Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 38

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
1
1 FEBRUARY, 1928
"Her son was in a great predicament. To take his mother to a more distant church was out of the question. To build a church in Talekkâd in a week was an impossibility. He, therefore, immediately approached the ecclesiastical authorities at Ankamali (not far away) and got sanction for divine service being performed in Talékkad Kayyala. (Kayyala is an outer room attached to the main building). Things went on like that for a long time, and negotiations with the neighbouring temple authorities for the crection of a church in Tajekkad proved abortive.
“But some time after the Synod of Diamper, A.D. 1599, as a preliminary to the erection of a church, the Talékkâd people resolved to raise a large granite cross close to the temple. Screens were put up on the pretence of digging a well, and a conical masonry platform was finished without the least suspicion being aroused in the minds of the neighbouring Hindus. The present granite crosa several feet high was constructed in the midst of the forest and brought to the place at dead of night. One fine inorning the Hindu population of Talékkad and more particularly the tempio autborities were seized with consternation on seeing a Cross erected close to their temple.
“The temple authorities met and resolved to demolish the cross. For this purpose a huge elephant belonging to one of the managers of the temple was brought to the place. The excitement among both Christians and Hindus was great, and riot and bloodshed would have immediately ensued but for a miraculous divine intervention. When the elephant charged the platform on which the cross stood, both the big, powerful tusks of the animal entered into it several inches deer. But lo! tho tusks could not be withdrawn, and the elephant began to writhe in agony. The mahouts tried their best, but the beast could not move and the tusks got stuck31 in the pedestal. A few hours passed in this awkward manner. and the elephant showed signs of dropping down out of sheer exhaustion.
“The Christians fell on their knees and praised God for the miracle, while the learned among the Hindus began to put their heads together and discuss how to withdraw from the scene without humiliation. As usual the Veļichchappad (or oracle attached to the temple) appeared and proclaimed that unless the valued stone inside the temple, bearing the present inscription is given to the cross as an offering, it would be impossible for the elephant to draw out its tusks.
"To make the best of a bad businose, the Hindus yielded, and the high priest vowed before the cross that the stone would be offered to it. The elephant immediately drew out its tusks. The next day the same elephant dragged the stone in question to the foot of the Cross and left it there. It now lies in the same position, touching the western base of the masonry pedestal.
"All objections from the Hindus having been thus removed, a small church was erected on the eastern side of the cross, the church facing westward 32 as is the case with all the Malabar Churches of the pre-Portuguese period. The present beautiful church was subsequently reared on the old site. The Talekkâd family has long become extinct.
"The church was dedicated to the cross, and an annual festival used to be celebrated on the day of the Invention of the Cross by Queen Helena. But by a certain feat the date has since been changed 33 into the anniversary of St. Sebastian. This annual festival attracts large crowds, and the total of the yearly offerings has in some years mounted to Rs. 6,000. The average income may be said to be Rs. 4,000." [M. P. Varkki, 16th November 1926.)
31 A very similar incident is related in connection with an attempt by Hindus to broak open the door of the Kura valangad Church in North Travancore. The elephant's tusks were in this case caught in the wooden panel of the door. The panel must be assumed to have boon wondrous thick and strong, or miracles in those days were as plentiful as gooseberries. Legend too repeats itself.
39 According to the practice of the Syrian Church, a church must be built erst and west, the chancel being in the east.
83 The old Holy Cross Church at Muttuchira is now St. Antony's, and the Holy Ghost Church there was about three years no renamed St. Francis'. Such changes are very common.