2401:4900:615F:E086:FD48:B389:E7DC:3B13 at 15:43, 21 August 2023

2023-08-21T15:43:34Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2015}}
[[File:Holy-Name-Cathedral-Bombay.jpg|thumb|220px|Inner view of [[Cathedral of the Holy Name, Mumbai|Cathedral of the Holy Name]], [[Colaba]], [[Mumbai]].]]
'''[[Christianity]]''' is a minority religion in '''[[Maharashtra]]''', a state of [[India]]. 79.8% of the population of [[Maharashtra]] are [[Hinduism|Hindus]], Christian adherents being 1.0% of the population. The Roman Catholic archdiocese whose seat is in Maharashtra is [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay]]. There are two different Christian ethnic communities in Maharashtra: one is [[East Indians]] who are predominantly [[Roman Catholic]] and another is [[Marathi Christians]], predominantly [[Protestant]] with a small Roman Catholic population. The Catholics in Maharashtra are mainly concentrated in coastal Maharashtra, specially [[Vasai]], [[Mumbai]], [[Raigad district|Nandurbar]] and are known as [[East Indians]], were evangelised by Portuguese missionaries during 15th-16th century.
[[Protestant]]s, who reside throughout the Maharashtra, being significant in [[Ahmednagar]], [[Solapur]], [[Pune]] [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]] and [[Jalna district|Jalna]] are called [[Marathi Christians]], Who are more recent converts evangelised by British and American missionaries during British rule in India. The [[Church of North India]] has dioceses in the state and is a large Protestant church with full communion with the [[Anglican Church]].

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Christians in Maharashtra
! Year !! Number !! Percentage
|-
| 2001<ref name="religion1">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|title=Total population by religious communities|publisher=Censusindia.gov.in|access-date=20 November 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119031333/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|archive-date=19 January 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|| <center>1,058,313</center> || <center>1.09</center>
|-
| 2011<ref name="religion2">{{cite web|publisher=Census Department, Government of India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html|title=Indian Census 2011|access-date=25 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|archive-date=13 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|| <center>1,080,073</center> || <center>0.96</center>
|-
|}

==History==
Christianity was brought to the North [[Konkan]] region of Maharashtra by [[St. Bartholomew]], one of the twelve Apostles of [[Christ]]. Pantaneus visited India about AD 180 and there he found a Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew language, left with the Christians there by St. Barthlomew. This is mentioned by Church historian [[Eusebius]], and by St. [[Jerome]] in one of his letters.<ref name="history">{{cite book
|last=Baptista
|first=Elsie Wilhelmina
|title= The East Indians: Catholic Community of Bombay, Salsette and Bassein
|year=1967
|publisher=Bombay East Indian Association}}. Contents taken from [http://www.east-indians.com/history.pdf East-Indians –- History] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]], 80 [[Kilobyte|KB]]) article, has been borrowed mainly from Elsie Wilhelmina Baptista's above book.</ref>{{Better source|date=July 2018}} A flourishing Christian Community in the 6th Century was mentioned by [[Cosmas Indicopleustes|Kosmos Indicopleustes]] and Jordanus, who worked among the Christians in Thana and Sopara areas in the 13th Century. The French [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] friar, [[Jordanus|Jordanus Catalani]] of [[Severac]] (in south-western France) started evangelizing activities in [[Thane|Thana]] and Sopara was the first work of [[Rome]] in North [[Konkan]].<ref>[http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Thane-I/population_christians.html#2 Thana District Gazeeteer Part - I: Popualation:Christians-History]</ref>

Most history of the Church in India was lost between the 9th and the 14th Century, as Persia went over to the [[Nestorianism]] in 800 AD. Since the provision of Church offices and all the apparatus of public worship was looked to a foreign source, the Indian Christians were reduced to "nominal" Christians when this foreign aid was withdrawn.<ref name="history"/> When [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] and [[Franciscan]] Missionaries arrived in the 1300s with the intention of preaching the [[Gospel]], they were surprised to find a small Christian community already in existence. Protestant Missionaries first arrived in Maharashtra from England and the United States in 1813 after the passing of the [[Charter Act of 1813]] by the roman empire.

==East Indians==

{{Main|East Indians}}
'''East Indians''' are an [[ethno-religious]] group which resides in the former North Konkan district, [[Mumbai]], [[Vasai]], [[Virar]], and other parts of [[Thane]]. Christianity was first installed by St. Bartholomew, one of Jesus Christ's apostles. Due to shortage of priests for many years, the locals were reduced to being "nominal Christians". it was due to the arrival of Portuguese and with them Jesuit missionaries who spread a new form of Christianity called Roman Catholicism in the area. The name '''East Indians''' was taken during British Rule to differentiate native Catholics from other Catholics from [[Goa]] and [[Mangalore]] who came to Mumbai in search of jobs, on the occasion of golden jubilee of Queen Victoria.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

They are engaged in agriculture, fishing and other rural occupations handed down to them by their ancestors. [[East Indians]] have their own village in [[Mumbai]] known as '''Gaothan''', which is surrounded by the main city. East Indians are more anglicized than the rest of Maharashtrian Christians, although they speak [[East Indian language]] as [[mother tongue]]. [[Portugal|Portuguese]] influence can be seen in their language and culture. Portuguese used to rule the area for centuries.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

==Bardeskar Catholics==
Bardeskar Catholics (Konkani: Bardeskar Katholik) are an ethno-religious community of Catholics following the Latin Rite from the Sindhudurg Diocese (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur district) on the southwestern coast of Maharashtra, and Uttar Kannada, Belgaum & Dharwad districts of Karnataka, India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani and Marathi languages. Church services are in Konkani language.

