Hinduism: What Really Happenned in India (PDF) - Oration

Hinduism: What Really Happened in India – M. M. Ninan
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"At the close of King Ardashir's years I set out to preach. I sailed to the
land of the Indians. I preached to them the hope of life and I chose there
a good selection”. And what did he teach? “The Bride is the Church, the
Bridegroom is the Light Mind; the Bride is the Soul, (and) Jesus is the
Bridegroom! If he rises in us, we too shall live in him, if we believe in
him, we shall transcend death and come to Life” [Duncan Greenlees,
The Gospel of the Prophet Mani, (Adyar, Madras, India: The
Theosophical Publishing House, 1956)]
The Manichaen challenge to Thomas Christianity did not go
unchallenged. However we have evidence that the persecution of nonconforming
christians by the manichaens forced many to leave their
states for refuge. One such incident is recorded in the palm leaves of
Kerala where it is stated that 70 christian families from the village of
Puhur near Cauvery took refuge in Quilon in AD 293 . These families
were persued by the manichaens and “One Manica Vachagar (Prophet
Manica), came to Quilon and reconverted some back to Hinduism”
Though there is scant information about Mani’s travel and achievements
in India, the Malankara Christians have evidences of his direct
inervention in Christian doctrines and symbolism. This is concerning the
“Marthoma Cross” also known as “Manichaen Cross”. In the opinion of
Fr C J Varkey, director, Charismatic Retreat Centre, Kulathuvayal, the
`Manichaen Cross,' is not to be exhibited at all in churches and altars.
``This was brought to Kerala by Mani himself. Abandoned during sixth
century it surfaced as `Marthoma Cross.' (The Indian Express, Friday
April 24, 1998)
The Christian community who kept the authentic faith of Thomas seems
to have gone underground with a strong vow of silence in the face of
massacre and severe persecutions. Even today there is an underground
Christian Sanyasi group who surfaces whenever there is a need to help
the missions. Sadhu Sunder Singh reports that he had been taken care of
by these secret sects on one of his Himalayan journeys. A remnant
managed to preserve a few features of Christianity. A community of
Fakirs in Sind, who are reputed to be the followers of Thuma Bhagat i.e.
St.Thomas may possibly one of the remnants (See A History of