Christianity is India's third-largest religion after Hinduism and Islam, with approximately 27.8 million (2.78 Crore) followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population (2011 census). According to the tradition of Saint Thomas Syrian Christians of Kerala, Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who is said to have reached the Malabar Coast of Kerala in 52 AD. There is a general scholarly consensus that Christian communities were firmly established in the Malabar Coast of Kerala by the 6th century AD, which were Syrian Christians of Kerala. Starting from European colonisations from 15th century several Western Christian communities like Latin Rite Catholics and Protestants were created in different parts of the country.