Christianity in the state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

is the second largest religion in the state. According to tradition, St. Thomas, one of the

twelve apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

, landed in

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing ...

(modern day

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

) in AD 52. In the colonial age many Portuguese, Dutch, British and Italian Christians came to Tamil Nadu. Priests accompanied them not only to minister the colonisers but also to spread the Christian faith among the non-Christians in 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 Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

(47.7% of the population, 2011),

Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...

(19%, 2011) and

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...

(15%, 2011). The

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, the

Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Church of South India is the successor of a number of P ...

, the

Pentecostals Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

Church, the

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church lat, Ecclesia Syrorum-Malabarensium mal, മലബാറിലെ സുറിയാനി സഭ , native_name_lang=, image = St. Thomas' Cross (Chennai, St. Thomas Mount).jpg , caption = The Mar Thoma Nasrani Sl ...

, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, the

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic '' sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the worldwide Catholic Church possessing self-governance under the Code of ...

, the

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. The church serve ...

, the Evangelical Church of India, the Apostolics, and other evangelical denominations constitute the Christian population in Tamil Nadu. The

Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language onc ...

of Roman Catholic Church has 15 dioceses including the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore/Madras and Myliapor ( la, Madraspolitan(us) et Meliaporen(sis)) is an archdiocese based in the city of Madras (now ''Chennai''), in India. It took also the name of the ancient diocese of My ...

and the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai The Archdiocese of Madurai ( la, Madhuraien(sis)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church. Its episcopal see the city of Madurai, India. History * 8 January 1938: Established as the Diocese of Madura ...

, and has a homogeneous presence throughout the state. The second-largest church by the number of members is the

with 8 dioceses in Tamil Nadu. They are Coimbatore Diocese,

Kanyakumari Diocese The Diocese of Kanyakumari is one of the 24 dioceses under the Church of South India. The diocese was constituted on 2 June 1959. Present status The diocese has a membership of 4,91,762 people and has assets, funds and savings of about Rs. ...

, Madras Diocese, Madurai-Ramnad Diocese, Thoothukudi – Nazareth Diocese, Tirunelveli Diocese,

Trichy-Tanjore Diocese The CSI Tiruchirappalli Thanjavur Diocese () is a diocese of Church of South India in Tamil Nadu state of India. The diocese is one among the 24 dioceses of Church of South India and was one of the first 14 dioceses to be formed at the inaugur ...

and the Vellore Diocese.

Church of South India Synod Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA) Director board is the highest administrative body of CSI (Church of South India). Synod (CSI Synod) is the annual general meeting of CSI. Moderator of the Synod is a Bishop who is a presiding officer ...

, the highest administrative body of the

, is in Chennai. The vast majority of Christians in Tamil Nadu are either members of the

or the

The Pentecostal Mission The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) or New Testament Church (NTC) in the United States or Universal Pentecostal Church (UPC) in the United Kingdom is a Pentecostal denomination which was founded in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1923. The intern ...

(TPM) is headquartered in Chennai.

Salvation Army in Tamil Nadu

is an International Christian Church and charitable organisation. There are six territories in India; Eastern, Western, Northern, Central, South Eastern and South Western Territory. Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry come under the Central and South Eastern Territory. There are more than 1000 churches over Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. School, colleges, homes, shelters, and medical services are provided here. The Salvation Army does missionary, medical, educational, emergency disaster, and social services. The Salvation Army operation commenced on 27 May 1892 as a result of the vision received by Major Deva Sundaram at "Medicine Hill" near Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District. He had been praying and fasting with three officers in South Tamil Nadu. As the Army experienced rapid growth in South India, the Territory was separated from Southern Territory on 1 October 1970. States included in the territory: Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry. 'The Salvation Army' in Tamil: Ratchaniya Senai in Malayalam: Raksha Sainyam. Languages in which the gospel is preached: English, Malayalam, Tamil. Periodicals: Chiruveeran (Tamil), Home League Quarterly, Poresatham (Tamil), The Officer (Tamil)

Saint Thomas Christian denominations

In 1996, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church created its first `Diocese of Thuckalay` in Kanyakumari district, (which was under the

Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district i ...

in Kerala till then), of Tamil Nadu. The same year the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has also newly established the `Diocese of Marthandam` (bifurcated from its Archdiocese of Trivandrum) in Kanyakumari district. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church established its first diocese Chennai Diocese in the year 1979.

