tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37355647014981913642012-01-02T09:41:01.146+05:30Sharbtho means tribe or family in syriac(a dialect of Aramaic). This blog throws light on the Syrian Christian (SyrChrs) sharbtho of Kerala.Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.comBlogger111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-41453504521827175972009-03-14T08:27:00.005+05:302009-07-07T20:39:16.073+05:30

The Qurbana is like an onion, with layers of meanings/representations: On physical, mental, spiritual, symbolic levels. The church fathers thought of this brilliant way of keeping the faith strong over the millennia: an opera steeped in meaning.In one of the layers the Qurbana is actually the reenactment of the life of Jesus. I have here tried to show the whole 2-3 hours of the 'holy drama'

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-42756039138784954922008-02-02T23:09:00.001+05:302008-02-03T17:29:09.696+05:30

Beautiful, intriguing yet clueless as to what these embossed figures, on old church walls, are. One can find tigers, peacocks, dragon, hunters, horses, moon, elephants, fishes, …er fish mutations and what not. I have snapped just a few of them and compiled in the following album(make sure you turn on the titles and descriptions):http://www.flickr.com/photos/8705617@N08/sets/72157603839493453/show

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-56494255842305581142007-12-25T05:34:00.001+05:302009-07-10T11:06:34.940+05:30

This post is primarily a response to a comment from someone who's signed off "Jagveer" to my post on the likely origins of the Syrian Christians. I'll overlook the obvious sarcasm in the comment and try to address the common misconceptions that underlies the thinking reflected in this comment. I received pretty much the same response when I posted this on a wikipedia discussion board."Ah yes. All

veliathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087332853022720028noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-31735581059865246252007-12-13T09:52:00.000+05:302007-12-15T16:32:21.562+05:30

I would like to weigh in with my take on the origin of the Syrian Christians aka Nasrani Mappilas. Some of it is theoretical, some of it is based on folklore, some on known trends in Kerala&India. Some of the theory is mine, some of it is others. I will try to separate out each of these as I present my take on the history of the Syrian Christians(SyrChrs).Perhaps the most important point to keep

veliathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087332853022720028noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-65740212514703053032007-08-01T14:15:00.004+05:302009-07-10T22:24:21.244+05:30

Check if you have heard of any of these characters. Many of these names will normally be post-fixed with the word 'Sahada', which in Malayalam means saint… I think. Also their names are pre-fixed by the title ‘Mar’ or ‘Mor’ if male and ‘Martha’ or ‘Mortha’ if female.Martha-Shmooni in whose name is there is a Jacobite church at Peroor, Kottayam. I don't blame you if you haven’t heard the name;

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-49351669120502365132007-06-10T12:20:00.001+05:302008-02-03T17:20:23.729+05:30

Click on the link below for a slide show of some of the oldest churches in and around Kunnamkulam, Thrissur. What is unbelievable by us southists is that all of them are under the Malankara Orthodox Syrian wing. Yes, so far off north of Kottayam! Make sure you turn on the titles and descriptions in the link below http://www.flickr.com/photos/8705617@N08/sets/72157600299122375/show/       A

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-64647668611406919262007-06-10T11:54:00.001+05:302007-10-28T18:04:19.250+05:30

If the legendary dates are true, then there is at least 1940 years of Christianity in Kerala. So this bio-diversity hot spot of the world also hosts some of the world's oldest churches. The legend of one of these churches is that it is the first church in the world. Well I don't think one can prove that though. Anyway coming back to the point of the post, today an historian or a tourist will be

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-73137060358664399312007-04-08T11:34:00.001+05:302007-04-25T20:35:17.925+05:30

I jokingly call St. John's Cathedral in Thiruvalla as Puttukuttipally but I am in all praise for it since I decided to take a closer look at it recently. Unlike Perumthachan's temple pond this is not just an illusion it is a good job blending all the sabha's characteristics onto one structure. If we go a little closer the outsides resembles typical Keralite temple architecture. But once inside

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-51030687376644064952007-04-08T11:19:00.001+05:302007-04-08T11:19:13.817+05:30

Here are some facts and figures, which may not be acquired from our Sunday schools. I gathered them through my newfound hobby on learning of the Syrian Christians of Kerala.   §           First of all, the places Antioch, Edessa, Mardin and Tur-Abdin are not in present day Syria but in Turkey! Antioch is where the first converts called themselves Christians. Tur-Abdin is supposedly the

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-68382618227962022582007-04-08T11:15:00.001+05:302007-04-08T11:15:38.652+05:30

Malayali freshmen like me are pulled into the understanding of Syrian Christians of Kerala (SyrChrs) to find answers to two particular questions: What sort of Christianity prevailed here originally? That is before the arrival of the Portuguese. What does it mean to be a SyrChr?   There is no clear confirmed answer to the first question, however even considering the historical facts many

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3735564701498191364.post-86234011725306941692007-04-08T10:00:00.002+05:302009-07-10T22:31:01.841+05:30

Today in the break between a lot of yeasty breads and drinks, I decided it's time to launch this blog. Easter Sunday is wonderful for the palette and therefore for the mind JAs a preface: Most of us are disillusioned as to what does it mean to be Suriyani Kristhiyani (Syrian Christian). We are confused by what we see and hear. We don't trust what we were taught. There is no one to ask. There is

Sujith Philiposehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02579943442946924949noreply@blogger.com5