As part of the proclamation of the Gospel in India, St. Thomas the Apostle established Christian communities in North India as well as in several towns of South India. The beginnings of the Church were laid during his first missionary journey in North India, which was then part of the Parthian Empire, and during his second missionary journey in South India, known at that time as “Tamilakam,” which included present-day Kerala.
Mylapore was the second most important city in South India, while the foremost was Muziris on the Malabar coast of Kerala. Mylapore was considered the fourth most important city in India at that time. The cities of Bharuch in Gujarat, Muziris in Kerala, and Taxila (in present-day Pakistan) held the first, second, and third positions respectively in importance. Among these four cities, Mylapore had a distinctive significance, as it was regarded as the gateway to the East, including China. Thus, while Muziris functioned as the gateway to the West, Mylapore served as the gateway to the East, highlighting the prominence of these two cities. Of these, Muziris is believed to be the place where St. Thomas the Apostle first arrived, whereas Mylapore is the place where the Apostle attained his eternal rest.
The martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle at Mylapore made this city one of the most beloved and significant places for the St. Thomas Christians and for Indian Christianity as a whole. It can rightly be said that Mylapore is both the origin and the central seat of the Church in India. In the early centuries, Mylapore functioned as the centre of the Church. At the beginning of the medieval period, Kollam and later Kodungallur became important ecclesiastical centres. According to Portuguese records, from the seventh century until the arrival of the Portuguese at the end of the fifteenth century, Kodungallur was the residence of the Metropolitans of the St. Thomas Christians.
There are numerous historical records affirming that St. Thomas the Apostle was martyred and buried at Mylapore. One of the most important sources is the work Acts of Thomas, composed in the early third century, which gives a detailed account of the Apostle’s martyrdom in its thirteenth chapter. Many Church Fathers have also recorded significant details regarding the martyrdom and burial of the Apostle in their writings, and these sources are available to us today. Archaeological studies and the accounts of foreign travelers further corroborate these traditions.
Portuguese historical records testify that the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle at Mylapore was held in great veneration in earlier centuries. They also note that not only Christians but even non-Christians regarded this sacred place with profound reverence. The tomb of the Apostle played a vital role in the spiritual life of the St. Thomas Christians. Pilgrimages to Mylapore were a regular practice among them, and such pilgrimages were considered a means of attaining spiritual fulfillment. The soil brought from the tomb at Mylapore was believed to possess healing power and was held to be effective even in curing diseases.
Rev. Dr. James Puliurumpil
