Christianity in Maharashtra
Encyclopedia
Christianity
is a minority religion in Maharashtra
, a state of India
. Most people in Maharashtra
are Hindus
, Christian adherents being 3% of the population. The Roman Catholic archdiocese whose seat is in Maharastra is Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay
. There are two different ethnic Community in Maharashtra one is East Indians who are predominantly Roman catholic and another is Marathi Christians
predominantly Protestant. Majority of Christians in Maharashtra are Roman Catholics, who are mainly concentrated in coastal Maharashtra, specially Thane
, Mumbai
, Raigad
and are known as East Indians. Protestants who reside in Western Maharashtra Ahmednagar, Solapur
, Pune
Aurangabad and Jalna
are called Marathi Christians
. The Church of North India
has dioceses in the state and is a large Protestant church with full communion with the Anglican Church.
and Franciscan
Missionaries arrived in the 1300's with the intention of preaching the Gospel
, they were surprised to find a small Christian community already in existence. Protestant Missionaries arrived in Maharashtra from England and America in 1813.
, Vasai, virar
, and other parts of Thane
. Christianity arrived in Maharashtra in the 13th Century during Portuguese rule by Jesuit missionaries who spread Roman Catholicism in the area.
The name East Indians was taken during British Rule of East India Company
to differentiate native Catholics from other Catholics from Goa
and Manglore who came to Mumbai in search of jobs, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of queen Victoria.
They are engaged in agriculture, fishing and other rural occupations handed down to them by their ancestors. East Indians have their own village in Mumbai known as Gaothan, which is surrounded by the main city.
East Indians are more anglicized than the rest of Maharashtrian Christians, although they speak Marathi
as mother tongue. Portuguese
influence can be seen in their language and culture. Portuguese used to rule the area for centuries.
, Aurangabad and Solapur
. In Western Maharashtra, Christians are converts from Islam and Hinduism. In Western Maharashtra, Christians are a result of American Marathi Mission
and SPG Mission of the Church of England
. During the British time, Ahmednagar was part of Bombay presidency
. The first Protestant mission in the district was opened in 1831.
Marathi Christians
are predominately Protestant with small numbers of Roman Catholics. They belong to several Protestant denominations, mainly Church of North India
. The Marathi Roman Catholics and Protestants are more united with each other than with their co-religionists of other communities. British Missionary William Carey was instrumental in translating the Bible into Marathi language.
In Maharashtra, likewise, the Protestant missionaries concentrated not only on direct evangelism but also founded numerous small vernacular schools. Missionary John Wilson built Wilson College, Mumbai
.
There are similarities of customs and culture between Hindus and Marathi Christians, such as dress, food and cuisine. The Hindu custom of wearing Saree, mangalsutra and placing bindis is still prominent among native Christians. Marathi Christian highly retain their Marathi culture, and they have kept their Pre-Christian surnames. In Maharashtra, great Marathi poet Narayan Wamanrao Tilak
realised that a Hindu-Christian synthesis was simply not possible, unless the Christian religion had deep roots in the Indian culture. He trained the Marathi Christians to worship and sing Bhajans and Kirtans. He showed Christian faith in a genuinely Indian way.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is a minority religion in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, a state of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Most people in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
are Hindus
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Christian adherents being 3% of the population. The Roman Catholic archdiocese whose seat is in Maharastra is Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in India. The archdiocese has been a metropolitan see since the time it was elevated by Pope Leo XIII on September 1, 1886. The ecclesiastical province of Bombay includes the suffragan dioceses of Nashik,...
. There are two different ethnic Community in Maharashtra one is East Indians who are predominantly Roman catholic and another is Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians or Marathi Christi are an ethno-religious Community, resides in the state of Maharashtra. There is a unique identity of Marathi Christians, also known as Maharashtrian Christians who are distinct from East Indian Christians who are predominately Roman Catholics and original...
predominantly Protestant. Majority of Christians in Maharashtra are Roman Catholics, who are mainly concentrated in coastal Maharashtra, specially Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Raigad
Raigad district
Raigad District , also known as Raigarh District, is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Konkan region. The district was renamed after Raigad, the fort which was the former capital of the Maratha leader Shivaji, and is located in the interior regions of the district,...
and are known as East Indians. Protestants who reside in Western Maharashtra Ahmednagar, Solapur
Solapur
Solapur is a city in South Western Maharashtra, India governed by municipal corporation.Solapur is one of the four districts that form the region of Western Maharashtra . It is the fourth largest district in Maharashtra in terms of land area and seventh largest in terms of population...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
Aurangabad and Jalna
Jalna district
Jalna district is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in western India. Jalna town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Aurangabad division. The district occupies an area of 7718 km²...
are called Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians or Marathi Christi are an ethno-religious Community, resides in the state of Maharashtra. There is a unique identity of Marathi Christians, also known as Maharashtrian Christians who are distinct from East Indian Christians who are predominately Roman Catholics and original...
