The central act of Christian worship in the Mar Thoma Church
Qurbana (ܩܘܪܒܢܐ) is a Syriac word meaning "offering" or "oblation." The Mar Thoma Church follows the West Syrian liturgical tradition and employs a reformed variant of the Divine Liturgy of Saint James (the Liturgy of Mar Yakub), translated into Malayalam. The word liturgy derives from the Greek leitourgia (people + work) — a service rendered to God and people. The original liturgical language of the Malankara Church was Aramaic, later replaced by Syriac, and now primarily Malayalam with retained Syriac phrases.
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| Trisagion | "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal" — an ancient opening hymn |
| Liturgy of the Word | Old Testament, Epistle, Gospel readings and sermon |
| Nicene Creed | Communal profession of faith by the whole congregation |
| Prayers of the Faithful | Intercessions for church, world, and those in need |
| Anaphora | Great prayer of thanksgiving — heart of the Eucharistic liturgy |
| Institution Narrative | Words of Jesus at the Last Supper |
| Epiclesis | Invocation of the Holy Spirit over the bread and cup |
| Fraction & Communion | Breaking of bread; reception of Holy Communion by the faithful |
| Blessing & Dismissal | Final prayers and sending forth into the world |
Beyond the primary Liturgy of St James, the church uses six other liturgies:
Canonical Hours (Shehimo): Mar Thoma members pray the canonical hours at seven fixed prayer times daily, facing the eastward direction. This ancient practice connects the church to the earliest Christian and Jewish traditions of structured daily prayer.
The liturgy is primarily in Malayalam, making it accessible to all. Diaspora congregations (NZ, Australia, USA, UK) increasingly include English. Syriac phrases are retained for their historical and devotional significance — especially in the Trisagion and responses. The Mar Thoma Church was the first church in India to conduct Eucharistic worship in the vernacular (1837).
The Mar Thoma liturgy is participatory — the whole congregation responds aloud throughout the service, reflecting the Reformation emphasis on the priesthood of all believers. The liturgy was revised by Abraham Malpan to remove medieval accretions and restore Scriptural simplicity while preserving ancient Eastern form.
Communion is open to all baptised Christians in good standing. The bread (leavened, in the Syriac tradition) and wine are administered separately. Communion is not celebrated when there are none to receive. The service is Eastern in worship and ethos, the liturgy having been translated into English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.
The first printed Malayalam Bible (four Gospels) was published in 1811 with the help of Anglican missionary Claudius Buchanan — a copy is kept at Cambridge University Library. By 1841, the whole Bible was translated by Benjamin Bailey with Chandu Menon. Scripture reading and expounding is mandated in every Sunday service.
The seven sacramental rites of the Mar Thoma Church
Mamodisa — initiation into the Body of Christ
Smearing of Holy Muron — anointing with holy oil
Kumbasaram — general confession said through prayer
Qurbana — the central Eucharistic sacrament
Holy matrimony — the covenant of husband and wife
Anointing of the Sick — prayer and oil for healing
Setting apart of deacons, priests, and bishops for ministry
Feasts and fasts are integral to Mar Thoma tradition. The constitution of the church states they are not to be removed or altered at any time.
| Fast | Duration & Timing | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Great Fast (Ambathu Nombu) | 50 days total — 40 days + 10-day Passion Week; from 2nd week of February | Symbolises Jesus' 40-day fast in the desert; culminates in Holy Week and Easter |
| Nativity Fast (Yeldo Lent) | 25 days prior to Christmas | Preparation for Christmas; includes the Annunciations to Zechariah and Joseph |
| Fast of Nineveh (Lent of Yonah) | 3 days in January | Commemorating the fast of Nineveh in the book of Jonah |
| Apostles' Fast (Lent of Sleeha's) | 13 specific days from 2nd week of June | Honouring the Apostles and their mission |
| Dormition of Mary (Shunoyo Lent) | 15 days in August | Not widely observed; some fulfil it alongside Reformation Day without doctrinal emphasis |
Money saved during fasting by giving up luxuries is traditionally deposited in the offertory on Good Friday for the church's social services for the afflicted and hungry (Isaiah 58:7–12).
The Mar Thoma liturgical year is organised into four categories of festivals
Based on events in the life of Jesus Christ
Related to the Holy Spirit
Related to the Church — beginning of the liturgical year
Meditation on the Martyrdom of Apostles
The week before Easter — the last week of the Great Lent — is the most solemn in the Mar Thoma calendar:
Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and is celebrated with carols, church services, and Christmas cakes. Before the 1850s, the Mar Thoma Church celebrated Christmas on 6 January (the day of Epiphany). By the end of the 19th century, traditions including Christmas trees, Christmas Stars (illuminative paper decorations in the form of a star or sunburst), Christmas lights, sky lanterns, nativity cribs, and other festive elements had appeared in the church.
Marriage is one of the seven sacraments (Koodashas) of the Mar Thoma Church. It is a covenantal blessing rooted in Christian teaching on unity and love, performed within a liturgical worship context. The service includes Scripture readings (commonly from Genesis, Ephesians 5, and John 2 on the Wedding at Cana), prayers of blessing, exchange of rings, and the laying on of hands by the priest. Marriage is understood as a lifelong, exclusive covenant reflecting the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Funeral services in the Mar Thoma Church emphasise Christian hope in the resurrection and eternal life. The service includes prayers, Scripture readings (1 Corinthians 15, John 11), and a homily proclaiming the Gospel in the face of death. Following the 19th-century Reformation, prayers for the dead were removed — the church holds that salvation does not occur after death and there is no purgatory. The service is conducted with confidence in Christ's resurrection and the hope of the final resurrection of the body.
Held every February on the sandy banks of the River Pampa at Maramon, Kerala, the Maramon Convention is one of the world's largest Christian gatherings. It has been held annually since 1895 and draws hundreds of thousands of participants from across India and the global diaspora for preaching, prayer, and fellowship.
Learn more via AI →