Religion inKerala is diverse. According to 2011census of India figures, 54.73% of Kerala's population followsHinduism, 26.56% arefollowers of Islam, 18.38% followChristianity, and the remaining 0.33% follow other religions or have no religion.[2]
The historical legends regarding the origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements.Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy ofAdvaita.Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts exceptMalappuram, where they are outnumbered byMuslims.[3] Various tribal people in Kerala have retained the religious beliefs of their ancestors.[3][4]
| Community | Population (%) | Total Ministers | Excess / Deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nair communities | 11.9 | 116 | 147.53% Excess |
| Brahmins | 0.5 | 7 | 255.33% Excess |
| Ezhavar andThiyyar | 27 | 64 | 34.7%% Deficit |
| Scheduled Caste | 9.1 | 18 | 49.80% Deficit |
| Scheduled Tribe | 1.45 | 1 | 82.50% Deficit |
| Other Backward Hindus | 7.0 | 5 | 81.87% Deficit |
| Forward Christians | 12.6 | 77 | 55.10% Excess |
| Backward Christians | 5.78 | 10 | 56.90% Deficit |
| Muslims | 26.56 | 65 | 37.89% Deficit |
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Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in Kerala. According to2011 Census of India figures, 54.7% of Kerala's residents are Hindus.[2]Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts exceptMalappuram.[3]
Kerala produced several saints and movements.Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy ofAdvaita. He was instrumental in establishing fourmathas atSringeri,Dwarka,Puri andJyotirmath.Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was another religious figure who composedNarayaniyam, a collection of verses in praise of the Hindu GodKrishna.
Various practises of Hinduism are unique to Kerala. Worship ofShiva andVishnu is popular in Kerala. LordKrishna is worshipped widely in all parts of Kerala,Guruvayur being one of the most famous temples in the state. Malayali Hindus also worshipBhagavathi as a form ofShakti. Almost every village in Kerala has a Bhagavati Goddess. Hindus in Kerala also strongly believe in power of snake gods and usually have sacred snake groves known asSarpa Kavu near to their houses.
Some of the most notable temples are:Thiruvananthapuram Padmanabhaswamy Temple,Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Swami Temple,Janardhanaswamy Temple,Vellayani Devi Temple,Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple,Ananthapura Lake Temple,Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple,AngadipuramThirumandhamkunnu Temple,Alathiyoor Hanuman Temple,Bhayankavu Bhagavathi Temple,Kadampuzha Devi Temple,Keraladeshpuram Temple,Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple,Sukapuram Dakshinamoorthy Temple,Thirunavaya Navamukunda Temple,Triprangode Siva Temple,Tali Shiva Temple,Trikkandiyur Siva Temple,Thrissur Vadakkunnathan Temple,Guruvayur Temple,Thriprayar Temple,Lokanarkavu Temple,Thirunelli Temple,Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple,Chottanikkara Temple,Chengannur Mahadeva Temple,Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple,Chettikulangara Devi Temple,Mannarasala Temple,Chakkulathukavu Temple,Thiruvalla Sreevallabha Temple,Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple,Parumala Panayannarkavu Temple,Sree Poornathrayesa Temple,Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple,Trikkur Mahadeva Temple,Manalarkavu Devi Temple andRajarajeshwara Temple. Temples in Kerala follow elaborate rituals and traditionally only priests from theNambudiri caste could be appointed as priests in major temples. But in 2017 as per the state government's decision, the priests from the historically backward caste communities are now being appointed as priests.
