Christians have long believed that Israel is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. An author from India is claiming, however, that Jesus was born in the South Asian country— an allegation perceived to be intended to shake up the belief of Christians in the predominantly Hindu nation.
In his book called "Christ Parichay," Indian nationalist Ganesh Damodar Savarkar claimed that Jesus Christ was a Tamil Hindu, born to Vishwakarma Brahmin caste. The book is being reissued in India.
The author even gave a Tamil name for Jesus Christ – "Keshao Krishna." He described Jesus as someone with dark complexion and who spoke Tamil instead of Aramaic, the language believed to have been used by Jesus.
Savarkar also claimed that Christ practiced yoga, which he supposedly learned from India. Jesus, according to the author, also wore a sacred thread starting when he was 12 as part of the Brahmin tradition.
One of Savarkar's most controversial claims is that Christianity is a "new cult" founded by Jesus Christ after the latter deviated from Hinduism.
Adding to the controversy, the author also claimed that after He was crucified, Jesus was saved by people of the Essenes cult who later taught him yoga and took him to Kashmir where he prayed to Lord Shiva.
Going further, Savarkar claimed in his book that Jesus spent his final years in the Himalayas and there he attained Samadhi — sharply contradicting the Christian belief that Christ resurrected and ascended to Heaven.
Commenting on the controversial book, senior priest and the director of the Bombay Archdiocesan Heritage Museum, Father Warner D'Souza expressed confidence that Christians will stick to their beliefs based on the Holy Bible.
"Such a book will hardly disturb true Christians. More important, no Christian should be disturbed, and less importance such things are given the better," the priest said, as quoted by American Bazaar Online.
