Yaxisdelhi at 20:29, 9 April 2026

2026-04-09T20:29:59Z

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{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox religious group
| group = Marathi Christian
| image = Crucession in CNI Church.jpg
| caption = Crucession of Marathi Christian in Mumbai
| langs = [[Marathi language|Marathi]]
| religions = Predominantly [[Protestant]] ([[Anglicanism|Anglican]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]]),
[[Catholic Church|Catholic]] (minority)
| region1 = India ([[Maharashtra]])
| pop1 =
}}

'''Marathi Christians''' are an [[ethnoreligious group]] of the [[States and territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Maharashtra]] who accepted Christianity during the 18th and 19th centuries during the [[East India Company]], and later, the [[British Raj]]. Conversions to [[Protestantism]] were a result of [[Mission (Christianity)|Christian missions]] such as the American Marathi Mission, [[Church Mission Society]] and the [[Church of England]]'s [[United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel]].<ref name=RGNP>{{cite web |url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352520003 |title= A Study of Christian Magazine 'Dnyanodaya' |last= Pawar |first= Nisha |date= 9 January 2019 |website= Research Gate |publisher= |access-date= 22 October 2025 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hume, Robert Allen (1847-1929) {{!}} History of Missiology|url=https://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/g-h/hume-robert-allen-1847-1929/|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.bu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Christ Church Ahmednagar, Famous Churches in Ahmednagar|url=https://www.ahmednagarlive.in/city-guide/christ-church-ahmednagar|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.ahmednagarlive.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Willington|first=Dr Andrew|title=Memorial Papers of American Marathi MIssion|url=https://www.academia.edu/47783454}}</ref>

[[File:MIRI church.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Church in [[Miri-Maka]]]]

==History==
[[File:Hume Memorial church Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra India. 20151226 054619.jpg|thumb|right|Hume Memorial church Ahmadnagar, the church built by American Marathi mission in 1902<ref>{{cite book|title=B.T.B.S. and mangaldham masikachi yashasvi vatchal,2021|date=February 2022}}</ref>]]
In the 18th Century Missionaries reached to the untouchables and poor sections of society, imparting western education and raising awareness of human rights and sharing the gospel, teaching the bible inspired many.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Adu-Gyamfi |first1=Samuel |last2=Kuusaana |first2=Mariama Marciana |last3=Darkwa |first3=Benjamin Dompreh |last4=Tomdi |first4=Lucky |date=2020-12-21 |title=The changing landscape of mission medicine and hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa |journal=Christian Journal for Global Health |language=en-US |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=65–81 |doi=10.15566/cjgh.v7i5.417 |issn=2167-2415|doi-access=free }}</ref> Education, healthcare, social reform, and the active efforts of missionaries have played a significant role in the spread of Christianity.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2024-05-31 |journal=ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts |volume=5 |issue=ICETDA24 |doi=10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.iicetda24.2024 |issn=2582-7472|doi-access=free }}</ref> Around the turn of the 18th century, [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Baptists|Baptist]] [[missionary]] [[William Carey (missionary)|William Carey]] was instrumental in translating the [[Bible]] into the [[Marathi language]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/95736/William-Carey |title= William Carey British missionary |last= |first= |date= |website= Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher= |access-date= October 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> Most of the converts were lower-caste [[Hindus]] with some upper-caste Hindus and [[Muslims]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dandekar |first=Deepra |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190914042.001.0001 |title=The Subhedar's Son |date=2019-01-24 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/oso/9780190914042.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-091404-2}}</ref>

===Ahmednagar===

[[File:Ahmadnagar Church.JPG|thumb|right|300px| Church in Vadule village]]

[[File:Nevasa_Church_20231101_222933_Gallery.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Church In [[Nevasa]], Ahmednagar]]

The [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]] established their first foreign mission with the American Marathi mission in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] on 21 December 1813, it was the first [[List of Protestant missionary societies|Protestant Mission]] in [[Western India]] and spread into hundreds of villages.<ref name=":0" /> The mission center moved from Bombay to [[Ahmednagar district|Ahmednagar]] in 1831 because it was closer to the center of Marathi country. Schools, Boardings, Colleges and theological institutions were created by Marathi mission in late 1800, aiding famine and reaching untouchables increased Christian Converts in area.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=American Marathi Mission Records, 1813-1962|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/archival/collections/ldpd_4492549/#:~:text=The%20American%20Board%20of%20Commissioners,spread%20into%20hundreds%20of%20villages.|access-date=2021-12-13|website=Columbia University}}</ref>