Malayali Hindus practice ceremonies such asChorunu (first feeding of rice to a child) andVidyāraṃbhaṃ.[6]
Kerala has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according toSumerian records and it is still referred to as the "Garden of Spices" or as the "Spice Garden of India".[13][14]: 79 Kerala's spices attracted ancientArabs,Babylonians,Assyrians andEgyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE.Phoenicians established trade with Kerala during this period.[15]Arabs andPhoenicians were the first to enterMalabar Coast to trade Spices.[15] The Arabs on the coasts ofYemen,Oman, and thePersian Gulf, must have made the first long voyage to Kerala and othereastern countries.[15] They must have brought theCinnamon of Kerala to the Middle East.[15] The Greek historianHerodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolized by the Egyptians and the Phoenicians.[15]
Islam arrived inKerala, a part of the larger Indian Ocean rim, via spice and silk traders from the Middle East. Historians do not rule out the possibility ofIslam being introduced to Kerala as early as the seventh century CE.[16][17] Northern Kerala Muslims are generally referred to as theMappilas. Mappilas are but one among the many communities that forms the Muslim population of Northern Kerala.[12][18] The first Indian mosque was built in 624 AD atKodungallur.[19][20][21][22] According toQissat Shakarwati Farmad, theMasjids atKodungallur,Kollam,Madayi,Barkur,Mangalore,Kasaragod,Kannur,Dharmadam,Panthalayini, andChaliyam, were built during the era ofMalik Dinar, and they are among the oldestMasjids in theIndian subcontinent.[23] It is believed thatMalik Dinar died atThalangara inKasaragod town.[24] According to popular tradition,Islam was brought toLakshadweep islands, situated just to the west ofMalabar Coast, byUbaidullah in 661 CE. His grave is believed to be located on the island ofAndrott.[25] A fewUmayyad (661–750 AD) coins were discovered fromKothamangalam in the eastern part ofErnakulam district.[26]
The known earliest mention aboutMuslims of Kerala is in theQuilon Syrian copper plates of the 9th century CE, granted by the ruler ofKollam.[27] A number of foreign accounts have mentioned about the presence of considerableMuslim population in theMalabar Coast. Arab writers such asAl-Masudi ofBaghdad (896–956 AD),Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100–1165 AD),Abulfeda (1273–1331 AD), andAl-Dimashqi (1256–1327 AD) mention the Muslim communities in Kerala.[28] Some historians assume that theMappilas can be considered as the first native, settled Muslim community in South Asia.[21][29]Al-Biruni (973–1048 CE) appears to be the first writer to callMalabar Coast asMalabar.[30] Authors such asIbn Khordadbeh andAl-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works.[31] The Arab writers had called this placeMalibar,Manibar,Mulibar, andMunibar.Malabar is reminiscent of the wordMalanad which meansthe land of hills.[32] According toWilliam Logan, the wordMalabar comes from a combination of theDravidian wordMala (hill) and thePersian/Arabic wordBarr (country/continent).[32] TheKodungallur Mosque, has a granite foundation exhibiting 11th–12th century architectural style.[31] TheArabic inscription on a copper slab within theMadayi Mosque inKannur records its foundation year as 1124 CE.[33][26][31]
The Muslims were a major financial power to be reckoned with in the old kingdoms of Kerala and had great political influence in theHindu royal courts.[34][35] Travellers have recorded the considerably huge presence of Muslim merchants and settlements of sojourning traders in most of the ports of Kerala.[36] Immigration, intermarriage and missionary activity/conversion – secured by the common interest in the spice trade – helped in this development.[37][38] Muslim merchant magnates owning ships, spread their shipping and trading business interests across the Indian Ocean.[38][37] The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains anOld Malayalam inscription written in a mixture ofVatteluttu andGrantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE.[39] It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by aHindu king (Bhaskara Ravi) to theMuslims of Kerala.[39] A 13th century granite inscription, written in a mixture of Old Malayalam andArabic, atMuchundi Mosque inKozhikode mentions a donation by the king to the mosque.[40]
