On 27 April 2001, Fr Cosme Costa S.F.X. of the Pilar Society of Goa unearthed a remarkable granite stone cross from a bushy, snake-infested mound near St. Peter’s Chapel, Dando, Agaçaim, Goa.
The cross measures about two and a half feet in length, carved from black granite that has acquired a bluish hue after long exposure to water. The inscriptions on it are as follows:
Pahlavi script at the top, arranged in an arch.
Portuguese script at the bottom.
Unfortunately, part of the cross, about one-fifth, including half the Pahlavi inscription, is broken and missing. While the Pahlavi script remains undeciphered, the Portuguese inscription, though fragmentary, reads:
“…A DE S. TOME … DO R.. ILEZ VS….642…”
When pieced together, this may be interpreted as: “That which belongs to St. Thomas (Christians?) from the region of the neighbouring Islands (Tiswadi?) … 1642.”
Historians believe the Portuguese likely added this inscription in 1642—eleven years before the Coonan Cross Oath (1653) in Kerala—to differentiate the cross and assert authority during growing tensions with St. Thomas Christians.
The cross also features the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, wings outstretched, descending upon the cross. Compared with the Mylapore Cross in Chennai:
The Goa cross has straight vertical and horizontal beams, with an even pedestal.
The Mylapore cross has bud-like designs at the base, and its beams widen towards the ends.
The site of discovery of the cross falls within the ancient port area of Gopakapattanam, Goa’s most prominent port in the Konkan region, underscoring the commercial background of the Christian settlement.
The Pahlavi inscription indicates the cross dates back to before the 8th century Islamic expansion, when Arabic replaced Pahlavi in Indian Ocean trade. Pahlavi, an early form of Persian, was the language of West Asian traders from Fars and was widely used by Christian merchants in Indo-Persian trade until about 1050 CE.
By comparing it to other Pahlavi-inscribed crosses (dating as early as the 6th century), the Goan cross likely belongs to the 6th–7th century CE.
Supporting evidence comes from historian al-Tabari, who recorded that Chalukyan king Pulakeshin II (610–642) sent envoys to the Sassanid court of Persia. This diplomatic exchange coincided with flourishing Indo-Persian trade, making it probable that Persian Christian traders intensified contact with Goa at this time.
Historical Context
Goa (then Sindabur or Chandrapur) was a bustling trading hub with ports linked to Gujarat and Malabar. Christian traders from Persia may have settled here from the 6th century onwards, establishing a mercantile community tied to the Pahlavi cross tradition.
Initially, such settlements were predominantly West Asian, but over time they intermixed with St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, eventually becoming indigenised communities. The Portuguese addition to the cross in 1642 likely referenced these St. Thomas Christians of the Tiswadi islands.
The Pahlavi inscription of the Goa cross has yet to be fully deciphered. Scholars note that some letters differ significantly from those on the Mylapore cross, suggesting either errors by the stonemason unfamiliar with Pahlavi or deliberate local variations.
Despite the uncertainties, the Goa cross is considered independent evidence of West Asian Christian influence in Goa—whether through imitation or established tradition.
This discovery confirms that Christianity existed in Goa centuries before the Portuguese. The cross, also known as the St. Thomas Cross, was found on the banks of the Zuari River at Dandi ward (now part of Agaçaim village), within the ancient harbour city of Govapuri (Goa-Velha).
Supporting this, Dr. George Moraes (author of Kadamba Kula) cites Ibn Battuta’s 1342 records, which mention a Christian settlement on the banks of the Zuari. Strikingly, the newly found cross was located in the exact area he described.