Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 27,819,588 (2011) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Majority in Nagaland at 90%, Mizoram at 88% and Meghalaya at 83.3%. Plural majority in Manipur at 41.3% and Arunachal Pradesh at 30.3%. Significant populations in Goa at 25%, Kerala at 18.4%, Tamil Nadu at 6.2%, Jharkhand at 4.3%, Odisha at 2.76%, Andhra Pradesh at 1.38% and West Bengal at 1%. | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Konkani, Kannada, Bengali, English, Hindi and various Indian languages | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholic (Latin Rite), Saint Thomas Christians, (East Syrian Rite / West Syrian Rite) and various denominations of Protestants like Church of South India, Evangelical Church of India, Lutheran Churches, Pentecosts and Apostolics | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nasranis, Knanaya, East Indians, Khasis, Mizos, Kukis, Nagas, Anglo-Indians, Goan Catholics, Mangalorean Catholics, Garo people, Pnar people |
Christianity is India's third most followed religion according to the census of 2011, with approximately 28 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population. Christianity was purportedly introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who visited Muziris in Kerala in AD 52. There is a general scholarly consensus that Christianity was definitely established in India by the 6th century AD, including some communities who used Syriac liturgies, and it is possible that the religion's existence extends as far back as the purported time of St.Thomas's arrival.
Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India and the south shore, the Konkan Coast, and Northeast India. Indian Christians have contributed significantly to and are well represented in various spheres of national life. They include former and current chief ministers, governors and chief election commissioners. Indian Christians have the highest ratio of women to men among the various religious communities in India.
Christianity in India has different denominations. The state of Kerala is home to the Saint Thomas Christian community, an ancient body of Christians, who are now divided into several different churches and traditions. They are Eastern Syrian Saint Thomas Christian churches: the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Chaldean Syrian Church.The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church are West Syrian Saint Thomas Christian Churches. Since the 19th century Protestant churches have also been present; major denominations include the Church of South India (CSI), Evangelical Church of India (ECI), St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, the Church of North India (CNI), the Presbyterian Church of India, Pentecostal Church, Apostolics, Baptists, Lutherans, Traditional Anglicans and other evangelical groups. The Christian Church runs thousands of educational institutions and hospitals which have contributed significantly to the development of the nation.
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Wikipedia