5 Jan 2026
E34 - Doubt to Destiny : St. Thomas' mission in India
Welcome back to ILF Radio! For our first episode of the New year, fresh out of the Christmas season, we asked, what significance does Christmas hold in an Indian context? What are the origins of Christianity in India? A religion of Semitic roots, but popularly known through the lens of Western tradition. Was it a colonial import or does its history run far deeper?
The practice of Christian tradition in India is as diverse as its culture, having evolved and assimilated within an Indian context over two millenniums since the death of Christ. But the most fascinating and overlooked fact is that the very first introduction of Christianity on Indian shores took place as early as the apostolic era by one of Jesus’ chosen 12 apostles – Thomas who was also known as Didymus, “Doubting Thomas” and most popularly referred today as St. Thomas, the Patron saint of India. How did a Palestinian Jew from Galilee come to live and die on our Southern shores? What is the legacy he left behind? We are joined today by Vijay Kamalkara, founder and CEO of Chennai based Story trails – one of the pioneers of story-based walking tours in the country to give us an account of what we know of the ministry of St. Thomas in India.
Links to key heritage sites from today’s episode:
- Santhome Basilica, Chennai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Cathedral_Basilica,_Chennai#/media/File:Santhome_Basilica.jpg
- Spearhead believed to have killed St. Thomas at Santhome Basilica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Cathedral_Basilica,_Chennai#/media/File:Chennai,_basilica_di_san_tommaso_apostolo,_museo,_reliquiario_dell'osso_di_s._tommaso_e_della_lancia_che_lo_uccise,_02.jpg
- Tob of St. Thomas at Santhome
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_St._Thomas_in_India.JPG
- Marthoma Pontifical Shrine, Kodungaloor
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mar_Thoma_Church,_Kodungaloor#/media/File:Kodungaloor_Mar_Thoma_Church.jpg
- Bone relic believed to belong to St. Thomas at Marthoma Kodungaloor
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mar_Thoma_Church,_Kodungaloor#/media/File:Thomasreliquiar_Kondungallur.jpg
- St. Thomas Church on the Mount - the site believed to commemorate the martyrdom of St. Thomas
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:St._Thomas_Church_on_the_Mount#/media/File:Main_Entrance_St_Thomas_Mount_Church_Chennai_Aug22_A7C_02249.jpg/2
- 14 stations of the Cross positioned along the 160-step climb up the mount (nos 3,5,10 and 13)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Mount_National_Shrine_Basilica#/media/File:Statue_of_jesus_at_st.Thomas_mount_church,_chennai_3.JPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Mount_National_Shrine_Basilica#/media/File:Statue_of_jesus_at_st.Thomas_mount_church,_chennai_5.JPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Mount_National_Shrine_Basilica#/media/File:Statue_of_jesus_at_st.Thomas_mount_church,_chennai.JPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Mount_National_Shrine_Basilica#/media/File:Station_Cross_XIII_Thomas_Mount_Chennai_Aug22_A7C_02282.jpg
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Intro/Outro music credit: Dhaka by Kevin McLeod
