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Mar Thoma Sleeva (Saint Thomas Cross) ancient crosses associated with the community of Indian subcontinent, who trace their origins to the evangelism of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century AD. The Saint Thomas Christians, which is one of the oldest Christian communities of the world,[1][2][3] survive in the Malabar region in state of Kerala, India and have a diaspora in other parts of the Indian subcontinent. Saint Thomas Christian crosses are known as Mar Thoma Sleeva (Saint Thomas cross),[4] Indian cross,[5] or Persian Cross in English, as well as Nasrani Sthambam in Malabarese.
Mar Thoma Sleeva are found at Kadamattom, Muttuchira, Kothanalloor, Kottayam, Pallippuram and Alangad in the South Indian state of Kerala. Saint Thomas Christian Crosses have been also found in other parts of the Indian subcontinent, such as Agacaim (Goa), St Thomas Mount (Tamil Nadu), Anuradhapura (Ceylon), Taxila (Pakistan),[6] and in Baltistan.[7] Floriated Indian crosses are found at Kottakkavu, Pallipuram and Niranam.[8] The large open-air rock crosses known as Nasrani Sthambams are found on the facades of many Thomasine Churches. It is recorded that before the arrival of Portuguese explorers there were more than 150 Syriac churches in Malabar/Kerala.[9]
Mar Thoma Sleeva is a Syriac term which means Saint Thomas cross.[10] Antonio Gouvea, in the sixteenth century work Jornada, states that the old churches of Saint Thomas Christians were full of crosses of the type discovered at S. Thome (Mylapore).[11] He also states that veneration of the cross is an old custom in Malabar. Jornada is the oldest known written document which names the cross cross from (of) Sam Thome (Mylapore". The original phrase used is Cruz de Sam Thome, meaning Cross of (from) St Thomas. For this reason, it can also mean the "Cross from Sam Thome (Mylapore = Sam Thomé: the name given by the Portuguese to the city of Mylapore). Gouvea writes about the veneration of the Cross at Cranganore mentioning it as Cross of Christians.[11]
| The crosses are at the following locations:[6] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sl. no. | location | preserved at | Image | Notes
|
| 1 | Mylapore, Tamil Nadu | Our Lady of expectations Church, St. Thomas Mount |
 |
under Roman Catholic diocese of Chingelpet |
| 2 | Alangad, Kerala | Saint Mary's Church, Alangad | Under Syro-Malabar Church | |
| 3 | Kottayam, Kerala | Saint Mary's Knanaya Valiyapalli |  |
Believed to have originally been exhibited at the churches built by the merchant Knai Thoma in Kodungallur. Later moved to Kaduthuruthy Knanaya Church due to the destruction of the Knanaya settlement of Kodungallur in a battle between the Kingdom of Kozhikode and the Kingdom of Kochi in 1524. Finally moved to St. Mary's Knanaya Church Kottayam at its erection in 1550 C.E.
The left altar cross was dated between the 7th and 8th century by Assyriologist C.P.T Winkworth in 1928. |
| 4 | Kottayam, Kerala | Saint Mary's Knanaya Valiyapalli |  |
Believed to have originally been exhibited at the churches built by the merchant Knai Thoma in Kodungallur. Later moved to Kaduthuruthy Knanaya Church due to the destruction of the Knanaya settlement of Kodungallur in a battle between the Kingdom of Kozhikode and the Kingdom of Kochi in 1524. Finally moved to St. Mary's Knanaya Church Kottayam at its erection in 1550 C.E.
The right altar cross was dated to the 10th century by Assyriologist C.P.T. Winkworth in 1928. |
| 5 | Muttuchira, Kerala | Ruha d' Kudsha Church | under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai | |
| 6 | Kadamattam, Kerala | Saint George Church |  |
under Indian Orthodox Church |
| 7 | Kothanalloor, Kerala | St Gervasis and Prothasis Church[12] | Under Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly | |
| 8 | Agasaim, Goa | Pilar Seminary Museum | ||
| 9 | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka | Anuradhapura museum | It was found during excavations of Anuradhapura in 1912. This cross is considered as the oldest cross in Sri Lanka. | |
Other similar crosses:
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Arthur Coke Burnell, archeologist, in 1873, translated the inscriptions as follows:
F. C. Burkitt and C. P. T. Winckworth, the then reader of Assyriology in the University of Cambridge studied the inscriptions and produced a translation. This has been discussed at the International Congress of Orientalists held at Oxford in 1925.
The interpretation is as follows:
On the large cross, there is this additional sentence in Estrangelo Syriac. (Galatians 6:14)
The inscription at Kadamattom church when translated is,
Unlike crosses in other traditions, the St Thomas cross does not carry the effigy of the Christ. In addition to this unique quality, each of its elements carry symbolic meanings. Generally the Cross symbolizes life rather than death and suffering.[21]
Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Church, North Paravur and St Mary's Syro-Malabar Forane Church, Pallipuram under the Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Ankamaly of the Syro Malabar Church and St Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church, Niranam under the Niranam diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church have the ancient, floriated Persian Cross.[8]
Nasrani Sthambams are giant open-air stone crosses.[22] The plinths of these crosses represent lotus petals and lotus flowers, and they have square bases. They have various iconographic motifs, including elephants, peacocks and other animals.[23] These crosses are found in Puthenchira, Parappukkara, Veliyanad, Kalpparambu, Angamaly, Kanjoor, Malayattoor, Udayamperoor, Kuravilangad, Uzhavoor, Chungam, Kaduthuruthy, Muthalakodam, Muttuchira, Kudamaloor, Niranam, Arakuzha, Kothamangalam, Chengannur, Thumpamon, Chathannur and many other places.[24][25][26]
