incorporated elements from the gospel and the activities of Apostle Thomas in their religious traditions, songs, dances and family history. Until now, Kerala is one of the states in India which has a large Christian population. One can also see lots of churches throughout Kerala which bear great historical meaning.

After gaining great success in spreading Christianity in the Malabar Coast, Apostle Thomas then proceeded to the eastern side of South India, towards the Coromandel Coast (Tamil: கோரமண்டல் கரை, Kōramandal Karai), which is within the state of Tamil Nadu (Tamil: தமிழ் நாடு). Apostle Thomas was accompanied by Prince Kepha and Thomas Maliyakal for a distance before he went on his own way. Toiling across thick jungles and mountainous regions for some time, Apostle Thomas finally arrived at the ancient “Town of Peacocks”, that is Mylapore (Tamil: மயிலாப்பூர், Mayilāppur), which is presently within the city of Chennai (Madras) (Tamil: சென்னை), the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Location of Tamil Nadu state and Mylapore, Chennai in India

Mylapore is presently a part of the city of Chennai (formerly Madras) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest settlements and residential area in the entire city. The name “Mylapore” is derived from the Tamil word “mayil”, which means “peacock.” Hence, Mylapore is frequently referred to as the “Ancient Town of Peacocks.” According to popular folklore, Mylapore was named such because the Hindu goddess Parvati was said to have done penance by assuming the form of a peacock and as such remaining close to the Hindu god Shiva. Just as Kerala is predominantly populated by Indians of the Malayalee sub-ethnic who speak the Malayalam language, Tamil Nadu is mainly populated by Indians of the Tamil sub-ethnic who speak the Tamil language.

Peacock

After his arrival in Mylapore, Apostle Thomas started spreading the gospel to all the people there as well. His preaching drew large crowds in Mylapore, and many Tamil Indians also accepted the gospel and Christianity there. In fact, due to his popularity and success in preaching and spreading Christianity in Mylapore, the local Tamil king in Mylapore, King Mahadevan, favoured the apostle greatly. Apostle Thomas was also said to have appointed Paul Sitaraman, one of the new Tamil converts to Christianity in Mylapore, as high priest in charge of the new Tamil Christian community there.

There is a legend in church tradition that states that there was once a very large log of wood that was washed ashore in a place near Mylapore, in which this place is now known as Santhome (Tamil: சாந்தோம்). This large log of wood was an obstruction to the local people there and they wanted to remove it. As such, King Mahadevan ordered his subordinates to use elephants to pull the log away. However, even those elephants were unable to move the log away successfully. Apostle Thomas then told King Mahadevan that if he could succeed in removing the large log, he wanted nothing but the log itself as a reward. So, he then tied his girdle (a kind of belt worn around the waist) onto the large log and pulled the log away with ease. All who saw it, including the king, were amazed at this miracle that King Mahadevan willingly granted Apostle Thomas’ request and gave the latter the large log. The apostle then used the log to build a small chapel in the area to serve as a place of worship for the new local Tamil Christian community.

A church service held in Tamil Nadu, India

Apostle Thomas’ preaching and teaching drew extremely large crowds in Mylapore that even aroused the jealousy and uneasiness of some of King Mahadevan’s ministers and priests. Many times they attempted to kill the apostle because they saw him as a threat to the local community in Mylapore. Whenever they tried to seize and kill him, Apostle Thomas would take refuge in the jungles of a nearby hill called Little Mount, which is known as Cinnamalai (Tamil: சின்ன மலை) in Tamil. He frequently came to this hill in order to pray and to preach to the crowds. It is said that on one occasion, when he preached to a large crowd on the hill, the crowd became very thirsty and had no water. Apostle Thomas thus knelt down to pray, and then he took his stick and struck a rock with it. Water immediately gushed out of the rock and enabled the large crowd to quench their thirst.

According to church tradition, when King Mahadevan’s soldiers and subordinates came to kill him, he would enter a small cave in the hill to seek protection. When the soldiers came to the entrance of the cave, Apostle Thomas would then place his hand on a large rock on the opposite side of the entrance. Each time he did this, the rock would miraculously open like a sliding door to reveal a small tunnel for him to escape. It is said that until now, his handprints can be seen on the rock in the cave in Little Mount.

The small tunnel that enabled Apostle Thomas to escape would lead him to another nearby mountain called Saint Thomas Mount, also known as Parangi Malai (Tamil: பரங்கி மலை) in Tamil. After many years of spreading Christianity and teaching the new Tamil Christian community in Mylapore, Apostle Thomas was eventually martyred on this mountain. Church traditions state that on one occasion, King Mahadevan was successfully instigated by his ministers who hated Apostle Thomas very much, despite the fact that the king favoured the apostle. So, when the king was instigated, he sent some soldiers and ministers to go after the apostle so as to kill him. Parangi Malai (Mount Parangi / Saint Thomas Mount) was a place frequented by the apostle to pray, whereby he carved a cross with stone and used it for his prayers.

Saint Thomas Mount church on Parangi Malai

On a particular day, while Apostle Thomas went up Parangi Malai to pray, he was followed stealthily by a person hired by King Mahadevan’s ministers to kill the apostle. When Apostle Thomas went up the mountain, kneeled down before the stone cross that he carved and prayed, the person who followed him raised his lance and pierced the apostle’s body with the lance from behind. The apostle was said to have clung onto the stone cross while he bled, staining the cross with his own blood. Hence, in the year 72 A.D., Apostle Thomas was killed and martyred on Parangi Malai. His body was then taken to the small chapel that he built in Santhome and buried there. Nevertheless, the Tamil Christian community in Mylapore continued to flourish shortly after the apostle’s death and remained over the centuries, though it slowly reduced in numbers and hardly expanded much beyond the community itself after the apostle’s martyrdom.

Tomb of Apostle Thomas in Santhome (Written in Tamil: "My Lord and my God!")

The Santhome Basilica in Santhome, Chennai, India was subsequently built over the tomb of Apostle Thomas. This site has become a famous site for pilgrimage amongst Indian Christians and a popular tourist destination as well, where one can see the tomb of the apostle in an underground chapel specially constructed for this purpose.

A stamp issued by the Government of India to commemorate Apostle Thomas

Most of the information on Apostle Thomas’ works in Gandhara, the Malabar Coast (Kerala) and Tamil Nadu are derived from church traditions, legends, folklores and The Acts of Judas Thomas the Apostle, which is said to be an unreliable source by some scholars. Whether or not some of the information from these sources are actually true or not has become a hot topic of debate for many church scholars and historians. However, one thing is for sure, and this fact is also supported by evidences from writings by early church scholars, that Apostle Thomas was the first to have brought Christianity and the gospel of the Lord Jesus into the land of India.