Syncretic Shrines - I

St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Kerala, India

Guest post by Sajoson Mathai who is an engineering student and lives in Mumbai. The architecture of the church located in the Pathanamthitta district in Kerala has the influence of that of Hindu temples.

Driving up the hilly roads of Kallooppara I gazed at the rubber plantations on both sides. It was my first time in Kerala on a Good Friday. The sun had been nothing but harsh. After starting from home at 8 in the morning we had visited three churches already. My mother wished to visit one more, the St. Marys Orthodox Church at Kallooppara to pray for her mother’s soul. Grandmother had passed away before my birth. Her tombstone lies at the church. As my parents discussed the whereabouts of their relatives and friends who lived around the place, with my aunt who had accompanied us to guide the way, my mind wandered back to the time when I had first visited the place. I remembered being told by my grandfather about the history of the place and how it got its name. Before being called 'Kallooppara' the place was called Perumbranadu ('Perum Parra Nadu’ literally meaning 'land of heavy rocks'). It is largely made of massive rocks. It was a part of Thiruvalla Taluka and later when the district of Pathanamthitta was formed, Kallooppara became the part of it. I was told about how the place was ruled by the Thekkumkoor Dynasty and the Edappally Thampurans (rulers). Unlike how history usually depicts the earlier Thampurans, these rulers loved and cared for their subjects irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. It was a dynasty known for its just and secular rule.

It was around five when we finally reached Kallooppara. Just the thought of getting out of the air-conditioned car made us sweat. But we braved it and stepped out into the hot April sun. At the first sight of the church, my brother said, “Doesn’t it look like an amballam?” Hindu temples are called amballam in Malayalam. Mom replied, “That’s the unique design of this very old church”.

Aunt led the way to the tombstone of grandma. After a silent prayer for her soul, we decided to have a look inside the church. It was completely empty. The mass for the Good Friday had ended and an altar boy in his early teens was cleaning up the altar. We stood in a corner and admired the interiors of the church. We offered prayers in silence and put our offertory in one of the offertory boxes in the front. As we were about to head back we saw a young man in his early twenties who looked as if he had taken part in the worship earlier, walking toward us. He introduced himself as Santosh and asked us if we were new to the church. With a puzzled look Dad answered that we had come from Mumbai. I waited for his response thinking all the while that we had probably done something against the customs of the church. “I was wondering if you would like to know more about the history of this church and I would be happy to take you through it”, he said. With huge surprise on our faces we agreed.

He began by telling us that the church was built in the year 1339 A.D. and the foundation stone was laid in the Malayalam month of Karkadakam 3rd of 515 (July 10). Suddenly the architectural design of the church made sense. I wish people who said that Christianity was brought to India by British missionaries were here to hear this. He took us to the left corner of the altar. A wooden partition blocked our entry to the altar. He signaled the altar boy towards the floor. The boy instantly put down the candle stand he was holding and lifted up the carpet on the other side of the partition uncovering the stone floor beneath it. On looking closer we saw some inscriptions on the stone floor. We squatted to have a better look. Santosh asked us if we could read it. As I can not read Malayalam I didn't try. But not even Dad could read it. Santosh explained, “This stone was recently discovered while renovating the church. The script belongs to an ancient form of Malayalam. Scholars are still working on figuring out  the inscription." He continued, "According to legend, once while the ruling king of Edappally was resting in the Elangalloor Maddom, he happened to spot a few people coming on a vallom (small boat) singing melodious hymns and prayers. The king immediately came down to the river bank to witness the sight and found it to be a funeral procession. The body on the floating hearse was covered with a white cloth. The procession that started its long journey from Manimala was going to Niranam Church for the funeral. In those days Niranam Church was the only Christian church in central Travancore. This event moved the King's heart and having realized the hardship of the Christian subjects, he pointed out a plot on the other side of the river, and gave sanction to bury the body and built a church there. That is how this church came into being.”

Santosh then took us to the first floor of the church through a narrow passage with wooden stairs. There he showed us an old painting of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms, ancient woodwork and the complete balcony view of the whole church. He took us back down to the ground floor and he led us to a room which had a bed confined within glass frames. The headboard of the bed had a Cross at the top and the rest of it had designs of angels singing carved into it. Even the bedpost had designs carved into it to complement the design on the head board. He said, “This is the room and the bed where Parumala Thirumeni used to take rest whenever he visited the church”. Saint Geevarghese Mar Gregorios or Parumala Thirumeni (15 June 1848 -2 November 1902) of Parumala was a Syrian Orthodox religious leader and later canonized by both the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church. He was the first Saint of both the Oriental orthodox Churches in India. On the way out of that room he showed us the lampstand (Deepstambha) placed in the courtyard made up of stone with a Cross at the top. The lampstand looked as old as the church itself. "Back when the church was built, this was the original nela velakku (oil lamp) which the devotees lit after they offered prayers. Now in order to preserve this lamp we have replaced it with one made of brass", he said pointing towards a brass lamp placed just beside it. "Another ancient object in this church is that bell", pointing in the direction of a tower holding a large bell. "This bell was used to let people know that the mass was about to begin. This tradition still continues and bell is rung before the worship and the Holy Communion.”

He put forward his right hand in a gesture of handshake and said, “That is all I can tell you about the church. I hope you found these facts interesting. I would like to excuse myself now as I have some work in the office. It was nice meeting you all.”, he said while shaking our hands. “Thank you for showing us the place”, I said with a smile.

I quickly decided to head back to the car and get my camera to bring back home some memories of this visit. As I clicked the last few pictures Dad called out, “That’s enough. It’s getting dark. Let’s head back." Driving down the hilly roads, I was no longer worried about professors giving me a hard time for missing college for a week. I was just glad this visit became unexpectedly worth my while.

The altar. Oil lampstand in the foreground. Similar oil lamps are used in Hindu worship.

Ancient inscriptions in obscure Malayalam on the stone floor.

Painting of Mother Mary and baby Jesus

The church courtyard with a tall 'deepastambh' or lampstand. Several churches in Kerala have them. 

The bed of ParumalaThirumeni confined in glass

The headrest on the bed

Old oil lamp made from stone 

A bedpost

St Parumala Thirumeni

Old church bell 

Old stone lamp and new brass lamp

The first floor

Narrow passage to the first floor

Wooden roof on the ground floor

Balcony at the rear

(Photo Credit: Sajoson Mathai)