The Moroccan travellerIbn Battutah (14th century) has recorded the considerably huge presence of Muslim merchants and settlements of sojourning traders in most of the ports of Kerala.[9] By the early decades of the 14th century, travellers speak ofCalicut (Kozhikode) as the major port city in Kerala.[38] Some of the important administrative positions in the kingdom ofZamorin of Calicut, such as that of the port commissioner, were held byMuslims.[41] The port commissioner, theShah Bandar, represented commercial interests of the Muslim merchants. In his account, Ibn Battutah mentions Shah Bandars inCalicut as well asQuilon (Ibrahim Shah Bandar and Muhammed Shah Bandar).[9][41] TheAli Rajas ofArakkal kingdom, based atKannur, ruled theLakshadweep Islands.[30]Arabs had the monopoly of trade inMalabar Coast and Indian Ocean until thePortugueseAge of Discovery.[30]
The arrival of thePortuguese traders inMalabar Coast in the late 15th century checked the then well-established and wealthy Muslim community's progress.[42] Following the discovery of sea route from Europe toMalabar in 1498, the Portuguese began to expand their territories and ruled the seas betweenOrmus and theMalabar Coast and south toCeylon.[43][44] TheTuhfat Ul Mujahideen written byZainuddin Makhdoom II (born around 1532) ofPonnani during 16th-century CE is the first-ever known book fully based on the history of Kerala, written by a Keralite. It is written inArabic and contains pieces of information about the resistance put up by the navy ofKunjali Marakkar alongside theZamorin of Calicut from 1498 to 1583 against Portuguese attempts to colonizeMalabar coast.[45] It was first printed and published inLisbon. A copy of this edition has been preserved in the library ofAl-Azhar University,Cairo.[46][47][48]Tuhfatul Mujahideen also describes the history ofMappilaMuslim community of Kerala as well as the general condition ofMalabar Coast in the 16th century CE.[46] With the end of Portuguese era,Arabs lost their monopoly of trade inMalabar Coast.[30] By the mid-18th century the majority of the Muslims of Kerala became landless labourers, poor fishermen and petty traders, and the community was in "a psychological retreat".[42] The subsequent partisan rule of English East India Company authorities brought the land-less Muslim peasants ofMalabar District into a condition of destitution, and this led to a series of uprisings (against the Hindu landlords and British administration). The series of violence eventually exploded as theMappila Uprising (1921–22).[42][11]
A large number of Muslims of Kerala found extensive employment in thePersian Gulf countries in the following years (c. 1970s). This widespread participation in the "Gulf Rush" produced huge economic and social benefits for the community. Great influx funds from the earnings of the employed followed. Issues such as widespread poverty, unemployment and educational backwardness began to change.[36]
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Politically speaking, Muslims in Kerala have exhibited more unanimity than any other major community in modern-day Kerala.[49]
Christianity is followed by 18.38% of the population of Kerala.[50] The Christianity in Kerala has long traditions from first century AD many of which is similar to the MalabariJews,[51] the latter has settled in Kerala since theKing Solomon.[52] The visit of St. Thomas is still a matter of dispute among historians.[53] According to traditional accounts,[54] SaintThomas the Apostle visitedMuziris in Kerala in the first century around 52 AD and proselytized some of the then settledCochin Jewish families[55][56] and some Upper castes, they became the present "Mar Thoma Suriyani Nasrani" orSaint Thomas Syrian Christians.[57][58][59][60] According to traditional accounts, on the onset of an invasion Thomas is believed to have left northwest India traveled by vessel to theMalabar Coast, possibly visiting southeastArabia and Socotra en route, and landing at the former flourishing port ofMuziris (modern-dayNorth Paravur andKodungalloor).[56] Evidence such as theActs of Thomas, one of the first accounts of the life of Thomas, say he died in Northwest India in theIndo-Parthian Kingdom, at the hands of the monarch Misdaeus, thought to beAbdagases I, a viceroy of theGondopharnes inSistan, modern day southern Afghanistan.[61] This conclusion is supported byEphrem the Syrian and his contemporaries,Eusebius andOrigen, who testify that Thomas evangelized the Parthians.[62] Modern scholars also support this point of view, and there is no evidence suggesting Thomas was ever in Kerala, orSouth India in general.[63][64] According toKnanaya Christians, anendogamousethnic group found among theSaint Thomas Christian community of Kerala, their existence in Kerala is traced back to the arrival of theSyrian merchantThomas of Cana (Knāi Thoma) who led a migration ofSyriac Christians (Jewish-Christians) fromMesopotamia to India in the 4th or 9th century.