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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
[[File:Tripura charch.JPG|thumb|A church in Agartala]]
'''[[Christianity]]''' is one of the religions in '''[[Tripura]]''', a state in [[North East India]]. According to the Indian Census 2011, the population of Christians in Tripura is 159,882 or 4.35% of the total population. Christians are mostly found among the indigenous communities of the state such as the [[Tripuri people|Tripuri]], [[Lushai]], [[Kuki people|Kuki]], [[Darlong]], [[Halam (ethnic group)|Halam]] etc. Among the Scheduled Tribes of the state Christians share is 13.12% of the population.<ref>[https://blog.cpsindia.org/2016/09/religion-data-of-census-2011-xxix.html blog.cpsindia.org/2016/09/religion-data-of-census-2011-xxix.html]</ref>

==History==
The beginning of the Christian faith in Tripura dates back many centuries. Fr. Ignatius Gomes, a [[Jesuit]] priest made the first reference to the Christians of Mariamnagar in Agartala when he visited them in 1683. Fr. P. Barbe, the Pastor of [[Chittagong]], visited Tripura in 1843. Holy Cross pioneering missionaries Fr. Louis Augustine Verite and Fr. Beboit Adolphe Mercier visited Agartala in 1856 and administered sacraments to the Christians in Mariamnagar Village. But it was only from 1937 that priests began to take permanent residence at Mariamnagar.

The [[Tripura Baptist Christian Union]] was formed under the leadership of Rev. M.J. Eade in December 1938 in Lakshmilunga, a village six miles from Agartala. The '''Baptist Mission Compound''' at Arundhutinagar, [[Agartala]] was also established in the year 1938 under an official land grant by the then King of Tripura Kingdom [[Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman|Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya]] to the missionaries from [[New Zealand]] [[Baptist]] Missionary Society (NZBMS).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyfrzVvJNxUC&q=history+christianity+tripura |title=Origin and Growth of Christianity in Tripura: With Special Reference to the ... - Sukhendu Debbarma - Google Books |isbn=9788173870385 |accessdate=2013-12-16|last1=Debbarma |first1=Sukhendu |year=1996 }}</ref>

The first [[Roman Catholic]] Parish in Tripura was erected at Mariamnagar in 1939. The first permanent Church (at present the temporary Cathedral) was blessed in 1952. Because of its geographical proximity, the Archdiocese of Dhaka continued to cater to the spiritual needs of the Catholics in Tripura till the erection of the new Ecclesiastical Unit in 1952, namely, the Prefecture of [[Haflong]]. In 1969, the Prefecture was upgraded to the position of a Diocese and Most Rev. Denzil D'Souza, DD, was the first Bishop of [[Silchar]]. At that time the Diocese comprised the States of [[Mizoram]] and Tripura and the District of Cachar in Assam. On 11 January 1996, Pope John Paul II decreed the erection of the Diocese of Agartala. The new Diocese of Agartala, comprising the entire State of Tripura was bifurcated from the erstwhile Diocese of Silchar. Most Rev. Lumen Monteiro, CSC, DD, was appointed the first Bishop of the new Diocese. He was ordained and installed on 26 May 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.agartaladiocese.org/About_us.htm |title=Diocese of Agartala |publisher=Agartaladiocese.org |date= |accessdate=2013-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030183643/http://www.agartaladiocese.org/About_us.htm |archive-date=30 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Denominations==
The major denominations of Christianity present in the state are the [[Baptist]], [[Presbyterian Church of India]] (PCI) and the [[Roman Catholic]] Churches.
There are also many churches of the [[Believers' Church]], [[Assembly of God]], Evangelical and Christian Churches in the state.{{fact|date=January 2019}} and also Christian Revival Church.

===Statistics===
{| class = "wikitable"
|-
!Denomination|| Churches || Members
|-
| [[Tripura Baptist Christian Union]] (TBCU) || 943<ref>[https://www.baptistworld.org/tripura-baptist-christian-union/ baptistworld.org>tripura-baptist-christian-union]</ref> || 84,795<ref name="bwanet2">{{cite web|url=http://bwanet.org/about-us2/stats|title=Baptist World Alliance - Statistics|publisher=bwanet.org|access-date=2017-07-07|archive-date=18 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118065102/http://bwanet.org/about-us2/stats|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Agartala|Roman Catholic Church]] || 110 || 49,000<ref>[https://www.agartaladiocese.org/about_us.php agartaladiocese.org<about]</ref>
|-
| [[Tripura Presbyterian Church Synod]] (PCI) || 325 || 22,277<ref>[https://www.mizoramsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Presbyterian-Review-April_September-2016.pdf https://www.mizoramsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Presbyterian-Review-April_September-2016.pdf page 30]</ref><ref>[https://www.mizoramsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Synfocity628.pdf https://www.mizoramsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Synfocity628.pdf]</ref>
|-
| [[Believers Church]] || 500 || 20,000
|-
| [[Independent Church of India]] (ICI) || 44 || 5,000
|-
| '''Total''' || '''1,922''' || '''181,072'''
|-
|}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical Christian Population in Tripura<ref>[https://blog.cpsindia.org/2016/08/religion-data-of-census-2011-xxviii.html?m=1 ww.cpsindia.org › The Christianisation of the Northeast - Centre for Policy Studies]</ref>
|type =
|footnote =
|align = right
|width =
|state =
|shading =
|pop_name =
|percentages =
|source = [[census of India]]
|1901 | 138
|1911 | 138
|1921 | 1,860
|1931 | 2,596
|1941 | 328
|1951 | 5,262
|1961 | 10,039
|1971 | 15,713
|1981 | 24,872
|1991 | 46,472
|2001 | 1,02,489
|2011 | 1,59,882
}}

