[Biggirl]

“The original folks in Bombay - Bassein now call themselves “East Indians” — these are mainly Catholic and have been for 500 odd years since the Portuguese came across there.”

First, good morning.

Second I also remember that besides those Catholics who go back to the days of the Portuguese, there are what are called “Eastern Rite” Catholics who go back futher, to the days of St. Thomas the Aposle. Are they are also in this area you have pictured? Thank-you ahead for your response.

[Cronos]

Hi Biggirl. Good evening to you :)

You are correct. The Portuguese were influential in converting the Goans, East Indians and Mangalorean Catholics plus some Tamilian Catholics

the Eastern Rite Catholics you refer to are the Marthomite Christians. These are descendents of those converted by St. Thomas the Apostle

Incidently most of those were Jewish, dating from a Jewish community dating back to at least 300 BC (since Kerala is on the monsoon trade winds between Yemen/Somalia and India)

These are now either Syrian Orthodox (meaning Oriental Church) or Syro-Malabar Catholic or Syro-Malankara Catholic or Jacobite

The state of Kerala is about 300 to 400 miles to the south of the southern tip of Maharashtra

and here is a view of the trade routes across the ancient world