East Syriac Malankara: India's First Indigenous Syriac & Karshon Font

East Syriac Malankara Character Map

Below is the complete character set for the East Syriac Malankara font, showcasing its unique design features and full Unicode support:

In a historic milestone for the Saint Thomas Christians of India, Hendo Academy has unveiled "East Syriac Malankara"—the first-ever Syriac and Karshon (Garshuni Malayalam or Suriyani Malayalam) font developed by the East Syriac community of India. While previous efforts in Syriac computing have come from Western academia or Middle Eastern institutions, this initiative marks a significant step in India's indigenous preservation of its Syriac heritage.

The font recreates the calligraphic style found in the 18th-century Vedatharkam manuscript (Mannanam MS Syr 74) from the Syro-Malabar tradition. This didactic text, written in East Syriac script with Karshon letters (Malayalam language in Syriac script), was copied by Puthenpurackal Ya'kov Kathanar of Kanjirapally while he resided in Kuruvilangadu cheriya palli in 1768.

A Landmark Achievement for India's Syriac Tradition

For centuries, the Saint Thomas Christians have maintained a rich tradition of Syriac liturgy and Syriac-Malayalam-Karshon literature. However, digital tools for this heritage have largely been developed outside India, often prioritizing Western Syriac (Serto) or Classical Syriac scripts.

"East Syriac Malankara" changes this narrative—it is the first Unicode-compliant font designed by and for the East Syriac community of India, ensuring that their unique scriptural and linguistic identity is preserved in the digital era.

Two Variants for Different Needs

This dual approach ensures that the font serves both contemporary users and scholars seeking an unaltered connection to the past.

Why This Matters

• First Indigenous Effort: Unlike previous Syriac computing projects from the West, this is India's own contribution, reflecting the living tradition of the Malankara East Syriac Church.
• Preserving Karshon Malayalam: Many historic Malayalam texts were written in Malayalam Garshuni (Syriac script)—this font helps digitize them, making them accessible to researchers and devotees.
• Liturgical Revival: Enables the digitization of East Syriac prayers, hymns, and scriptures in their authentic form, supporting the revival of traditional worship.

Peculiarities of the Font

Hendo Academy's groundbreaking "East Syriac Malankara" font stands apart from common East Syriac typefaces like "East Syriac Adiabene" through several distinctive features that faithfully reflect India's manuscript tradition while innovating for modern use:

Uniform Width & Indian Aesthetic

Unlike Mesopotamian East Syriac fonts that often feature bold, variable strokes, this font maintains a more consistent width, mirroring the elegant uniformity found in India's manuscript tradition.

Distinct Character Shapes

• Zain (ܙ) appears in a distinctive looped form
• Ae (ܥ) is angled differently from standard East Syriac
• Ṣāḏē (ܨ) features a uniquely curved structure
• Waw (ܘ) in the original manuscript joins letters on the left side, though Unicode shaping limitations prevent full replication in the digital font

Karshuni Malayalam Support

• Includes newly designed glyphs for Malayalam letters like Bha(ࡦ) and Ja (ࡡ), which were not present in the original manuscript but were carefully crafted to match the historic style
• Features special terminal Nun (ܢ‍) and Kap (ܟ‍) forms for Karshuni usage

Liturgical & Cultural Elements

• Uses the Paraur Cross (a traditional cross style from Kerala) as the East Syriac cross symbol
• Introduces a new ligature for Ra + Nūn (ࡧܢ) combination

Sample Documents

Below are examples of the East Syriac Malankara font in use, showcasing both pure Syriac text and Karshon (Suriyani Malayalam):

Classical Syriac Samples

Classical East Syriac prayer text

East Syriac liturgical hymn Breek Hannana

Karshon (Suriyani Malayalam/ Malayalam Garshuni) Samples

Font vs Manuscript comparison

Karshon rendering of Parishudhatmave nee ezhunnalli - a popular hymn by Fr. Abel

These examples demonstrate how the East Syriac Malankara font faithfully preserves the calligraphic tradition of India's manuscript heritage while providing the clarity and consistency needed for modern digital publication.

The Meticulous Creation Process

The font was developed through a rigorous, manual design process:

• High-resolution scans of the Vedatharkam manuscript (Mannanam MS Syr 74) were obtained
• Each character was painstakingly vectorized by hand to preserve the original calligraphy
• Issa Benyamin's East Syriac calligraphy manual guided aesthetic proportions for balanced letterforms
• FontForge was used to construct the final font in TTF (TrueType) format

Reviving the Karshon Tradition

Beyond its technical merits, "East Syriac Malankara" represents a crucial step in revitalizing the Karshon (Garshuni Malayalam or Suriyani Malayalam) writing tradition that has been central to India's Christian heritage for centuries.

Karshon—the practice of writing Malayalam language using Syriac script—was once widespread among Saint Thomas Christians, producing a wealth of theological, liturgical, and historical literature. However, this unique writing system has faced decline in recent generations due to the lack of Syriac knowledge and standardized digital tools.

With this font, several important developments become possible:

• Digital Preservation: Thousands of Karshon manuscripts and printed texts can now be digitized in their authentic script, preventing the loss of this literary heritage
• Educational Revival: Cultural institutions like Hendo Academy can now teach Karshon writing using familiar digital interfaces, making it accessible to younger generations
• Contemporary Usage: Modern liturgical and educational materials can be produced in both Malayalam and Karshon, maintaining this distinctive aspect of Indian Christian identity
• Cultural Continuity: The unique East Syriac style that developed in India can continue to evolve in the digital age rather than being replaced by generic Middle Eastern forms

This revival of Karshon writing represents a significant cultural achievement, connecting India's Saint Thomas Christians with their distinctive literary and liturgical tradition that spans nearly two millennia.

Availability & Next Steps

The modernized version of "East Syriac Malankara" will be released first, with the Classical variant following later for specialized use. Both will be freely available under the Open Font License (OFL) to ensure wide accessibility.

Hendo Academy has already developed resources to support Karshon typing:

• Syriac Phonetic Karshon Keyboard Layout - A custom keyboard layout designed specifically for Karshon typing
• Typing Karshon in LibreOffice Writer on Windows - Step-by-step guide for Windows users
• Typing Karshon in LibreOffice Writer on macOS - Comprehensive guide for Mac users

Additional resources planned for development include:

• Educational materials to promote the script's use among students and clergy

Download now and experience the first-ever East Syriac font born from India's manuscript tradition!

Try the Font Online

Want to see the East Syriac Malankara font in action without downloading it? Visit our online Syriac Editor to try it out immediately:

1. Go to hendoacademy.org/editor
2. Click on the Settings (gear icon ⚙️) button
3. Select "East Syriac Malankara" from the font dropdown menu and click "Save"
4. Start typing to see the beautiful East Syriac Malankara characters!