Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today

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Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today

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Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Bibliography, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Christian Jewish tradition, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - List of prominent Nasranis, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani people today, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani symbol, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Origins, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Persecution by Portuguese, Goa Inquisition

Though much of the Jewish tradition was obliterated and wiped out, some of the important traditions lived on. The symbol of the Nasrani people is still the Nasrani menorah based on the Jewish menorah. Other surviving Jewish tradition still followed by the Nasranis is the tradition of Pesah appam. On passover night, the Nasrani people have Pesah-appam (unleavened passover bread) along with Pesah pal (passover coconut milk). This tradition of Pesah appam is observed by the entire Nasrani people until this day.

The southern coast of the Indian subcontinent (hypothesized by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus to be the place mentioned as Ophir in the Old Testament) inevitably became a gateway from the Mediterranean world to the Far East. The people there traded in teak, ivory, spices and peacocks, and the area was endowed with a magnificent coastline with numerous ports from Mangalapuram to Kodungallur,

Nasrani people largely live in the districts of Kottayam in Kerala and neighbouring districts. They have also migrated to other cities in India like Mumbai and Bangalore. Others have migrated to the United states and work in the Middle East. At present (based on the Indian census report of 2004), there are approximately 5,000,000 Syrian-malabar nasranis from across the various denominations within the nasrani community. Nasrani people own large estates and engage in trade of rubber, spices and cash crops.

The symbol of the Nasranis is the Syrian cross, also called as Nasrani Menorah or Mar Thoma kurish in malayalam. It is based on the Jewish menorah, the ancient symbol of the Hebrews, which consists of a branched candle stand for seven candlesticks. In the Nasrani Menorah the six branches, (three on either side of the cross) represents God as the burning bush, while the central branch holds the cross, the dove at the tip of the cross represents the Holy Spirit. In Jewish tradition the central branch is the main branch, from which the other branches or other six candles are lit.

These early Christian Jews believed in Jesus as the Christ, but followed Jewish traditions and called themselves Nazaraeans or Nazrani (meaning Jews who followed the Messiah the Nazarene). The term Nazaraean was first mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 24:5. The term nasrani was used essentially to denote Jewish followers of Jesus from Nazareth, while the term Khristianos or (christian) was initially used
The Judeo-Nasrani tradition of the Syro-malabar Nasranis was wiped out when the Portuguese invaded Kerala, and denounced the Nasrani account of Christian faith as false. They imposed their European rituals and liturgy and obliterated the Jewish legacy from the Nasrani tradition. The Portuguese described the Nasranis as Sabbath keeping Judaizers. Archbishop Menezes of Goa, convened the Synod of Diamper in 1599, in Kerala. There he ordered all the texts of the syrian nasranis to be burnt. The Portuguese burned the Gospel of Thomas.


Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Persecution by Portuguese and Tipu Sulthan remains the worst things to have ever happened to Nasranis.