P.J.Cheriyan Says St'Thomas Came to Pattanam in Interview to Delegates of Student Christian Movement In India Delegates at Kochi

 

 World Council of Churches (WCC )in association with Student Christian Movement in India, National Council of Churches in India and Centre for Social Studies and Culture  organized an International Colloquium on Caste , Religion and Culture at Kochi in May 1-4,  2011. The theme of the colloquium  was  asserting the 2000 year old history of Christian church . It was done under the initiative of Bishop Mar Koorilos and in the co-ordination of Prof. T M Yesudasan of CSSC and Dr P Sanal Mohan of SSS, MGU. Dr Deenabandhu Manchala of WCC was present.Dr Sundarbabu of Vikas Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai.  who came for the colloquium visited Pattanam along with Prof Laxman of Madras Institute of Developmental Studies and Dr George K Alex of Kozhanchery St Thomas College .They say -

"Prof Cherian welcomed us and showed the details of excavations and allowed us to see and touch the strands of Kerala’s past that is preserved in the various layers of the soil in the pits.  He explained to us about iron based early human habitations here in the BC era.  According to him Jews reached these shores probably around first century BC and they could be the first converts to Christianity here.  The legend of St Thomas reaching Malankara in AD 52 could not be an impossibility according to him."