St. Thomas Mount Parangimalai (known in English as St. Thomas Mount) is a small hillock in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport. The ancient Syrian Christian community of India trace t ...

in Chennai, the place where St. Thomas, one of the disciples of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, was believed to have been martyred, is an important pilgrimage site for Indian Christians. The

Santhome Basilica San Thome Church, officially known as St Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas, is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Madras (Chennai), in Tamil Nadu. The present structure ...

, supposedly built atop the tomb of St. Thomas, and the

Vailankanni Velankanni (''Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi''), is a Special Grade Panchayat Town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, 350 km south of Chennai (Madras), 12 km south of ...

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, also known as Sanctuary of Our Lady of Velankanni, is a Marian shrine located at the town of Velankanni in Tamil Nadu, India. The place is also a minor basilica of the Latin Catholic Church dedicated to O ...

—revered churches by India's

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

—are good examples of majestic church architectures in Tamil Nadu.

Christianity In Kanyakumari District

One of the disciples of Jesus Christ, St.Thomas introduced Christianity in Kanyakumari. He built a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

in Thiruvithamcode in 63 AD. In the first half of the 16th century, thousands of fishermen converted to Catholicism due to the efforts of

Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...

. In 18th century European missionaries including

William Tobias Ringeltaube William Tobias Ringeltaube, or Wilhelm Tobias Ringeltaube (1770- ?) was the first Protestant missionary in the far south of India. He spent much of his time in Travancore. He was the first child of Gottlieb Ringeltaube, Vicar of Scheidelwitz ( ...

established Protestant churches and propagated Christianity in Kanyakumari. Caste discrimination was so severe in some parts of the district, that many low castes were not allowed to enter temples and lower caste women were not allowed to cover their breasts. During its reign the

Kingdom of Travancore The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

enacted several laws which suppressed lower-caste people.

Missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

fought for the rights of the suppressed people and pushed the

to restore only some basic rights for the converted Christians. As a result, many suppressed people embraced

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

Demographics

Districts with significant percentage of Christians as per 2001 census

Districts with significant percentage of Christians as per 2011 census

Important basilicas

San Thome Basilica

San Thome Basilica is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

(

) minor

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

and one of the three National Shrines in India located in

Santhome Santhome is a locality in Mylapore in Chennai city (formerly Madras) in India. History The word ''Santhome'' or ''San Thome'' is derived from Saint Thomas. The tradition is that he was martyred in AD 72 at St.Thomas Mount in the city, and was ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

city (

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. It was built in the 1523 by

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in 1893. The British version still stands today. It was designed in

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style, favoured by British

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s in the late 19th century. Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas arrived in Kerala in 52 AD preached between 52 AD and 72 AD, when he was believed to be martyred on

. The basilica is built over the site where he was believed originally to be interred. San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the

Mylapore Mylapore, also spelt Mayilapur, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Tirumayilai. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the cel ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Archdiocese. In 1956,

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

raised the church to the status of a Minor

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

, and on 11 February 2006, it was declared a national

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

by the

Catholic Bishops' Conference of India The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) is the permanent association of the Catholic bishops of India. It was established in September 1944, in Chennai. The CBCI Secretariat was located in Bangalore until 1962, when it was shifted to t ...

. The San Thome Basilica is a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

centre for

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

in India. This church is a very important site in the world for Christians.The church also has an attached museum at back.

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located in the small town of

Velankanni Velankanni (''Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi''), is a Special Grade Panchayat Town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, 350 km south of Chennai (Madras), 12 km south of ...

in the state of

in Southern

. The

is devoted to

Our Lady of Good Health Our Lady of Good Health ( ta, ஆரோக்கிய அன்னை ''Ārōkkiya annai''), also known as Our Lady of Vailankanni, is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by devotees. She is said to have appeared twice in the town of Vela ...