[65][66][67] The Knanaya claim descent from Thomas of Cana and those who came with him. The communities arrival was recorded on theThomas of Cana copper plates which existed in Kerala until the 17th century after which point they were taken to Portugal by the Franciscan Order.[68][69][70] Before the arrival of Europeans in Kerala there were only Marthoma Nasranis also called as Malankara Syrian Christians due to its historical, religious, and liturgical connection toSyriac Christianity. Marthoma Nasranis remained as an independent group, and they got their bishops fromChurch of the East until the advent of Portuguese and British colonialists. The first Roman Catholic Diocese in India was founded atQuilon in the year 1329 with the Catalan Dominican friarJordanus Catalani as first Bishop.[71] The caste system became prevalent in Kerala later than any other parts of India after fourth and fifth century AD. The Nasranis were given special status outside theVarna system. Like Brahmins they were allowed to sit in front of Kings, ride on horse or elephants, to collect taxes. The Marthoma Nasranis back then also has the role of pollution neutralizers i.e., if a lower caste person hand over a substance to a Nasrani and if he in turn gives it to an upper caste, say for example Brahmin, then there would be no pollution for that Brahmin.[72]
The arrival of Europeans in the 15th century and discontent with Portuguese interference in religious matters fomented schism into Catholic and Orthodox communities. Further schism and rearrangements led to the formation of the other Indian Churches.Latin Catholics of Kerala has protracted over eleven centuries and the work of evangelization was revived by the western missionaries in the 13th century.Anglo-Indian Christian communities formed around this time as Europeans and natives intermarried. Protestantism took a stronghold in Kerala with missionary activity during British rule.
The 2011Indian census found a total of 6,411,269 Christians in Kerala,[73] with their various denominations as stated:Saint Thomas Christians (Syro-Malabar Church,Syro-Malankara Catholic Church,Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church,Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church,CSI Syrian Christians,Mar Thoma Syrian Church,Pentecostal Syrian Christians,St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India,Chaldean Syrian Church andMalabar Independent Syrian Church)[74][75] constituted 70.73% of the Christians of Kerala, followed byLatin Catholics at 13.3%,Pentecostals at 4.3%,CSI at 4.5%,Dalit Christians at 2.6% and otherProtestant groups (such asLutheran,Calvinist and othercharismatic churches) at 5.9%.
TheSaint Thomas Christians (Nasrani) of Kerala primarily belongs to the churches which use theEast Syriac Rite (Syro Malabar Church andChaldean Syrian Church) andWest Syriac Rite (Jacobite Syrian Christian Church,Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church,Mar Thoma Syrian Church,St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India,Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and theMalabar Independent Syrian Church).CSI Syrian Christians follow theAnglican rite.Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians, like other Pentecostals, are riteless (nonliturgical).[76] The Saint Thomas Christians form 70.73% of the Christians of Kerala and 12.5% of the total population of Kerala.[77][78]
Around 61% of Christians in the state areCatholics which includes theEastern Syrian Catholics (Syro-Malabar Church andSyro-Malankara Catholic Church) and theLatin Catholics of Kerala.[79] The Oriental Orthodox Churches areMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church andMalankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church. TheMalankara Marthoma Syrian Church is anOriental Protestant church. TheChurch of South India belong to theAnglican Communion. Major Pentecostal denominations in Kerala include theIndia Pentecostal Church of God,Assemblies of God in India,Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, andThe Pentecostal Mission. There has been a strong presence of other Protestant groups insouthern Kerala such as theChurch of South India andThe Salvation Army that are typically based on Anglican beliefs and trace their origins toBritish rule. They have a significant presence inNeyyattinkara taluk andPathanamthitta district.TheLargest Christian gathering in Asia is in Kerala.