. The Church of North India
Church of North India
The Church of North India , the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India, is a united church established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the main Protestant churches working in northern India...
has dioceses in the state and is a large Protestant church with full communion with the Anglican Church.
History
Christianity has a long history in Maharashtra. When DominicanDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
and Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Missionaries arrived in the 1300's with the intention of preaching the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
, they were surprised to find a small Christian community already in existence. Protestant Missionaries arrived in Maharashtra from England and America in 1813.
East Indians
East Indians are an ethno-religious group which resides in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Vasai, virar
Virar
Virar is a name of a suburb of Northern Mumbai. Virar is a city and a part of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation in Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra....
, and other parts of Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
. Christianity arrived in Maharashtra in the 13th Century during Portuguese rule by Jesuit missionaries who spread Roman Catholicism in the area.
The name East Indians was taken during British Rule of East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
to differentiate native Catholics from other Catholics from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and Manglore who came to Mumbai in search of jobs, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of queen Victoria.
They are engaged in agriculture, fishing and other rural occupations handed down to them by their ancestors. East Indians have their own village in Mumbai known as Gaothan, which is surrounded by the main city.
East Indians are more anglicized than the rest of Maharashtrian Christians, although they speak Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
as mother tongue. Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
influence can be seen in their language and culture. Portuguese used to rule the area for centuries.
Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians are people who reside in Western Maharashtra, for example in Ahmednagar, PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Aurangabad and Solapur
Solapur
Solapur is a city in South Western Maharashtra, India governed by municipal corporation.Solapur is one of the four districts that form the region of Western Maharashtra . It is the fourth largest district in Maharashtra in terms of land area and seventh largest in terms of population...
. In Western Maharashtra, Christians are converts from Islam and Hinduism. In Western Maharashtra, Christians are a result of American Marathi Mission
American Missionary Association
The American Missionary Association was a Protestant-based abolitionist group founded on September 3, 1846 in Albany, New York. The main purpose of this organization was to abolish slavery, to educate African Americans, to promote racial equality, and to promote Christian values...
and SPG Mission of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. During the British time, Ahmednagar was part of Bombay presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
. The first Protestant mission in the district was opened in 1831.
Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians or Marathi Christi are an ethno-religious Community, resides in the state of Maharashtra. There is a unique identity of Marathi Christians, also known as Maharashtrian Christians who are distinct from East Indian Christians who are predominately Roman Catholics and original...
are predominately Protestant with small numbers of Roman Catholics. They belong to several Protestant denominations, mainly Church of North India
Church of North India
The Church of North India , the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India, is a united church established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the main Protestant churches working in northern India...
. The Marathi Roman Catholics and Protestants are more united with each other than with their co-religionists of other communities. British Missionary William Carey was instrumental in translating the Bible into Marathi language.
In Maharashtra, likewise, the Protestant missionaries concentrated not only on direct evangelism but also founded numerous small vernacular schools. Missionary John Wilson built Wilson College, Mumbai
Wilson College, Mumbai
The Wilson College, set up in 1832 in Mumbai, is one of India’s oldest colleges, with its foundation preceding that of the University of Mumbai by 25 years...
.
There are similarities of customs and culture between Hindus and Marathi Christians, such as dress, food and cuisine. The Hindu custom of wearing Saree, mangalsutra and placing bindis is still prominent among native Christians. Marathi Christian highly retain their Marathi culture, and they have kept their Pre-Christian surnames. In Maharashtra, great Marathi poet Narayan Wamanrao Tilak
Narayan Wamanrao Tilak
Narayan Vaman Tilak was a Marathi poet from Maharashtra, India.Tilak was born on 1861 in a Hindu family in the village of Karajhgaon in Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra....
realised that a Hindu-Christian synthesis was simply not possible, unless the Christian religion had deep roots in the Indian culture. He trained the Marathi Christians to worship and sing Bhajans and Kirtans. He showed Christian faith in a genuinely Indian way.
