Week 52 - Bringing to focus

Week 51 - Some more history

Paravur church - one of the seven and a half churches believed to be established by St. Thomas.

The Marthoma Pontifical Shrine at Kodungalloor, Kerala, the first of the seven and a half churches believed to be established by St. Thomas. St. Thomas is believed to have landed in Kodungalloor in 52 AD. In AD 72, he was martyred at Mylapore, near Chennai. His relics were taken to Edessa, Turkey by a merchant on 300 AD. In 1953, Cardinal Tisserant, then the Prefect of Oriental Congregation, on his historic visit to Kerala took the bone of the Right Arm of the Apostle and deposited it in this church. See image below.



Holy relics of some other holy people.
The altar of the church where the St.Thomas' relic is kept.

Week 50 - Fort Kochi

Some of the historically important places in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India.

The Jewish Synagogue.

The "Paradesi" Synagogue was build in 1568 by the cochin jewish people in the kingdom of cochin. It is called "paradesi" synagogue because it was used by the "white jews", a mixture of Jews from Cranganore, the Middle East, and European exiles. (The "black jews", they believe, descended from the oldest Jewish communities which settled in Kerala from AD 72 onwards when the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans). It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land gifted to the Malabari Yehuden community by the Raja of Kochi, Rama Varma.

The top of the Mattancherry palace temple and the Jew Synagogue.

The Mattancherry Palace temple and the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall.

Koonan kurisu (The bent cross)

This is the place where the christianity in Kerala began splitting. The koonan kurisu was established in 1550 and the "koonan kurisu sathyagraham" (the bent cross vow) took place on 5-Jan-1655.

From the hypothesized arrival of St. Thomas in A.D. 52 till the Koonan Cross in 1655, the history of the Indian church is common. Not much is known about the early history of the St. Thomas Christians, but two facts stand out clearly. Between the 3rd and the 9th centuries there were waves of immigrants from Mesopotamia (corresponds to regions of modern Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran) to Kerala, and from the early centuries, this Church, with its liturgical center in Edessa, Mesopotamia, had also claimed its origin from St. Thomas. (As per Act of Thomas, St. Thomas started his preaching in Syria, so the immigrants might have been converted by him at Syria).

When the Portuguese came to India at the end of the 15th century, they were surprised to see christians (syrian) in Kerala. The syrian christians had connections with the churches in the Persian region. The portuguese, who were catholics, tried to convert the syrian christians to catholicism. They resorted to a number of tactics to achieve this. But when one of the Bishops from Syria was allegedly murdered by the Portuguese, the syrian christians gathered at this place and re-affirmed their allegiance to the Syrian Orthodox tradition. Families of Syrian Christians held on to a rope tied to this bent cross and swore never to convert into Catholicism.

These people now form the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, the Mar Thoma Church, and the Jacobite Church. The group who did not participate in the Koonan cross sathyagraham came under papal authority and are called the Syro-Malabar Church.

An antique shop on the Jew street.

Santa Cruz Basilica

This historic Church was built by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. In 1795 it fell into the hands of the British when they took over Cochin, and was demolished. In 1887 Bishop Dom Gomes Ferreira commissioned a new building at the same site. The Church has since been proclaimed a Basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.

St. Francis Church

Built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan Friars, this is India’s oldest European Church. Vasco da Gamma was buried here in 1524 before his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal.

The tombstone of Vasco Da Gama.

Week 49 - പുക രൂപം

ഇതുണ്ടാക്കിയത് ചന്ദനത്തിരിയുടെ പുക കൊണ്ടാണ്. പുക പല വശങ്ങളിലേക്കും പറന്നു പോകാവുന്നതുകൊണ്ട് DOF കൂട്ടനായി f/10 ഉപയോഗിച്ചു. കാറ്റിന്റെ വേഗമനുസരിച്ച് ഷട്ടര്‍ സ്പീഡ് തീരുമാനിക്കാം. ഞാന്‍ ഈ ചിത്രത്തിന് 1/320s ഉപയോഗിച്ചു. ഒരു കറുത്ത തുണി ബാഗ്രൌണ്ടാക്കി വച്ചു. ഇത്തരം ചിത്രങ്ങളെടുക്കുമ്പോള്‍ പുക നന്നായി കിട്ടാനായി നല്ല ഫ്ലാഷ് വേണമെന്ന് പറയാറുണ്ട്. പക്ഷെ ഞാന്‍ ഫ്ലാഷുപയോഗിക്കാതെ നല്ല വെയിലത്ത് വച്ചാണ് ഈ ചിത്രമെടുത്തത്. (ഫ്ലാഷില്ലാത്ത പാവം ഫോട്ടോഗ്രഫര്‍ മാര്‍ക്കും പുക ചിത്രങ്ങളെടുക്കാം). സൂര്യപ്രകാശം പുക എടുത്തു കാട്ടാനായി സഹായിച്ചു. പുകയുടെ ഇരുവശങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നോ മുകളില്‍ നിന്നോ പ്രകാ‍ശമടിക്കുന്നതായിരിക്കും ഉത്തമം.