==Marathi Christians==
[[File:St. Patrick's Cathedral, Poona.JPG|thumb|right|St. Patrick's Cathedral, Pune]]
[[File:Hume Memorial church Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra India. 20151226 054619.jpg|thumb|right|Hume Memorial church in [[Ahmednagar]]]]
{{Main|Marathi Christians}}
[[Marathi Christians]] are predominantly [[Protestant]] with small numbers of [[Roman Catholics]].They belong to several Protestant denominations, but mainly the [[Church of North India]].British Missionary [[William Carey (missionary)|William Carey]] was instrumental in translating the Bible into Marathi language.

In Maharashtra, Protestant Christians are mainly converts from Hinduism and some from Islam.The first Protestant mission to India was the [[American Missionary Association|American Marathi Mission]].<ref name="Richard1998">{{cite book|author=H. L. Richard|title=Following Jesus in the Hindu Context: The Intriguing Implications of N.V. Tilak's Life and Thought|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=liZGQktZI0gC&pg=PR8|year=1998|publisher=William Carey Library|isbn=978-0-87808-288-9|page=3}}</ref> The main center of Protestant activity in maharashtra region during British colonial rule was in [[Ahmadnagar district]] The first [[Protestant]] mission in the district was opened in 1831 by the American Marathi mission in early 1800s.

In Maharashtra, the Protestant missionaries concentrated not only on direct evangelism but also founded numerous small vernacular schools. Missionary [[John Wilson (missionary)|John Wilson]] built [[Wilson College, Mumbai]].{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Culture===
There are similarities of customs and culture between Hindus and Marathi Christians, such as dress, food and cuisine. The Hindu custom of wearing [[Saree]], [[Mangalsutra]] and placing [[Bindi (decoration)|Bindis]] is still prominent among native Christians. Marathi Christian highly retain their Marathi culture, and they have kept their Pre-Christian surnames. In Maharashtra, great Marathi poet [[Narayan Wamanrao Tilak]] realised that a Hindu-Christian synthesis was simply not possible, unless the Christian religion had deep roots in the Indian culture. He trained the Marathi Christians to worship and sing [[Bhajan]] and [[Kirtan]]. He showed Christian faith in a genuinely Indian way.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

== List of denominations ==

<ref>World Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 368-371</ref>
<ref>http://www.calicutnet.com/variety/dir/manufacturing/pioneer-audio-visual.htm</ref><ref>http://wikimapia.org/11019778/The-Pentecostal-Mission-Ghorpadi</ref>
*[[Assemblies of God]]
*[[Catholic Church]]
*[[Church of North India]]
*[[Christian Congregation in India]]
*[[The Pentecostal Mission]]
*[[Greater Grace World Outreach]]- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130718175622/http://vashichurch.com/ Indian Missions]
*[[Hindustani Covenant Church]]
*[[Methodist Church in India]]
*[[Indian Evangelical Team]]
*[[International Christian Fellowship]]
*[[Separate Baptists in Christ]]
*[[New Life Fellowship Association]]

==Notable Marathi Christians==

*[[Chandu Borde]], a former cricket player from the Pune district. He played for the [[India national cricket team|Indian cricket team]] in 83 matches between 1958 and 1969. His younger brother Ramesh was also a noteworthy cricket player.
*[[Vijay Hazare]], a [[cricket]] player from the Solapur district. He captained the Indian cricket team in fourteen matches between 1951 and 1953. He also [[Captain (cricket)|captained]] [[Baroda cricket team|Baroda]], with whom he won the [[Ranji Trophy]] in 1959. Hazare is considered by many to be one of the best [[Batting order (cricket)|middle-order bats]] to play for India.
*[[Shahu Modak]], a Marathi/Hindi movie actor from Ahmednagar. He primarily acted as Lord [[Krishna]] in 29 mythological films.
*Baba Padmanji, a Brahmin and a Christian convert. An author of over 100 books, his ''Yamunaparyatan'' is considered the first novel of [[Marathi literature]].
*[[Pandita Ramabai]] (1858–1922) - a social reformer, activist, Sanskrit scholar and evangelist. She was born a Brahmin and later converted to Christianity.
*[[Lakshmibai Tilak]] (1868–1936) - wife of Narayan Wamanrao Tilak, was a writer who received recognition for her autobiography ''Smruti Chitre'' (स्मृतिचित्रे). When her husband died in the process of writing ''Khristayana'' (क्रिस्तायन), a Marathi epic about the life of [[Jesus]], she completed it, adding 64 chapters of her own.
*[[Narayan Wamanrao Tilak]] (1861–1919) -Marathi poet born in Maharashtra as Brahmin. He converted to Christianity, and later wrote many Christian songs and bhajans in Marathi. He edited the American Marathi mission magazine, [[Dnyanodaya]] for many years. He was the husband of Lakshmibai Tilak.
* [[Harish Salve]], renowned Jurist.
* [[N. K. P. Salve]], former Union Minister and Congress Leader from Vidarbha.
* [[Rajanikant Arole]], Magasayse award winner and Padmabhushan.
* [[Vinod Kambli]], a former cricket player for India and Mumbai, converted to Christianity recently. Many consider him one of the most talented middle-order batsman to ever play for India.

==See also==

* [[Marathi Christians]]
* [[East Indians]]
* [[Cathedral of the Holy Name, Mumbai]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Christianity in India by region}}

[[Category:Christianity in Maharashtra| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Social groups of Maharashtra]]

Christianity in Maharashtra - Revision history

2401:4900:615F:E086:FD48:B389:E7DC:3B13 at 15:43, 21 August 2023