. Devotion to Our Lady of Good Health of Velankanni can be traced to the mid-16th century and is attributed to three

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

s at different sites around where the basilica currently stands: the apparition of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

and the

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

Child to a slumbering

shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' ' herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, ...

boy, the curing of a lame

buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most m ...

vendor, and the rescue of

sailors from a violent sea storm. Although all three apparitions ultimately resulted in the erection of a

to our Lady, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that was the proximate cause of a permanent edifice being built at Velankanni. The

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

was dedicated on the feast of the

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, the Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus. The modern canon of scripture does not record Mary's bir ...

(8 September), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the nine-day festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 5 million

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

s each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni, also known as the "

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...

of the East," is one of the most important Christian religious sites frequented by Christians in

Popular Church of South India (CSI) churches in Tamil Nadu

Image:palayamkottai.jpg, Image:George'sCathedral.jpg, Image:St Mary's Church Chennai.jpg, Image:Pragasapuram Church.jpg, Image:St.johns.jpg, Image:St.Michael and all Angels Church.jpg, Image:Adayal church (front view).jpg, Image:MelaIlandaikulam CSI.jpeg, Image:St. John's Church, Vellore (2004).jpg,

Contributions to literature

Christians of Tamil Nadu who have made concrete contributions to

Tamil language Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory o ...

and

Tamil literature Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from T ...

are *

Vedanayagam Sastriar Vedanayagam Sastriar of Thanjavur, poet-lyricist, court poet in the palace of Serfoji II Serfoji II Bhonsle ( ta, இரண்டாம் சரபோஜி ராஜா போன்ஸ்லே, mr, शरभोजी राजे भ� ...

(1774–1864) *

Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai (1826–1889), also known as Mayavaram Vedanayagam Pillai, was an Indian civil servant . Tamil poet, novelist and social worker who is remembered for the authorship of ''Prathapa Mudaliar Charithram'', recognized as th ...

(1826–1889) *

Henry Alfred Krishnapillai Henry Alfred Krishnapillai (1827–1900) was a well-known poet in Tamil language. He was born in a Hindu family, but later converted to Christianity. He was an accomplished Tamil teacher and hence after his conversion sought to work on Tamil lite ...

(1827–1900) * Dr. Abraham Pandithar (1859–1919) * Xavier Thaninayagam (1913–1980) Christians who had been born in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, but were adopted to

Tamil culture Tamil culture is the culture of the Tamil people. Tamil culture is rooted in the arts and ways of life of Tamils in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and across the globe. Tamil culture is expressed in language, literature, music, dance, thea ...

and made major contributions to Tamil language and literature are *

Roberto de Nobili Roberto de Nobili (1577 – 16 January 1656) was an Italian Jesuit missionary to Southern India. He used a novel method of adaptation ( accommodatio) to preach Christianity, adopting many local customs of India which were, in his view, not con ...

, also known as'' Thaththuva'' ''Bothagar'' *

Constanzo Beschi Constantine Joseph Beschi (8 November 1680 – 4 February 1747), also known under his Tamil name of ''Vīramāmunivar'', was an Italian Jesuit priest, missionary in South India, and Tamil language littérateur. Early years Born in Castiglione ...

/ Constantine Joseph Beschi, also known as ''Veeramaa'' ''Munivar'' *

Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg Bartholomeus or Bartholomaeus or Barthelomaeus is a masculine Latin given name, the Latin equivalent of Bartholomew. The German cognate is Bartholomäus. Notable people with the name include: * Bartholomeus Amadeus degli Amidei (died 1266), Ital ...

Robert Caldwell Robert Caldwell (7 May 1814 – 28 August 1891) was a missionary for London Missionary Society. He arrived in India at age 24, studied the local language to spread the word of Bible in a vernacular language, studies that led him to author a tex ...

George Uglow Pope George Uglow Pope (24 April 1820 – 11 February 1908), or G. U. Pope, was an Anglican Christian missionary and Tamil scholar who spent 40 years in Tamil Nadu and translated many Tamil texts into English. His popular translations include ...

Fred Goodwill Fred Goodwill (1874–1969) was a British missionary stationed in Bangalore, British India, between 1899 and 1924, serving as the superintendent of the Wesleyan Tamil Mission, Bangalore and Kolar Gold Fields. He is acknowledged for working f ...

Christian pilgrimages

Santhome Church San Thome Church, officially known as St Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas, is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Madras (Chennai), in Tamil Nadu. The present structure ...