In 2023, the BBC reported on the Christian tradition of photographing funerals in Kerala.[80]
Judaism arrived in Kerala with spice traders, possibly as early as the 7th century BC.[81] There is no consensus of opinion on the date of the arrival of the first Jews in India. The tradition of theCochin Jews maintains that after 72 AD, after the destruction of the SecondTemple of Jerusalem, 10,000 Jews migrated to Kerala.[81]
The only verifiable historical evidence about the Kerala Jews goes back only to the Jewish Copper Plate Grant of Bhaskara Ravi Varman in 1000 AD.[82] This document records the royal gift of rights and privileges to the Jewish Chief ofAnjuvannamJoseph Rabban. Later in the 16th century many Jews from Portugal and Spain settled in Cochin. These Jews were calledwhite Jews as opposed to the nativeblack Jews.
The Portuguese did not look favorably on the Jews. They destroyed the Jewish settlement inkodungallur and sacked the Jewish town inCochin and partially destroyed the famous Cochin Synagogue in 1661. However, the Dutch were more tolerant and allowed the Jews to pursue their normal life and trade in Cochin. According to the testimony of the Dutch Jew, Moses Pereira De Paiva, in 1686 there were 10 synagogues and nearly 500 Jewish families in Cochin. Later Britishers too were tolerant. The Jews were protected. After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, most Jews decided to emigrate to Israel. Most of the emigrants to Israel between 1948 and 1955 were from the community ofblack Jews andbrown Jews; they are known asCochini in Israel. Since the 1960s, only a few hundred Jews (mostlywhite Jews) remained in Kerala with only two synagogues open for service: thePardesi Synagogue in Matancherry built in 1567 and the synagogue inParur.[citation needed]
Jainism, one of the three most ancient Indian religious traditions still in existence, has a very small presence (0.01%) inKerala, in south India. According to the 2011India Census, Kerala only has around 4500 Jains, most of them in the city ofCochin and inWayanad district.
Medieval Jain inscriptions are mostly found on the borders of Kerala proper, such Wynad in north-east,Alathur in the Palghat Gap andChitharal inKanyakumari district. Epigraphical evidence suggests that the shrine at "Tirukkunavay", perhaps located nearCochin, was the major Jain temple in medieval Kerala (from c. 9th century AD). The so-called "Rules of the Tirukkunavay Temple" provided model and precedent for all other Jain temples of Kerala.[83] A number of images of Mahavira, Padmavati, and Parsvanatha have been recovered from Kerala.[83]
Some of the Jain temples in Kerala were taken over by theHindus at a later stage. The temple images are worshiped as Hindu gods and considered as part of the Hindu pantheon. It is not uncommon for Hindus and Jains to worship their deities in the same temple.[83]
Buddhism probably flourished for 200 years (650–850) in Kerala. The Paliyam Copper Plate of the Ay King, Varaguna (885–925 AD),[84] shows that the Buddhists benefited from royal patronage in the 10th century.
The religion's popularity declined following the onset ofAdvaita Vedanta, propagated by sageShankaracharya.[85]
However, there remainBuddhist sites and traditions across Kerala.
There were a number of Parsi families settled in Kerala, particularly aroundKozhikode andThalassery area. They practicedZoroastrianism and even built the 160-year-olddadgah (fire temple) atS. M. Street, Kozhikode which is still in existence. They were mostly wealthy families who immigrated during the 18th century from Gujarat and Bombay. The community included famous families such as the Hirjis or Marshalls.[86] Some famous Malayali Parsis included the reputed Dr. Kobad Mogaseb, who was the first medical doctor from Kozhikode who graduated from London, as well as Kaikose Rudreshan who funded theBasel Evangelical Mission Parsi High School, Thalassery.[87]
Variousgroups classified as tribes in Kerala still dominate various remote and hilly areas of Kerala.[88] They have retained various rituals and practices of their ancestors despite influences of mainstream religions.
