History Of Advent of Christianity In Tamil Nadu

Abstract

St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Lord Jesus Christ, landed in Malabar Coast in 52 A.D.  During the colonial period, a large number of Portuguese, Dutch, British, German and Italian Christian missionaries came to Tamil Nadu. Currently, Christians are a minority community comprising 6% of the total population. Christians are mainly concentrated in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu - Kanyakumari (48.7% of the population, 2001, Thoothukudi (17%, 2001) and Tirunelveli (11%, 2001). The history of Christianity in Tamil Nadu stated back to 2000 years ago, but in the 16th century, the religion is believed to have made a mark with the introduction by St Francis Xavier in Tirunelveli region.