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HINDUISM IN KERALA

Kerala is a narrow strip of land along India's southwest coast, covering 38,863 sq. km and comprising approximately one percent of India's total land. The land strip is sandwiched between the Western Ghats  (Sahya Mountains)  in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west. The hill is filled with spices and wild life yielding precious pepper,  ginger,  peacocks and elephant tusks.  As a result of its geographical location Kerala was sheltered from the ravages of the rest of the continent    On the West it  has a long coastline with several deep harbors which had been open long before the Christian era for trade and travel.   Because of the precious commodities which were found no where else in the world, Kerala has attracted foreign trade even before the Roman Period.   Muziris was the main port of trade.  It is this route that brought St.Thomas to India. 

Elephant and Peacock

The Early Aryan invasion reached Kerala  by the seventh century BC.  Like Rome and Macedonia,  Aryans were also not able to control these far off areas simply because of lack of long range communications of that period.  The Mahabharata and Purana stories indicate that they left the local Kings and Warlords in charge of the country before they retreated.  A small group of Aryans were  left behind among the Dravidians of the South who acted as advisers to the Kings and  Chiefs.  But these advisers were soon thrown out.

In the first visit Thomas established a Jewish Church from among the Jewish community in Cochin area.  He has ordained one Kepha as the head of the church. It was during his second extended visit that Thomas converted several Brahmin families  along with 3000 others from different religion and profession to form the famous eight early Churches of Kerala.

If we extrapolate the population of Kerala for the first century, the number of people in Kerala would not have been more than three hundred thousand. This amounts to one percent of the total population as the seed. The entire Vedic Brahmin community most  embraced the New Way.  That is why we see have no historical evidence for Brahmin family settlements before the sixth century AD.  

Thomas appointed these Brahmin families as teachers.  These included Pakalomattam, Shankarapuri, Kalli, and Kaaliyankavu in the north and Thayyil, Pattamukkil, Manki, and Madathilen.  St. Thomas established seven and a half Churches in eight different  villages in Kerala.

The seven villages are:

1. Cranganore or Maliankara (Present Kodungallore)
2. Palur or Palayur ( A place near Thrissur)
3. Paraur or Kottukavu (A Place near Cochin)
4. Kokkamangalam ( A place between Allappy and Kottayam)
5. Niranam (A place near Tiruvalla)
6. Chayal or Nilakkal (An interior hill side place near Sabarimala)
7. Quilon or Kollam

Eighth village had a  small church (referred to as “half church” - "Arappalli") which was  at Thiruvankottu.. 

Traditionally these Christians were called Nazranis – to mean followers of the one from Nazareth.

However the history of Kerala goes blank from the first century to the eighth century AD, except for a few copper plates to indicate extensive immigration of Syrians into Kerala.

Eye Opening Archeological Discoveries

Recent studies in archaeology and carbon dating have led to some astounding  findings which need to be explained.   Dr. M. G.S. Narayanan,  University of Calicut, Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR); Dr. Velauthan Kesavan, of Mangalore University; and K.P.Soundrarajan, Director, Archaeology Survey of India, (1978) in their studies on idols of Kerala came across a strange fact.  Whereas there are a large number of Jain and Buddhist art and artifacts, there are no idols that can be associated with Hinduism until the eighth Century AD.  Similarly there are no Hindu Temples predating eighth Century.

Thus we come to the astounding fact::

Here are some of the dates of the earliest Idols found in Kerala.
(These are the names of the idols (Vigraha).  Glance through the dates.)

1.      Aja Eka Pada: First appears in Thondamandalam in the 8th C., in Cholamandalam in the 11th C., in Pandimandalam in the 13th C.

2.      ArdhaNareeswara: Appears in S.India only after the 7th C. and in Kerala only after the 9th C.

3.      AnanthaShayi: South India 6th C. and Kerala 8th C.

4.      DakshinaMoorthy: Kerala 8th C.

5.      Ganesha: Kerala 8th C.

6.      Harihara: Kerala 11th C.

7.      varahareshvara: 13th C.

8.      Jeshta: 11th C.

9.      Lingothbhava: Post-11th C.

10. SapthaMatha: 14th C.

This list simply shows that the earliest idols in Kerala came into existence only by eighth century AD ,

On the other hand Pahlavi Crosses appear by the first century onward,    Remember that Pahlavi was also the language of the Kingdom of Gondophores and of the Pallava dynasty of Tamil Nadu.. Here are three first century  Crosses found in the Kottayam Church, Kerala.

The only conclusion we can make is that Christianity replaced most of the other religions and was the main religion of Kerala until eighth Century. 

Other Pahlavi crosses are found in St. Thomas Mount,  Kadamattam, Muttuchira, and Alangad.