What is special about the Knanayas? What makes them different from other Christian communities? Is it not a perversion within the Christian community? These are some of the questions asked by friends and groups, when they hear about my Knanaya origin. I was often embarrassed at such queries in the past because in most cases they carry a tone of hidden contempt. As per my information, this situation is a common experience of many Knanayas in a non-knanaya group.
Due to such embarrassing situations, I have asked myself, why I still continue to be a Knanaya? What thrives me to be a part of this community? I believe many Knanaya children, youth and the migrated parents in different parts of Europe, America, Australia etc. keep asking themselves similar questions.
An honest analysis of the problem shows us that:
I. The non-Knanaya Christian communities process very little knowledge about the elements of Knanaya culture and its contributions to the Church and world cultural heritage. Added to that they still hold on to the manipulated ideas of pure blood, Charamkettikal, Endogamy etc. on the Knanayas.
II. The vast majority of the Knanayas present themselves as someone special and that they are endogamous. The majority of the Knanayas fail to present the ethno-religious cultural heritage of the Knanaya society.
Through this article, I wish that the Knanayas themselves come to know the deeper meaning of their culture and practices.
1. Who are the Knanayas?
The Knanayas are the descendants of an ethno-religious community that migrated from the Middle East (Kana) to Kerala in the year 345. It is an ethno-religious community because of its common Jewish ethnic origin and Christian religious beliefs.
2. Does the Knanayas have a culture of their own?
Yes. The Knanaya follow a Jewish-Christian culture. It is an ethnic culture that has survived 17 centuries in a foreign land without political or military power. Purathanpattukal/ Songs sung during different community events narrate the cultural history of the Knanayas.
3. What are the main elements of Knanaya culture?
3.1 The Jewish- Christian Ethnic origin.
The Knanayas belong to a Jewish-Christian ethnic group that migrated to India. Besides the common Jewish ancestry, the Jewish-Christian practices going back to the Traditions of St. Thomas the Apostle bring this community together. It is a system of bonding – Belief and Community (Vishvasam & Samudhayam) together.
These two elements together make it an ethno-religious community. There is no Knanaya community without the belief in Jesus and the Church. This ability to club them together is the greatness of this community. It is also the greatest dilemma that the Knanaya community has been facing. It is both a positive and negative aspect of the knanaya culture.
3.2 The Knanaya concept of FAMILY.
The Knanayas have a comprehensive concept of family in comparison to many other cultures. A Knanaya Family consists not only of father, mother, and children but also the kith and kin. All the major events of a Knanaya family are closely associated with traditions that bring the enlarged family together.
3.3 The Knanaya siblings’ bond – Knanaya Koottayima
Knanayas maintain a strong community bond among the members. The members feel an inner urge to support each other and to come together without the influence of any external compulsion. They recognize each other as members of a common family having a common origin. It is a common trait of the Knanayas which we rarely find among other cultural groups.
3.4 The Knanaya heritage of traditions and practices
The Knanayas have a great treasure of meaningful traditions and practices that define the Knanaya concept of life, family, and belief. These traditions are practiced freely at all major family and religious events. The unique Knanaya method of involving members of different age groups (from elders to children) in practicing the traditions is praiseworthy. They are treasures of human cultural history.
3.5 The Knanaya method of inculturation and preservation of culture
The Knanaya community is basically a migrating community. In spite of this common characteristic, it follows a practical method of preserving its ancestral traditions. The Knanaya community encourages its members to respect also the local traditions of the region where they live. Their method of transmitting and preserving one’s own culture and integrating meaningful regional-cultural elements is unique method of world cultural preservation.
4. Why Endogamy? Is it a racist community practice?
The Knanaya community practices endogamy as practiced by many other communities in India and other parts of the world. Its concept of endogamy is not based on superiority or inferiority concepts of human races. The Knanaya Endogamy does not allow its members to consider non-Knanayas as less important persons. It is a community that believes in the dignity and honor of every human being. Its endogamy practices are specifically to preserve the community.
It is a decentralized social system in which the families/individuals are free to practice or abstain from the traditions. It has no social or hierarchical structures which impose sanctions on erring members. The members practice and preserve the traditions freely. The erring members are never denied of their ancestral or property rights.
This free nature of Knanaya Endogamy has helped the community to preserve their culture for 17 centuries without political or military power. It is a great proof for the commitment of the Knanayas to preserve their ancestral culture.
What makes the Knanayas different from other Syro-Malabar Christians?
In Faith and belief, the Knanayas are rooted in the common beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church. The Knanaya Culture and ethnicity make them different from the other Christian groups.
Ethnicity and belongingness to a particular culture is part of human life. Jesus our Lord and savior never disowned his Jewish identity. He was a faithful Jew, who followed the socio-religious practices of his society until his death.
The right to exist and to preserve the identity of an ethnic society is a human right recognized by the UNO* and the Catholic Church. In the words of St. John Paul II, “Your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be allowed to disappear” *. The Knanayas follow a 1700 year old culture. They happily preserve it and transmit it to younger generations. It is a great contribution to the world's cultural heritage. Be proud of your Knanaya origin. Be happy to preserve it.
Fr. Dr. Thampi Thomas Panangatu.
References
* Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. 18 December 1992, General Assembly resolution 47/135.
* Quote from the address by the Holy Father John Paul II to the Aboriginal in Alice Spring, Australia, 29. Nov.1986.