At the Footsteps of St. Thomas in Pakistan.

Father Joseph Varghese of the Syrian Orthodox Church was on a Mission trip to Pakistan visited the archeological site of Gondopharos Palace where it is believed that St. Thomas, the Apostle stayed before he come to India. This site is situated the binary root of the famous Silk Road about 20 miles from Rawalpindi. The historical account on the journey of St. Thomas could be traced back to a track he might have followed through Iran, Afghanistan and India. The excavated town called Sirkap was the kingdom of the Parthian king Gondophares, which is sometimes called "Indo-Parthian": the years between, say, 30 BCE and 80 CE. The excavated area is large: about 1200 meters long and 400 wide. The wall that surrounded the city, built in phase 5, appears to have had a height of 6-10 meters, was 5-7 meters wide, and almost 4,800 meters long. The Acts of St. Thomas, an early 3rd -century apocryphal text was discovered in Syria in 1822. The narration in the document goes that on his way to India St. Thomas visited the court of King Gondophares of Taxila, who entrusted St. Thomas with a small fortune and the task of building Gondophares a new palace. St. Thomas fell out of the king’s graces when he gave away all the money without laying a stone. The king was ready to order St. Thomas to be executed when his brother had a brush with death and was miraculously revived. Gondophares’ brother told the king that he saw heaven while he was dead and that St. Thomas had built a palace for him there. Soon after, St. Thomas was forgiven and the entire kingdom was converted to Christianity. Sirkap becoming a pilgrimage site for Pakistani Christians, and even some other faiths who revere St. Thomas. Faithful travel for miles to pray at the Throne of St. Thomas and baptisms are held at the site for babies and adults.

The Taxila Cross:

In 1935, a farmer plowing a field near the ruins discovered a cross, which was later presented to the Anglican bishop of Lahore. The famous "Taxila Cross" is now preserved in the Anglican Cathedral of the Resurrection, in the capital of Punjab. Sirkap is still one of the main pilgrimage sites for Pakistani Christians. Thus, on July 3, each year, several thousand of them come to celebrate the feast of St. Thomas at Sirkap, to pray and light candles. Many baptisms of adults and children are celebrated there. The ruins of Taxila remain one of the most endangered archaeological sites, according to the World Heritage Fund, which supports the preservation of historic architectural sites around the world.

St. Thomas Catholic Church:

On February 2022, “St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church” was consecrated near the site of Sirkap, Taxila. This is served as closest monument to the place where St. Thomas was lived, so that the pilgrims can come to pray and worship. 
The Christianity in Pakistan is usually regarded as a labor of 16th-century Christian missionaries, but the seed of faith was actually planted in this region from the times of the Apostles. The church history revealed in the fourth Century onwards that the Bishopric of Antioch had the ecclesiastical and spiritual jurisdiction over the churches in the Persian Kingdom which includes the territory of Mesopotamia to Indo-Parthian Kingdoms to Chiang Kingdom of Mongolia, Father joseph said. These archeological site and other evidence is more substantial proof of myth and belief of St. Thomas arrival in Malankara.