ഓരോ പുക ചിത്രങ്ങളും ഓരോരുത്തരുടെ മനസില്‍ വ്യത്യസ്ഥ രൂപങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്നു. നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കിത് എന്തായി തോന്നുന്നു?

Week 48 - Indian dancer (ഭാരതീയ നര്‍ത്തകി)

Indian Dancer


EYES ravished with rapture, celestially panting, what passionate bosoms aflaming with fire
Drink deep of the hush of the hyacinth heavens that glimmer around them in fountains of light;
O wild and entrancing the strain of keen music that cleaveth the stars like a wail of desire,
And beautiful dancers with houri-like faces bewitch the voluptuous watches of night.


The scents of red roses and sandalwood flutter and die in the maze of their gem-tangled hair,
And smiles are entwining like magical serpents the poppies of lips that are opiate-sweet;
Their glittering garments of purple are burning like tremulous dawns in the quivering air,
And exquisite, subtle and slow are the tinkle and tread of their rhythmical, slumber-soft feet.


Now silent, now singing and swaying and swinging, like blossoms that bend to the breezes or showers,
Now wantonly winding, they flash, now they falter, and, lingering, languish in radiant choir;
Their jewel-girt arms and warm, wavering, lily-long fingers enchant through melodious hours,
Eyes ravished with rapture, celestially panting, what passionate bosoms aflaming with fire!

- Sarojini Naidu

Week 47 - Peel

Peel.

Week 46 - Day and Night

The day and night view of the hotel "The Address", near Dubai mall/Burj Dubai.

Week 45 - City Nebula

Salem city (Tamilnadu, India) at night from the top of Yercaud hills.

Week 43 - Lantern (റാന്തല്‍)

റാന്തല്‍ വിളക്ക്.

Week 42 - Conqurer

Conqurer.

Week 41 - Spider Web (എട്ടുകാലി വല)

എട്ടുകാലി വല


Spider, with an awesome spiral web, waiting to catch the prey. The sunlight on the back helped in accentuating the web.

Wek 40 - Glare

Glare

Week 38 - Stony road

A wide (17mm) long DOF (f/22) one.

Week 36 - Chennamangalam ചേന്ദമംഗലം

Chennamangalam - A model of religious co-existance.

ചേന്ദമംഗലം - മതസൌഹാര്‍ദ്ദത്തിനൊരു മാതൃക.

Chennamangalam (also Chendamangalam), a town around 42 from Ernakulam, is one of the best examples of religious co-existance. This town was planned by one of the achans of Paliyam who wished to have all four major religious faiths equally represented in town. The Paliath Achans were hereditary prime ministers to the Rajah of Kochi.

The paliyathachan designated a site on each of the cardinal points to build a Jewish Synagogue, a christian church, a hindu temple and a muslim mosque. At the crossing of the axis was his Paliyam palace atop a hill.

The four religious places are within a distance of 50-200 meters of each other. See google map below.

Jews in Chennamangalam:
The Jews have lived in Kerala, some say, from the time of King Solomon (~1000 BC). Others believe Jews came to Kerala after Romans destroyed the second temple in Jerusalem (in the year 70 AD). When St. Thomas came to kerala, Jews were already present in Kerala. St. Thomas is believed to have arrived in Kerala on 52 AD. So if St. Thomas' arrival year is correct, then Jews were present in Kerala even before the destruction of their temple.

Interior view of the Synagogue

Click to see in larger size

One of the Jewish tombstones of a lady discovered at Chennamangalam has the year 1269 inscribed in it.

