The Lost Orthodox Christians of St Gregorious of Parumala in Dindigul (EXCLUSIVE)

OCP Correspondent Ajesh Philip with Pal Raj near the portrait of St Gregorious of Parumala.

Ajesh Philip
OCP Ambassador & Correspondent
EXCLUSIVE
01/10/2012

READ ‘HOLY BRAHMAVAR’ TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE REUNITED LATIN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY TO INDIAN MALANKARA ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE HISTORIC VISIT MADE BY OCP DELEGATION TO BRAHMAVAR.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED in The Glastonbury Review: Issue 119

READ THE OFFICIAL REQUEST SUBMITTED BY OCP SOCIETY TO THE HOLY EPISCOPAL SYNOD OF THE INDIAN MALANKARA ORTHODOX CHURCH

Tamil Nadu/ India: Dindigul in Tamil Nadu is one of the oldest centers of Orthodox Christians. Metropolitan Mor Julius Alvaris(Arch Bishop of Goa and Ceylon)  started a  center here as part of his reunion movement to the Orthodox Church in India. More than 5000 families from the Roman Catholic Church reunited with the Orthodox Church, but later on, they disintegrated due to lack of proper care from the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church. Most of the families returned to the Roman Catholic Rites. In Brahmavar-Goa area there are more or less  850 families presently, taken care by the Brahmavar Orthodox Diocese of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church.

The Unknown Community of St Gregorious in Dindigul

The author was able to locate a family near Dindigul which believes and practice the elements of Orthodox faith with the intercession of  St Gregorious of Parumala (The First Canonized Indian Saint). This family and their faith in Orthodoxy can be considered as a reminiscence of the mission started by Mor Julius Alvaris in the early 1900s in south India. The lost faithful in Dindigul and other parts of Tamil Nadu might be part of the 5000 reunited families under the leadership of Metropolitan Mor  Julius Alvarez and Saintly Padre Nuronaoh (Brahmavar).

Present Situation

At present, there remains just one family in Dindigul. They lead more or a less an isolated life. They believe in St. Gregorious of Parumala and practice ‘Siddha’ Medicine (Traditional medicine) and perform treatment with the intercession and blessing of St.Gregorious of Parumala. They are indigenous people speaking Tamil language. Once in a while, they use to visit Parumala Church (Burial Place of St Gregorious of Parumala) and Bethel Orthodox Church at Chenganoor (A Church situated in the Diocese of Cheganoor of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church) as pilgrims.

They have a separate burial yard and practice unique life, unlike other Orthodox Christians. At several instances, they have lost connections to the past and their Orthodox origin. Hence they also find it hard to recall their lost Orthodox past.

The family is headed by Mr. Pal Raj and consist of his wife children, their spouses, and grandchildren. Though Orthodox Christians in origin they attend a Roman Catholic Church and practice their sacraments.

We are not sure whether there are more indigenous Orthodox families in Dindigul and Tamil Nadu area.

“Parumala Ayya”

“Parumala Ayya”; this is how they respectfully address  St Gregorious of Parumala. They have drawn a portrait of  St. Gregorious at their home. The family believes that their practice of  ‘Siddha Medicine’ is a blessing from ‘Parumala Ayya’ and Sidhan. They have special practices of treating fractures and dislocation in the name and intercession of St. Gregorious of Parumala.

Follow Up

Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE Executive Council is to decide plans and strategies to follow up and organize detailed studies on this indigenous Orthodox community.

Ajesh Philip: Ajesh is a Ph.D. Scholar in Ethno-gynecological studies on the tribes of Idukki, Kerala-India at Gandhigram Rural University. His area of interest is Orthodox Church history. He has several years of experience serving youth organizations of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church.

Important Note:

Following a visit by the Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE Society delegation in November 2009, a report was submitted with a number of key resolutions to the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church and was published online. It played a vital role in raising concerns about this neglected mission of the church and was instrumental in the re-establishment of a specific episcopal diocese for Brahhmavar Orthodox Community after a gap of eighty-seven years.

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Source:
OCP News Service