Christians of [[Ahmednagar district]] account for nearly 10% of district's population, a significant number of whom are located in the eastern part of the district in places such as [[Nevasa]], [[Pathardi]], [[Shevgaon]], [[Rahuri]] and [[Ahmednagar]] itself.<ref>{{cite book |title=Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ8BFk9K0ToC&pg=PA309|isbn = 9780802846808|last1 = Anderson|first1 = Gerald H.|year = 1999 |location=New York |publisher=[[Macmillan Reference USA]]}}</ref>

===Palghar===

European and American missionaries established missions in [[Palghar]] and [[Dahanu]] in [[Palghar district]]. Most of the converted Christian community from these areas are local native belong to the Second District of the Church of the Brethren (F-257 Bom).<ref>MRL3 BOMBAY 1813-1962 - “Bombay, circa 1813–1962, Box 1, Folder 3” - belongs to the American Marathi Mission Records housed at the Burke Library, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University.</ref>

===Aurangabad===
Aurangabad is home to The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Aurangabad|Diocese of Aurangabad]] which has its [[Cathedral]] and Bishop's House located in the Cantonment Area. The [[Diocese]] covers the whole of [[Marathwada]] and works mainly in field of [[Education]], [[Health]], and [[social work]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tjndiykddsIC&pg=PA190|title = Marathwada Under the Nizams, 1724-1948|isbn = 9788170990178|last1 = Kate|first1 = P. V. |location=Delhi, India |publisher=[[Mittal Publications]]|year = 1987}}</ref>

===Yavatmal===

The American Free Methodist Church maintains missions at [[Yavatmal]], [[Wani, Maharashtra|Wani]], [[Umri, Nanded|Umri]], [[Rajur]] and Darwah.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://maharashtra.gov.in/english/.../people_marriage%20morals.html |title=स्थिति - महाराष्ट्र शासन, भारत |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120425161618/http://maharashtra.gov.in/english/.../people_marriage%20morals.html |archive-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Pune===
The city of Pune is home to the headquarters of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Pune|Diocese of Pune]]. The Diocese has a significant Marathi Catholic population.<ref name=Best>{{Cite web |url= https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/120630/-best-churches-in-pune |title=Top 50 Best Churches in Pune |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=www.wanderlog.com}}</ref>

There are several Marathi Methodist, Anglican, Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal and Church of Christ missions across the city.<ref name=Best />

=== Kolhapur ===
The roots of Christianity in Kolhapur were laid by the [[Reverend Royal Gould Wilder]], an [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions|American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission]] missionary. He started the mission in Kolhapur in 1853 and later established the first church in Kolhapur which now stands as Wilder Memorial Church.<ref name=":0" />

The mission eventually became independent and then came under the American Presbyterian mission which established further churches in Sangli, Islampur, Panhala and other towns. These together continue under the Kolhapur Church Council.

The [[Church of North India]] has a number of churches in Kolhapur under the Diocese of Kolhapur.

==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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-27 |title=Through personal memories, a journey into Maharashtra's forgotten Brahmin Christians |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/through-personal-memories-a-journey-into-maharashtras-forgotten-brahmin-christians/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=SAC>{{cite web |url= https://southasianchristians.com/articles/my-story/bhajans-kirtans-and-other-riches-of-hindu-heritage-into-the-church-narayan-wamanrao-tilak-marathi-poet-from-maharashtra-lakshmibai-tilak-marathi-christians/ |title= Bhajans, Kirtans And Other Riches Of Hindu Heritage Into The Church |author= |date= 22 August 2022|website= South Asian Christians |publisher= |access-date= September 22, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>

