It was in Kerala in the first century, Thomas the Apostle arrived to preach the gospel to the Jewish community. Some of the Jews and locals including the wise men who saw Jesus as a baby at Bethlehem became followers of Jesus of Nazareth. They were known as Nasrani people and their church as Malankara Church. They followed a unique Hebrew-Syriac Christian tradition which included several Jewish elements and Indian customs. Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian church which is known as Mar Thoma Church is part of this Malankara Church, still an independent, church, without being part of any other Churches.