. *

* Poondi Madha Basilica *

Our Lady of Snows Basilica Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica is located at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Catholic pilgrimage centers in India dedicated to the Our Lady of Snows, a title given to Mother Mary. The Shrine name refers to the Basilica di ...

, Thoothukudi * St. Antony's Church at

Uvari Uvari is a coastal village in Thisayanvilai Taluk, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is also called Karaichuthu Uvari. The total geographical area of the Uvari is around . History According to Tamil history, the citizens of Uvari we ...

* St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral at

Kottar Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade cen ...

Our Lady of Ransom Church Our Lady of Ransom Church may refer to: * Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom or Vallarpadam Church, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam, Kochi, India * Our Lady of Ransom Church, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India * Our Lady of Ransom Church, Eastbourne, East Sussex, U ...

, Kanyakumari. * Church of Maria Bambina Kangeyam. * St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Thiruvithamcode *

New Jerusalem Church The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) is any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed as a new religious group, influenced by the writings of scientist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). Swedenborgian or ...

, Tranquebar * St. John de Britto Church, Oriyur, Sivagangai *

Amy Carmichael Amy Beatrice Carmichael (16 December 1867 – 18 January 1951) was an Irish Christian missionary in India who opened an orphanage and founded a mission in Dohnavur. She served in India for 55 years and wrote 35 books about her work as a miss ...

, Dohnavur Fellowship Mission

List of denominations

Apostolic Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

Christian AssemblyWorld Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 368 * Apostolic Church *

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

Advent Christian Church The Advent Christian Church, also known as the Advent Christian General Conference (ACGC), is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller in 1860. The organization's Executive Director is Reverend Steve ...

* Anglican Church of India * Arise and Shine Missionary Diocese * Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC) *

Brethren Church The Brethren Church is an Anabaptist Christian denomination with roots in and one of several groups that trace its origins back to the Schwarzenau Brethren of Germany. Background The Brethren church tradition traces its roots back over 300 ...

* Bible Believing Churches in India * Bible Crusade Missionary Society * Church of Christ (Non-Instrumental)World Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 369 * Church of South India (CSI)Church of South India
/ref> * Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) * Church of North India (CNI)Church of North India
/ref> * Dohnavur FellowshipDohnavur Fellowship of Tamil Nadu, India
/ref> * Eternal Light Ministries * Evangelical Christian Church of India * Fort English Church by Rev. Dr. I. Ratnampaul (Tirunelveli) * Good News Church (Ramanathapuram) * India Gospel LeagueWorld Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 370
Indian National Apostolic Diocese
* Indian Pentecostal Church (ipc) * Madras Pentecostal Assembly Church * Maranatha Full Gospel Churches * Prince of Peace Church * Tamil Baptist ChurchesWorld Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 371 *

* Good Shepherd mission church *

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

* Rehobtoh Church,

Sankarankovil Sankarankovil is a city in Tenkasi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was formerly called Sankaranayinarkoil. Sankarankovil is the home to the Sankara Narayanar Temple . History Sankarankovil is home to the Sankara Narayanar T ...

* Madras Pentecostal Faith Church,

* Evangelical Church of India * Church of Mahanaim Ministries *

Church * ndian Pentecostal church (ipc)* Christian Revival Church (CRC)

List of Tamil Christians

Vijay (actor) Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known as Vijay, is an Indian actor, dancer and singer who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. He is among the highest paid actors in India. He has played the lead in 66 films and the Internatio ...

Madhuri Devi Madhuri Devi (19 September 1927 – June 1990) was a lead actress in Tamil films from the late 1940s until the 1950s. She has paired opposite leading heroes like M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and M. G. R and known for acting in the films ''Ma ...

Vikram (actor) Kennedy John Victor (born 17 April 1966), better known by his stage name Vikram, is an Indian actor and playback singer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and has also acted in Malayalam, Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi fi ...

S.J. Suryah S. Justin Selvaraj, known by his stage name S. J. Suryah is an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, composer, producer and music director who has worked predominately in Tamil film industry. He sought to become an actor but started out ...

Harris Jayaraj Harris Jayaraj (born 8 January 1975) is an Indian composer from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He composes soundtracks predominantly for Tamil films, while also having composed for a few films in Telugu and two films in Hindi. He has been honoured with K ...

