Thomma Parvom അഥവാ The Songs of Thomas

Tradition in Malabar which is handed down to us from generation to generation in the form of the songs of the Nazranis as Margom Kali.Thomma Parvam written by Thomas Ramban in 1601 for use in the Niranam church. This Thomas Ramban is a descendant of one of the first Brahmin convert to Christianity christened as Ramban Thomas during St. Thomas’ visit. The story is handed down through generations until it was written down in 1601..

According to Thomma Parvom the visit of St. Thomas in Kerala lasted only eight days in the first instant. During this period the main converts were Jews who were settled in Malabar. (There was a large Jewish community in Cochin at that time) . During his second visit over three thousand became Christians.The first convert was a Brahmin from Maliyakal who became Thomas Maliyakal.Among them were 75 Brahmin families along with Jews, Kshatriyas, Nairs and Chettiars. One Jewish prince by name Kepha (Peter) was later ordained as bishop when St. Thomas left for the rest of Kerala and India..

Apostle Thomas landed in Cranganoor (Kodungallur, Muziris) and took part in the wedding of Perumal and proceeded to the courts of Gondophorus in North India. By the discovery of Trade winds, the sea route most favored from Yemen boarder to India was to Kerala. Trade winds were discovered in A.D. 45 by Hippalus and the merchant route to Kerala went directly to Yemeni Ports and then proceeded to the Spice route over Palestine.

A Severed Hand and a Heavenly Wedding.-

Andrapolis Or Cranganoor (Kodungallur, Muziris)

( From the The Acts of Apostle Thomas ).

According to the Acts of Judas Thomas, the apostle and his new master first touched land in a city called Andrapolis. There the local king was celebrating the marriage of his only daughter. A royal message commanded everyone in town, citizen and foreigner alike, high or low, to take part in the wedding feast and to show appropriate jubilation. Reluctantly, Thomas went to a banqueting hall, but he took no part in the festivities. He ate no food and drank no wine, reclined at table with his eyes cast down, and ignored an attentive Jewish flute-girl, who thought him the handsomest man in the hall.

A cupbearer, taking umbrage at Thomas's glum withdrawal, clouted him on the ear. Thomas responded with an odd prophecy. His God, he said, would forgive his assailant in the world to come, "but in this world He will show His wonder on the hand which smote me, and I shall see it dragged along by a dog."Thomas then sang a wedding hymn in Hebrew--not in celebration of the royal marriage. The song begins with praise of "the maiden" who is "the daughter of light." "Truth rests upon her head." Those who had received the light of the "Father of all" and had been enlightened by the vision of their Lord, "glorified and praised, with the Living Spirit, the Father of Truth and the Mother of Wisdom."

While Thomas was chanting, the cupbearer who had cuffed him went outside to draw water at a fountain. There a lion attacked him . A black dog snatched up his severed right hand and carried it through the banquet hall. In the festive company only the flute-girl had understood Thomas's words to the offending servitor, for he had spoken in Hebrew. And only she had understood the words of his Hebrew hymn. Now she threw herself at Thomas's feet, exclaiming that he was either God or the apostle of God. She told the assembled guests of his prophecy about the cupbearer's hand, which all had seen in the dog's mouth. Thomas, feeling pity, took the hand and restored it to the man's arm.

Word of this astonishing episode reached the king, who then had Thomas brought to his daughter's bridal chamber to pray for and bless the newlyweds.

There, after the demonstration of his prophetic powers in the incident of the cupbearer's hand, he was to bless the newlyweds . Thomas prayed to his Lord, invoking him as, among other things, "he that reveals hidden mysteries and makes manifest words that are secret." At the end of his prayer he blessed the young couple, and then he left the room.

Thomas blesses the newly-weds

The groom likewise renounced worldly marriage, and was thankful that Thomas had set him free from temporal things and held him worthy of those that are immortal and everlasting. He thanked the Lord also for showing him how "to seek myself and know who I was and who and in what manner I now am, that I can again become that which I was." Outraged, the king ordered that Thomas be brought before him. The apostle, however, had already left that royal city, one step ahead of the king's police, he went with Habban to the court of King Gundaphorus. Habban had brought the disciple, it will be recalled, to build a palace for the Indian king.