List of denominations
- Assemblies of GodAssemblies of GodThe Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
- Church of North IndiaChurch of North IndiaThe Church of North India , the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India, is a united church established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the main Protestant churches working in northern India...
- Christian and Missionary Alliance of India
- Church of the Nazarene of Bharat
- Elim Church
- Free Methodist Church of India
- Hindustani Covenant Church
- Methodist Church in IndiaMethodist Church in IndiaMethodist Church in India is a Methodist Christian denomination of India. Its seat is in Mumbai. The Church of South India and the Church of North India are the results of mergers involving Methodist Churches. It has hundreds of thousands of members...
- Indian Evangelical TeamIndian Evangelical TeamIndian Evangelical Team is a Christian denomination in India. According to World Christian Encyclopedia, 35,000 persons are affiliated. Charismatic Youth Movements It has been founded in Jammu and Kashmir. It is active in church planting....
- Indian National Full Gospel Churches Federation of India
- International Christian FellowshipInternational Christian FellowshipICF is a church movement aimed at young people and charismatic evangelism of the style typical of US Christianity. It began in 1990 in Zürich, Switzerland with ICF Zürich...
- Separate Baptists in ChristSeparate Baptists in ChristThe Separate Baptists in Christ are a denomination of Separate Baptists found mostly in United States.-History:The Separate Baptists had no formal statement of faith before 1776. They only followed the Bible. In 1776 there was split in the Separate Baptist movement over the Arminian system...
- United Basel Mission Church
- New Life Fellowship AssociationNew Life Fellowship AssociationNew Life Fellowship Association, commonly known as New Life Fellowship , is a group of neocharismatic, Evangelical, Christian Churches primarily located in India....
Famous Marathi Christians
- Vijay HazareVijay HazareVijay Samuel Hazare was an Indian cricket player from the state of Maharashtra. He captained the Indian cricket team in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953...
was an Indian cricket player. Vijay Samuel Hazare was a Marathi Christian from Solapur district. He captained the Indian cricket team in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953. Vijay Hazare also captioned Baroda and Baroda won the Ranji trophy in 1959 under his helm. Vijay Hazare is considered by many to be one of the best middle-order bats to play for India.
- Chandu BordeChandu BordeChandrakant Gulabrao "Chandu" Borde born 21 July 1934 in Poona In Marathi Christian Family, is a ex-cricketer who was a member of the Indian team between 1958 and 1970. Following his retirement, Borde became a cricket administrator, serving as the Chairman of national selectors...
was an Indian cricket player. He was a Marathi Christian from Pune district. He played for the Indian cricket team in 83 matches between 1958 and 1969. His younger brother Ramesh Borde who was a noteworthy first-class cricket player.
- Pandita RamabaiPandita RamabaiPandita Ramabai was a social reformer and activist. She was born as Hindu, started Arya Mahila Samaj and later converted to Christianity to serve widows and helpless women of India....
(23 April 1858, Maharashtra- 5 April 1922) was an eminent Marathi Christian social reformer and activist. She was born as Hindu Brahmin and then evengelised.
- Narayan Wamanrao TilakNarayan Wamanrao TilakNarayan Vaman Tilak was a Marathi poet from Maharashtra, India.Tilak was born on 1861 in a Hindu family in the village of Karajhgaon in Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra....
was a great Marathi poet born in Maharashtra as Brahmin, but later adopted Christianity. He wrote many Christian songs and bhajans in Marathi.
- Shahu ModakShahu ModakShahu Modak was an Indian actor who acted in many Hindi as well as Marathi movies. Shahu Modak was mostly famous for the mythological characters that he played. He mostly played the roles of Lord Krishna and Sant Dyaneshwar.-Personal life:...
(1918–1993), a Marathi/Hindi movie actor, who was born in a Christian family in Ahmednagar. He primarily acted as Lord Krishna in 29 mythological films.
- Jennifer WingetJennifer WingetJennifer Winget is a Bollywood Indian actress and model and anchor. She is well known for her roles in Dill Mill Gayye, Kasauti Zindagi Ki, Sangam.-Early life:...
, a Hindi Television actress.
- Kim SharmaKim Sharma-Biography:Kim was born in Ahmednagar to an Indian father and a Japanese mother and did her schooling at St. Joseph's Convent in Panchgani. She then returned to her hometown and joined a junior college. Of her college days, she said 'Having studied in a boarding school, where most of the girls were...
, an Indian Film actress.
- Father Francis D'Brotto
- Father Stephens