| Hindus | Decadal growth rate (%) | Muslims | Decadal growth rate (%) | Christians | Decadal growth rate (%) | Total population | Decadal growth rate (%) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 4,378,305 | 68.5% | N/A | 1,119,473 | 17.5% | N/A | 891,767 | 13.9% | N/A | 6,389,545 | 100.0% | N/A |
| 1911 | 4,762,393 | 66.8% | +8.77 | 1,263,602 | 17.7% | +12.87 | 1,101,289 | 15.5% | +23.50 | 7,127,284 | 100.0% | +11.55 |
| 1921 | 5,052,039 | 64.9% | +6.08 | 1,360,180 | 17.5% | +7.64 | 1,376,354 | 17.7% | +24.98 | 7,788,573 | 100.0% | +9.28 |
| 1931 | 6,021,982 | 63.4% | +19.20 | 1,624,112 | 17.1% | +19.40 | 1,856,024 | 19.5% | +34.85 | 9,502,118 | 100.0% | +22.00 |
| 1941 | 6,699,600 | 61.8% | +11.25 | 1,883,786 | 17.4% | +11.60 | 2,263,888 | 20.9% | +21.98 | 10,847,274 | 100.0% | +14.16 |
| 1951 | 8,344,351 | 61.6% | +24.55 | 2,374,598 | 17.5% | +26.05 | 2,825,720 | 20.9% | +24.82 | 13,544,669 | 100.0% | +24.87 |
| 1961 | 10,282,568 | 60.9% | +23.23 | 3,027,639 | 17.9% | +27.50 | 3,587,365 | 21.2% | +26.95 | 16,897,572 | 100.0% | +24.75 |
| 1971 | 12,683,277 | 59.4% | +23.35 | 4,162,718 | 19.5% | +37.49 | 4,494,089 | 21.1% | +25.28 | 21,340,084 | 100.0% | +26.29 |
| 1981 | 14,801,347 | 58.2% | +16.70 | 5,409,687 | 21.3% | +30.00 | 5,233,865 | 20.6% | +16.46 | 25,444,899 | 100.0% | +19.24 |
| 1991 | 16,668,587 | 57.3% | +12.62 | 6,788,354 | 23.3% | +25.49 | 5,621,510 | 19.3% | +7.41 | 29,078,451 | 100.0% | +14.28 |
| 2001 | 17,920,105 | 56.3% | +7.51 | 7,863,842 | 24.7% | +15.84 | 6,057,427 | 19.0% | +7.75 | 31,841,374 | 100.0% | +9.50 |
| 2011 | 18,282,492 | 54.9% | +2.02 | 8,873,472 | 26.6% | +12.84 | 6,141,269 | 18.4% | +1.38 | 33,406,061 | 100.0% | +4.91 |
| Indicates least growth rate | Indicates most growth rate | Source: Census of India (1901–2011) | ||||||||||
| Census year | Total population | Hindus | Christians | Muslims | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1816 – 1820 | 906,587[92] | 752,371[92] | 82.99% | 112,158[92] | 12.37% | 42,058[92] | 4.64% |
| 1881 | 2,401,158[93] | 1,755,610[93] | 73.12% | 498,542[93] | 20.76% | 146,909[93] | 6.12% |
| 1891 | 2,557,736[94] | 1,871,864[94] | 73.18% | 526,911[94] | 20.60% | 158,823[94] | 6.21% |
| 1901 | 2,952,157[92] | 2,063,798[92] | 69.91% | 697,387[92] | 23.62% | 190,566[92] | 6.46% |
| 1911 | 3,428,975[92] | 2,298,390[92] | 67.03% | 903,868[92] | 26.36% | 226,617[92] | 6.61% |
| 1921 | 4,006,062[92] | 2,562,301[92] | 63.96% | 1,172,934[92] | 29.27% | 270,478[92] | 6.75% |
| 1931 | 5,095,973[92] | 3,137,795[92] | 61.57% | 1,604,475[92] | 31.46% | 353,274[92] | 6.93% |
| 1941 | 6,070,018[95] | 3,671,480[95] | 60.49% | 1,963,808[95] | 32.35% | 434,150[95] | 7.15% |
| Religion | 1871[96] | 1951[97] | |
| 1 | Hinduism | 72.43% | 63.25% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Islam | 25.72% | 33.49% |
| 3 | Christianity | 1.43% | 3.24% |
Population by religion, per 2011 census
