26-05-2024
While around us people are slowly starting (or never stopped) their work for St. Albert's again, we are still enjoying our holiday. We sleep in, we read a bit, write a bit on the website (check out the stories about Tipu Sultan, or about banana varieties). AND we have time to look around some more here in Kochi.
A spontaneous visit to Father Shaiju culminated in lunch with the bishop of Lucknow, a visit to the Syro-Malabar church in Edapallly and a cup of tea at his mother's house. Over dinner, we had a probing conversation about the anti-conversion laws introduced in several Indian states, including the state of Uttar Pradesh, of which Lucknow is a part. The Bishop was clearly emotional and angry that some of ‘his’ priests had been imprisoned on the basis of those laws.
St. George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church in Edapally, a district of Ernakulam, is not that old, but a huge building with a golden dome. We had seen it many times from the metro. Now we finally actually stood in front of it, and looked inside. Edapally used to be a small, insignificant village, apart from the church that stood there. It has since been swallowed up by the conglomeration of Ernakulam, which includes Kochi. The present church is the third church built at the site. St Thomas Christians believe that the apostle Thomas came to India. He is said to have built seven churches here. The first church in Edapally is said to be the eighth church built on Indian soil. This happened in sixth century (so I don't think St Thomas built it....)
Then a new church building was erected in 1080. This was given a new façade in the 1970s. Next to this again, the current church was built between 2001 and 2015. On the church grounds there is a spring, whose water is said to have healing powers. Pilgrims come from far and wide to visit this church and the spring. All three churches stand together, and all three are still in use.
Through the pouring rain, we were taken back to St Albert's. Surely the monsoon has really started now. But when it is dry, we like to take a walk. We walk via a diversion to the supermarket, or by an alternative route from the mall back home. Sometimes we walk just for the sake of walking. We are hot and sweaty anyway, so it's better to keep moving.
Looking for an activity that could take place under a roof, I came across a museum: Durbar Hall Art Gallery. Durbar Hall was owned by the Maharaja of Kochi. It is a place where the king was honoured and where he held audiences. Durbar Hall in Kochi is surrounded by nearly an acre of grounds, part of which is still in use today as an event site. The Hall itself is about a hundred years old and the site of several historical events. Next to the grounds is another large Shiva temple.
Durbar Hall has long hosted art, preferably by local artists, in changing exhibitions. As it stayed dry for almost the entire afternoon, we walked the three kilometres there, and much of the way back too.
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