D. Imman Immanuel Vasanth Dinakaran (born 24 January 1983), better known as D. Imman, is an Indian film composer and singer, predominantly working in Tamil cinema. Also worked in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi film industry. His first film as m ...

Vijay Antony Vijay Antony (born 24 July 1975) is an Indian music composer, playback singer, actor, film editor, lyricist, audio engineer, and filmmaker working predominantly in Tamil cinema. He made his debut as music composer in 2005. He is the first India ...

J. Livingston Philip Livingston Jones, commonly credited by his mononym Livingston is an Indian actor, comedian and screenwriter who usually plays in supporting and comedy roles in Tamil films. He is credited as Ranjan in his earlier films such as '' Captain ...

Prameela Prameela (T. A. Prameela) is a veteran Indian actress in South Indian films. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1970s and 1980s in Malayalam and Tamil films also acted in few Kannada and Telugu films as well. She was noted for her glamo ...

James Vasanthan James Vasanthan is an Indian Television (Tamil) host, a film music composer, and a filmmaker and a motivational speaker. For more than two decades, he has worked as an anchor in popular Tamil satellite television channels like Sun TV and Vijay ...

John Vijay John Vijay (born 20 November 1976) is an Indian actor who plays supporting roles in Tamil films. He has also worked in a few Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada films. Career John Vijay did his M.Sc. in Visual Communication from Loyola College ...

Alexander Babu Alexander Babu Arulanthu is an Indian Tamil stand-up comedian, singer, yoga instructor, musician and actor. In 2014, Alexander Babu left his corporate job as a software engineer to focus on stand-up comedy and theater shows. He has toured the ...

L. R. Eswari Lourde-Mary Rajeswari, better known as L. R. Eswari, is an Indian playback singer who has sung several songs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Tulu, and English. She was awarded with the Kalaimamani, the highest civilian award for ...

Chandrababu Joseph Panimayadas Chandrababu Rodriguez (1927–1974) was an Indian actor, comedian, director, singer and dancer, whose Chaplinesque-style on-screen movements and singing style made him popular from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. He had ...

Vincent Asokan Vincent Asokan is an Indian actor who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. Personal life Vincent is the son of actor S. A. Ashokan. He is married and has two sons. Career Vincent Asokan made his debut in director A. Venkates ...

* Dr. Abraham Pandithar *

S.A. Ashokan S. A. Ashokan, born as Antony and often spelled Asokan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema and theatre. He was popular mainly for playing negative roles but was also a successful character actor. Early life Ashokan was bo ...

* Xavier Thaninayagam *

Arun Alexander Arun Alexander (14 October 1973 – 28 December 2020) was an Indian actor and a dubbing artist for Tamil-language films. He was notably seen in '' Maanagaram'', ''Bigil'', '' Kolamavu Kokila'', ''Kaithi'', ''Master'' and was seen next posthumous ...

* Mahendran *

Nelson Dilipkumar Nelson Dilipkumar, credited in films as Nelson, is an Indian director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. His films are action thrillers and are known for featuring elements of dark humor. Nelson won the Best Screenplay Awa ...

George Maryan George Maryan (born 23 March 1963) is an Indian actor and comedian, who has appeared in Tamil cinema. He started his career in theatre, before working in Tamil cinema and has often collaborated with film-makers A. L. Vijay, Sundar C and Priya ...

Imman Annachi Imman Annachi (born 13 may 1970) is an Indian actor, television presenter, politician and comedian who has appeared in character roles in various Tamil films. Career Imman Annachi made his debut hosting a show named ''Konjam Arattai Konjam Se ...

* Joseph John (minister)

References

{{Churches in India Christianity in India

Salvation Army in Tamil Nadu

Saint Thomas Christian denominations

Christianity In Kanyakumari District

Demographics

Districts with significant percentage of Christians as per 2001 census

Districts with significant percentage of Christians as per 2011 census

Important basilicas

San Thome Basilica

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

Popular Church of South India (CSI) churches in Tamil Nadu

Contributions to literature

Christian pilgrimages

List of denominations

List of Tamil Christians

Further reading

See also

References