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One
of
the
first
Churches
in
India
established
by
Apostle
St.
Thomas.
Church
has
maintained
its
history.
I
have
been
to
this
Church
many
times
and
you
feel
that
history
when
you
see
the
church
and
the
altar.
According
to
Saint
Thomas
Christian
tradition,
Thomas
traveled
from
Muziris
(Kodungallur)
and
landed
at
Palayur
by
boat
through
the
backwaters.
At
that
time,
Palayur
was
a
stronghold
of
the
Brahmins
and
also
of
Jews.
He
came
to
visit
the
Jewish
merchants
at
Palayur
at
Judankunnu
(meaning
the
hill
of
Jews)
and
to
preach
the
Christian
gospel.
The
place
has
since
become
a
dry
land
but
its
historicity
as
a
boat
jetty
called
locally
'Bottukulam'
has
been
preserved
as
a
monument
to
St.
Thomas
(see
picture).[11][12][13]
Of
the
seven
churches
traditionally
said
to
have
been
established
by
Thomas,
only
three–Palayur
in
the
Syro-Malabar
Catholic
Archeparchy
of
Thrissur,
Kottakkavu
in
the
Syro-Malabar
Catholic
Major
Archeparchy
of
Ernakulam-Angamaly,
and
Niranam
in
the
Malankara
Orthodox
Diocese
of
Niranam–claim
continuity,
while
the
remaining
four
churches
have
undergone
several
changes
in
their
locations.[14]
Palayur
St.Thomas
Monument
Palayur
Thaliyakkulam
Historical
legend
records
that
when
Thomas
landed
at
Palayur,
he
witnessed
the
sight
of
Hindu
Brahmins,
after
their
ablutions
in
a
local
tank.
They
were
offering
prayers
by
chanting
mantras
(the
Vedic
tradition
of
India
for
spiritual
transformation),
hymns
to
god
in
the
form
of
Argyam
or
Tharpanam
(water
held
in
the
palms)
to
the
Sun
god,
a
practice
also
said
to
be
followed
in
Harappan
and
Persian
cultures.
Amused
by
the
sight
of
water
being
thrown
up
by
the
Brahmins,
from
the
palms
of
their
hands,
which
was
falling
back,
he
challenged
the
Brahmins
stating
that
the
water
they
were
offering
was
not
being
accepted
by
the
Sun
god
as
it
was
falling
back
into
the
tank.
He
made
a
deal
with
them
stating
that
his
God
would
accept
the
offer
of
water
if
he
threw
it
up
in
the
same
way
as
they
did:
the
water
would
not
fall
back.
If
he
proved
this
then
his
God
was
superior
and
the
Brahmins
would
have
to
embrace
Christianity.
He
performed
this
miracle
(summoned
the
Holy
Trinity,
completed
the
sign
of
the
Cross
and
threw
water
held
in
his
palms
up
into
the
air,
which
remained
still
in
the
air
at
a
height)
and
with
this
miracle
he
converted
a
number
of
Brahmins
and
Jews
in
Palayur
to
Christianity.[15]
Thereafter
he
baptised
the
converts
in
a
nearby
water
tank,
now
known
as
"Thaliyakulam"
which
is
referred
to
as
The
First
Baptism
Pond,
"The
Birthplace
of
Christianity
in
India".
The
Brahmins
who
did
not
convert
to
the
faith
gave
the
epithet
of
the
'Shapa
Kadu'
or
"Cursed
Place"
to
Palayur
and
migrated
to
Vembanad
to
purify
themselves.[16][14][17]
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