The Indian Constitution [[Scheduled Castes]] Order, 1950, currently stipulates that only individuals professing Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism can be deemed members of a Scheduled Caste and hence reservation benefits are not given to Christians who converted from schedule caste, however The "[[Bombay East Indians]] non dalit community" was granted Other Backward Class (OBC) status by the Government of Maharashtra in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conversions for Quota Benefits Violate Constitution |url=https://vajiramandravi.com/current-affairs/conversions-for-quota-benefits-violate-constitution/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Central List of OBCs for the State of Maharashtra |url=https://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/maharashtra.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720212438/https://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/maharashtra.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2025 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=ncbc.nic.in |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
[[File:Narayan Vaman Tilak.jpg|thumb|right|250px| [[Narayan Waman Tilak]]]]
* [[Pandita Ramabai]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://feminisminindia.com/2017/03/28/pandita-ramabai-essay/|title = Pandita Ramabai: Championing Women's Education and Social Reform | #IndianWomenInHistory|date = 27 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ramabai, Dongre Medhavi [Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati] (1858-1922) {{!}} History of Missiology|url=http://www.bu.edu/missiology/ramabai-dongre-medhavi/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.bu.edu}}</ref>
* [[Narayan Waman Tilak]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tilak, Narayan Vaman (1862?-1919) {{!}} History of Missiology|url=https://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/t-u-v/tilak-narayan-vaman-1862-1919/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.bu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Macnicol|first=N.|date=1924|title=Narayan Vaman Tilak|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1758-6631.1924.tb03897.x|journal=International Review of Mission|language=en|volume=13|issue=3|pages=373–382|doi=10.1111/j.1758-6631.1924.tb03897.x|issn=1758-6631|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
*[[Rajeshwari Kharat]] Marathi Actress. famous for movie [[Fandry]]
*[[Shahu Modak]], a Marathi/Hindi movie actor from Ahmednagar. He primarily acted as Lord [[Krishna]] in 29 mythological films.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Seta|first=Keyur|title=Shahu Modak through the eyes of his spiritual partner and wife Pratibha Modak|url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2017/may/11/5741|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020090814/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2017/may/11/5741/|url-status=live|archive-date=20 October 2020|access-date=2022-01-03|website=Cinestaan}}</ref>
[[file:VEER GHATOTKACH (1949).jpg|thumb|right|250px| Actor [[Shahu Modak]]]]
* [[Archana Taide]], actress
*[[Baba Padmanji]]i, a Brahmin and a Christian convert. An author of over 100 books, his ''Yamunaparyatan'' is considered the first novel of [[Marathi literature]].
* [[Harish Salve]], renowned Jurist.<ref>{{Cite web|title='Walk The Talk', With Harish Salve: Full Transcript|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/walk-the-talk-with-harish-salve-full-transcript-759892|access-date=2022-01-03|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>
* [[N. K. P. Salve]], former Union Minister and Congress Leader from Vidarbha.
* [[Rajanikant Arole]], Magasayse award winner and Padmabhushan.
*[[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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chandu Borde, Chandu Borde Profile, Chandu Borde Photos, Chandu Borde Cricinfo, Chandu Borde Coach|url=https://www.indianmirror.com/games/cricket/coach-chandu-borde.html|access-date=2022-01-03|website=Indian Mirror}}</ref>
*[[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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vijay Samuel Hazare, Vijay Hazare, Profile Vijay Samuel Hazare, Vijay Samuel Hazare Achievements, Indian Cricket Player|url=https://www.indianmirror.com/games/cricket/former-player-vijay.html|access-date=2022-01-03|website=Indian Mirror}}</ref>
* [[Vinod Kambli]], a former Indian international Cricketer, who played for India as a left-handed middle order batsman, as well as for Mumbai and [[Boland, Western Cape|Boland]], South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cricbuzz.com/profiles/3893/vinod-kambli|title=Vinod Kambli Profile|access-date=2023-09-28|website=www.cricbuzz.com}}</ref> Kambli converted to Catholicism after his second marriage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/report-vinod-kambli-embraces-christianity-1435521/|title=Vinod Kambli embraces Christianity|date=Sep 28, 2017|website=www.dna.com }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Christianity in Maharashtra]]
* [[Kupari]]
* [[Marathi people]]
* [[Portuguese India]]
* [[List of Indian Christians]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Christian communities of India]]
[[Category:Christianity in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Social groups of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Ethnoreligious groups in India]]
[[Category:Protestant ethnoreligious groups]]
[[Category:Religion in Maharashtra]]

Marathi Christians - Revision history

Yaxisdelhi at 20:29, 9 April 2026