===Trends===
'''Percentage of Christians in Tripura by decades'''<ref>[https://blog.cpsindia.org/2016/08/religion-data-of-census-2011-xxviii.html?m=1 ww.cpsindia.org › The Christianisation of the Northeast - Centre for Policy Studies]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Year'''
! '''Percent'''
! '''Increase'''
|-
| '''1901'''
| '''0.08%'''
|'''-'''
|-
| '''1911'''
| '''0.06%'''
|'''-0.02%'''
|-
| '''1921'''
| '''0.61%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" |
'''+0.55%'''
|-
| '''1931'''
| '''0.68%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" |
'''+0.07%'''
|-
| '''1941'''
| '''0.06%'''
|'''-0.62%'''
|-
| '''1951'''
| '''0.82%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" |
'''+0.76%'''
|-
| '''1961'''
| '''0.88%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.02%'''
|-
| '''1971'''
| '''1.01%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.13%'''
|-
| '''1981'''
| '''1.21%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.20%'''
|-
| '''1991'''
| '''1.69%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.48%'''
|-
| '''2001'''
| '''3.20%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+1.51%'''
|-
| '''2011'''
| '''4.35%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+1.15%'''
|}

===Tribes===
'''Percentage of Christians in the Scheduled Tribes'''<ref>[https://blog.cpsindia.org/2016/09/religion-data-of-census-2011-xxix.html blog.cpsindia.org/2016/09/religion-data-of-census-2011-xxix.html]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Tribe'''
! '''Christians'''
! '''Percent'''
|-
| '''Tripuri'''
| '''51,753'''
|'''8.74%'''
|-
| '''Riang'''
| '''32,509'''
|'''17.27%'''
|-
| '''Halam'''
| '''27,025'''
|'''47.24%'''
|-
| '''Kuki'''
| '''9,784'''
|'''89.23%'''
|-
| '''Garo'''
| '''8,370'''
|'''64.62%'''
|-
| '''Jamatia'''
| '''7,465'''
|'''8.96%'''
|-
| '''Lushai'''
| '''5,253'''
| '''97.57%'''
|-
| '''Uchoi'''
| '''1,778'''
| '''72.66%'''
|-
| '''Munda'''
| '''605'''
| '''4.16%'''
|-
| '''Chakma'''
| '''295'''
| '''0.37%'''
|-
| '''Mag'''
| '''139'''
| '''0.37%'''
|-
| '''Noatia'''
| '''122'''
| '''0.86%'''
|-
| '''Khasi'''
| '''115'''
| '''67.49%'''
|}

==Major churches==
# [[Agartala Baptist Church]], first church in Agartala city.
# [[Jangalia Baptist Church]], largest Baptist church in the state.
# Mariamnagar Catholic Parish, oldest Christian community in the state
# Zion Baptist Church established in 1983
# Birchandra Baptist Church (KBPC)
# Khumulwng Baptist Church

==See also==
* [[Tripura Baptist Christian Union]]
* [[Tripura Presbyterian Church Synod]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Agartala]]
* [[National Twipra Christian Fellowship]]
* [[List of Christian denominations in North East India]]
*[[Christian Revival Church]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* Debbarma, Sukhendu (1996) [https://books.google.com/books?id=vyfrzVvJNxUC&printsec=frontcover ''Origin and Growth of Christianity in Tripura: With Special Reference to the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society, 1938-1988''], Indus Publishing, New Delhi. {{ISBN|81-7387-038-1}}
* Borok Baptist Convention, Rangchak Mukumu, 2010
*Jain, Sandhya (2010). Evangelical intrusions: [Tripura, a case study]. New Delhi: Rupa & Co.

==External links==
* [https://www.christiantbcu.org/tbcu Tripura Baptist Christian Union (TBCU) website]
* [http://www.agartaladiocese.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Agartala website]
* [http://www.ici.net.in/ ICI website]

{{Christianity in India by region}}
{{Churches in India}}

[[Category:Christianity in Tripura| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Tripura]]

Christianity in Tripura - Revision history

UpdateBot at 17:46, 21 November 2021