The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
On the
outside, it is
a grand, Gothic structure, resplendent in its whiteness.
Inside, it is vibrant
and colourful, every inch of space filled with Christian art.
This
is the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica in Fort Kochi, first built by the Portuguese in
1505. This was one of the only two churches left standing by the Dutch, when
they captured Kochi. The other was the St. Francis Church, which I have already
written about. However, while the St. Francis Church continued to function as a
place of worship, through Dutch and British rule, this one was used as an
armory by the Dutch, and eventually demolished, by the British. It was finally
rebuilt in 1887 during British rule, grander and more beautiful than ever, and
consecrated in 1905.
It is
evident that the British intended this to be an impressive structure, both from the outside and
the inside, befitting its status as a Cathedral. The exterior might be
whitewashed, and appear plain, but a closer look reveals intricate details
proclaiming its importance.
It is
however, on the inside that the cathedral really shows its artistic side. Every inch of space is
covered with art, making this one of the most vibrant churches I have ever
seen! From pastel shades on the walls and ceiling, to the bright blue and white
of the cast iron pillars and the simple, but bright stained glass, the interior
was a stark contrast to the muted exterior, as if making up for the complete
whiteness of the outside!
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| Walls, arches, pillars... art everywhere! |
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| Paintings on the ceiling |
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| A closer look at one of the paintings on the ceiling |
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| Above the altar hangs this painting.. a reproduction of Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper |
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| I loved the details on the arches |
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| The stained glass is simple, compared to others I have seen, but the effect it produces is beautiful indeed! |
The
art here is the work of Antonio Moscheni, a Jesuit brother and painter, best known for
his frescoes at the Church of the St. Aloysius College in Mangalore. Interestingly,
among the churches he worked on is the Holy Name Cathedral in Mumbai, a church I
visited recently. It was only when I read this bit of information that I realized
why the church looked strangely familiar, though I was visiting it for the
first time. Undoubtedly, I was unconsciously recognizing the similarity to the
Holy Name Cathedral!! Unfortunately, though Moscheni was responsible for most
of the artwork at this cathedral, he did not live to see it appreciated. He passed
away just four days before the consecration of the church! What a quirk of
fate!
Wandering
around the church,
I pondered on just how different this one was, to the St. Francis Church, just
a few roads away. There, we had encountered crowds of visitors, while here, we
were the only ones. A couple of people did enter, but they were worshippers,
not tourists. It is quite understandable, considering that this is
comparatively a much more recent structure, and therefore less historical and
more religious in nature. The sense of history which we experienced at the St.
Francis Church was completely lacking here, though in artistic terms, this one
was far more fulfilling.
How ironic, that the structure which has been
used as a church for over 600 years, should today be known more for its
history, than for its sanctity, while, this one, which has been used for
worship only for the last century, should be more religious in nature!
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| A shrine dedicated to the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima, erected to commemorate the visit of the Statue of the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima to the Cathedral in 1949 |
Related Posts:
- Part 1: First Impressions
- Part 2: Chinese Fishing Nets
- Part 3: Indo – Portuguese Museum
- Part 4: St. Francis Church
- Part 6: Mattanchery Palace
- Part 7: Jew Town and Synagogue
- Part 8 : A Boat Ride
- Part 9: 3 Cafés, Three experiences
- Part 10: Maritime Museum
Lovely captures of the Basilica.
ReplyDeleteThank you Niranjan!
DeleteThose wooden ceiling and its wood work is a masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteLike that effect of the stained glass.