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9. COMING OF THOMAS
I
Thomas' journey covered the whole of India for two whole decades, very similar to the travels of Paul. Paul transformed the Greco-Roman world into Christian faith. Did Thomas achieve the same? There are indications even today to show that he did just that. Scattered groups of Christian sects can be found all along the route of Thomas, claiming their root from Thomas. From Malabar Coast (In South India) Thomas traveled along the West coast to Kalyan, (Bombay) and then onto Sind (Pakistan) and Tibet returning along the East cost through Kaveri area to Mylapore ("The city of Peacock", Madras, South India.) They are there even today. Some of them remain as secret communities in the face of later persecution.
Sufficient records are there to show that:
* There existed a thriving Christian community in Kerala at that time.
There are palm leaf records, which show that:
GOA
dhina R. Krishna R.
KARNATAKA
Payaswani R.
KERALA
ANDHRA PRADESH
Krishna R.
Kaveri R
TAMILNADU
III
206
Among the Dravidians in Central India (Kaveri Area) there was a Church as early as 293 AD. These documents show that, Seventy-Two families of Christians of Vellala origin from Kavery Poopatanam of Puhur