| Religion | Population | % | Population below 6 yrs of age[98] | % | Dist. with highest population | Dist. with lowest population | Population growth since 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 18,282,492 | 54.73 | 1,632,777 | 47.01 | Thiruvananthapuram | Wayanad | 2.23% |
| Muslims | 8,873,472 | 26.56 | 1,276,104 | 36.74 | Malappuram | Pathanamthitta | 12.84% |
| Christians | 6,141,269 | 18.38 | 546,897 | 15.75 | Ernakulam | Malappuram | 1.38% |
Population by religion, per 2001 census
| Religion | Population | % | Population below 6 yrs of age[3] | % | Dist. with highest population | Dist. with lowest population | Population growth since 1991 | Children born per women (TFR)[99] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 17,883,449 | 56.2 | 1,932,504 | 50.78 | Thiruvananthapuram | Waynad | 7.29% | 1.64 |
| Muslims | 7,863,342 | 24.3 | 1,178,880 | 30.99 | Malappuram | Pathanamthitta | 15.84% | 2.46 |
| Christians | 6,057,427 | 19 | 677,878 | 17.82 | Ernakulam | Malappuram | 7.75% | 1.88 |
Population from 2001 and 2011 census, with percentage by religion for each district[clarification needed]
| Districts | Population (2001) | Population (2011) | Percent Hindus | Percent Muslims | Percent Christians |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasargod | 1,203,342 | 1,307,375 | 55.83% | 37.24% | 6.68% |
| Kannur | 2,412,365 | 2,523,003 | 59.83% | 29.43% | 10.41% |
| Wayanad | 786,627 | 817,420 | 49.48% | 28.65% | 21.34% |
| Kozhikode | 2,878,498 | 3,086,293 | 56.21% | 39.24% | 4.26% |
| Malappuram | 3,629,640 | 4,112,920 | 27.60% | 70.24% | 1.98% |
| Palakkad | 2,617,072 | 2,809,934 | 66.76% | 28.93% | 4.07% |
| Thrissur | 2,975,440 | 3,121,200 | 58.42% | 17.07% | 24.27% |
| Ernakulam | 3,098,378 | 3,282,388 | 45.99% | 15.67% | 38.03% |
| Idukki | 1,128,605 | 1,108,974 | 48.86% | 7.41% | 43.42% |
| Kottayam | 1,952,901 | 1,974,551 | 49.81% | 6.41% | 43.48% |
| Alappuzha | 2,105,349 | 2,127,789 | 68.64% | 10.55% | 20.45% |
| Pathanamthitta | 1,231,577 | 1,197,412 | 56.93% | 4.59% | 38.12% |
| Kollam | 2,584,118 | 2,635,375 | 64.42% | 19.29% | 15.99% |
| Thiruvananthapuram | 3,234,707 | 3,301,427 | 66.94% | 13.72% | 19.10% |
| Year | Hindu | % | Muslim | % | Christian | % | Others | % | Not stated | % | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005[101] | 262,976 | 47.04% | 191,675 | 34.28% | 98,353 | 17.59% | 1,098 | 0.19% | 4,980 | 0.89% | 559,082 | 100% |
| 2006[102] | 258,119 | 46.40% | 196,493 | 35.32% | 96,469 | 17.34% | 1,545 | 0.28% | 3,700 | 0.66% | 556,326 | 100% |
| 2007[103] | 250,094 | 45.88% | 183,796 | 33.71% | 98,220 | 18.02% | 6,108 | 1.12% | 6,936 | 1.27% | 545,154 | 100% |
| 2008[104] | 241,305 | 45.04% | 194,583 | 36.32% | 94,175 | 17.58% | 5,151 | 0.96% | 524 | 0.10% | 535,738 | 100% |
| 2009[105] | 247,707 | 45.51% | 204,711 | 37.61% | 90,451 | 16.62% | 704 | 0.13% | 775 | 0.14% | 544,348 | 100% |
