About

Rooha Media is an initiative from a group of youth belonging to the Syro Malabar Catholic Church to promote the rich heritage and traditions of the 2000 years old community. 

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The Church of St Thomas Christians of Malabar is one of the most ancient Christian communities in the world. They are Hindus or Indians in Culture, Christian in religion and Syro-Oriental in worship. They are known as the St Thomas Christians or the Mar Thoma Nasranis as their origin traces back to St Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who landed in the Malabar coast of Kerala and baptized them in AD 50s. They are also known as Syriac Christians; not because they are the descendants of foreigners from Syria, but because they had used Syriac as their liturgical language. The community was historically united in leadership and liturgy until the intervention of Portuguese Latin missionaries in the 17th century. Until then, the Church in India was in close collaboration with the East Syriac Church and the bishops for the Church were appointed by the Patriarch of Mesopotamia. The Bishops took care of the spiritual administration of the community. The effective administration of the Church was in the hands of the local leader or the Archdeacon. Archbishop of the Church was known by the title "Metropolitan and Gate of All India". Similarly, the Archdeacon used the title "Archdeacon and Gate of All India". Post arrival of the Portuguese and their efforts to latinize the 17 centuries old indigenous Christian community, it was split into several different church denominations and traditions. Presently the St Thomas Christians are divided into various denominations namely the Syro- Malabar Catholic Church and the Church of the East in India who follow East Syriac liturgy, the Syro- Malankara Catholic Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian church who use West Syriac liturgy or  the Antiochian Liturgy.

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The Syro Malabar Church, the largest church among the St. Thomas Christian community and the third largest individual Church in Catholic Communion is also the largest Syriac Christian Community in the World. 

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But the Latin rule which lasted for about four centuries destroyed almost all the centuries-old traditions of the Church. The generations grew up under the Latinized Church even forgot the need to restore the lost traditions of the ancient Church that received faith from the Apostle. There needs to be a strong movement to nurture awareness about the traditions, heritage, spirituality and liturgy among the faithful and we at Rooha Media aim to contribute to this great task with our knowledge and expertise.