| 2010[106] | 246,297 | 45.03% | 209,276 | 38.26% | 88,936 | 16.26% | 651 | 0.12% | 1,806 | 0.33% | 546,964 | 100% |
| 2011[107] | 248,610 | 44.37% | 214,099 | 38.21% | 94,664 | 16.90% | 2,671 | 0.48% | 224 | 0.04% | 560,268 | 100% |
| 2012[108] | 214,591 | 38.99% | 175,892 | 31.96% | 102,546 | 18.63% | 57,215 | 10.39% | 167 | 0.03% | 536,352 | 100% |
| 2013[109] | 236,420 | 44.08% | 214,257 | 39.96% | 84,660 | 15.78% | 869 | 0.16% | 146 | 0.02% | 534,458 | 100% |
| 2014[110] | 231,031 | 43.23% | 218,437 | 40.87% | 83,616 | 15.65% | 1,178 | 0.22% | 196 | 0.03% | 516,013 | 100% |
| 2015[111] | 221,220 | 42.87% | 213,865 | 41.45% | 79,565 | 15.42% | 933 | 0.18% | 430 | 0.08% | 496,292 | 100% |
| 2016[112] | 207,831 | 41.88% | 211,182 | 42.55% | 76,205 | 15.35% | 852 | 0.18% | 222 | 0.04% | 503,588 | 100% |
| 2017[113] | 210,071 | 41.71% | 216,525 | 43.00% | 75,335 | 14.96% | 1,497 | 0.30% | 160 | 0.03% | 488,174 | 100% |
| 2018[4] | 203,158 | 41.61% | 213,805 | 43.80% | 69,844 | 14.31% | 1,214 | 0.25% | 153 | 0.03% | 480,113 | 100% |
| 2019[114] | 197,061 | 41.04% | 212,933 | 44.35% | 68,596 | 14.28% | 1,408 | 0.29% | 115 | 0.04% | 446,891 | 100% |
| 2020[115] | 185,411 | 41.49% | 196,138 | 43.89% | 62,265 | 13.93% | 2,967 | 0.66% | 110 | 0.02% | 419,767 | 100% |
| 2021[116] | 181,396 | 43.21% | 169,296 | 40.33% | 59,766 | 14.24% | 9,143 | 2.18% | 166 | 0.04% | 439,742 | 100% |
| 2022[117] | 177,037 | 39.96% | 200,325 | 45.22% | 64,168 | 14.48% | 1,235 | 9.58% | 267 | 0.06% | 443,032 | 100% |
| 2023[118] | 158,399 | 40.28% | 176,312 | 44.84% | 56,810 | 14.45% | 1,294 | 3.29% | 416 | 0.10% | 393,231 | 100% |
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Gondopharnes, the first of the 'Indian kings' to whom he is said to have come, is an historical ruler who represented the Parthian power in Seistan and Kandahar, the Kabul Valley and North Western India; his reign began in A.D. 19, and had not ended in A.D. 45. The identity of Misdaeus' (Mazdai), the second king visited, under whom St. Thomas suffered martyrdom, is less certain; he may possibly have been Abdagases, viceroy of Gondopharnes in Seistan. See E. J. Rapson, The Cambridge History of India, vol. i, 1922, pp. 576–80
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)St. Ephraem the Syrian (born about A.D. 300, died about 378), who spent most of his life at Edessa, in Mesopotamia, states that the Apostle was martyred in ' India,' and that his relics were taken thence to Edessa. That St. Thomas evangelized the Parthians, is stated by Origen (born A.D. 185 or 186, died about 251–254). Eusebius (bishop of Caesarea Palaestinae from A.D. 315 to about 340) says the same
There is no evidence at all that the place where St. Thomas was martyred was in Southern India; and all the indications point to another direction
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)| History | |||||||||||||
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