It is believed that Jews moved to Chennamangalam after the great flood of 1341 destroyed the Kodungalloor harbour.

After Israel got Independence from British in 1948, the Jews in Kerala started migrating back to Israel. An emissary from Israel came to Kerala in 1950, met the Jews in Kerala and offered them the opportunity to help realize their dreams back in their homeland. Now there are no Jews in Chennamangalam. The curator at the Synagogue told me that the last Jewish family migrated to Israel in 1971. There are just 10 Jews in 2 families in Kochi now.

The Christian Church
The Church in Chennamangalam was built in 1573, along with a seminary (Vaipikotta seminary) for teaching Syriac. The first printing press in Kerala was started here. The seminary was destroyed by Tipu Sultan in 1790 on his way to capture Travancore. The remains of the Seminary can still be seen.

The remains of the seminary

Click to see in larger size.

The church has a couple of interesting artefacts - holy relics of the Jesus's 12 disciples and a relic of the holy cross. (A portion of the bone of all apostoles and a portion of the cross in which Jesus died). I found that hard to believe and could not find any references in google about the relics of all apostles together. I forgot to ask how the church got the relics, but I think the Portugese missionaries might have brought it.

Holy Relic of Apostles (Closely look at the center to see the bones)

Click to see in larger size.

The church also has some tombstones which has inscriptions in Vattezhuthu.

Click to see in larger size.

Other places to see:
1) Jewish tombs
There are 3 Jewish tombs with inscriptions in Hebrew. The tombs are hard to find by yourself. We came to know about the tombs through some kids who became our guide when we went to the church. (When the kids asked me if they can be my guide, I said yes, thinking that i might have to give them some money. But they found happiness in calling themselves "guide" and were not at all interested in the money part). The route which we took to reach the tombs is marked in red in the map, but there is another easier way.


Click to see in larger size.


2) Kottayil Kovilakam remains
This place is marked in the map below. I do not know the historical significance of this place. There is a tourism department's board which explains something about it and another board which marks the Kottayil Kovilakam's remains. However, I could not go near those boards because of the dense vegetation which had grown around it.

3) The Pond
The pond is marked in the map below. The kid guides told me some importance about the the pond which is in the heart shape, but I can't recollect it. We searched for the pond around the tombs, but could not find it. Later google maps told me that we were very close to finding it.

4) Paliyam Palace
This is the palace of Paliyathachans. The film Nandanam was shot there. The palace has some historically important things. I could not visit the palace that day because a film's shooting was going on there and entry was restricted.

Map showing the important places

Click to see in larger size.

On my next visit to Chennamangalam, I plan to visit the palace and locate the pond.


How to reach Chennamangalam?
Chennamangalam is close to North Paravur (Parur), Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. From Ernakulam, you can go via Edapally > Varapuzha > North Parur. From Thrissur side, take the Athani-Paravur road near Airport to reach North Parur. If going in bus, from Parur, take the bus to Kottayil Kovilakam.



In case you don't know how foreigners came to Kerala centuries ago?
During south-west monsoon (April to October), the monsoon wind blows such that a ship kept in the wind's direction in Egypt would be taken to the Kerala coast (Kodungalloor) in around 30-40 days. This wind reverses its direction during the north-east monsoon, making it easier to travel back from Kerala to Egypt. This knowledge about the wind remained as a secret to the Arabs for a long time until it was discovered by an Egyptian sailor called Hippalus. This knowledge about the direction of the monsoon winds greatly facilitated the foreign traders and sailors from Egypt, Syria, Greece, Rome and Arabia to reach the western coast of Kerala for trade.

Week 34 - Souq Al Bastakiya

Al Bastakia Area in Bur Dubai dates back to the 1890, and occupies the eastern section of the old town along the Creek, extending to a length of 300 meters, and depth of 200 meters in the southern direction. This area represents an important area in the history of architecture, and the urban development of town. The masons who constructed the building, therein have left an indelible mark on the town's heritage. The area has always fascinated visitors to Dubai and artists, who are enamoured by its elegant wind-towers, gypsum decorations and woodwork, and the lanes that meander through the district.

Week 32 - Shivanasamudra Waterfalls

One of the waterfalls at Shivanasamudra, about 120 Kms from Bangalore. Shivanasamudra has a few waterfalls, which are really beautiful. The best time to visit is after rainy season.

Week 30 - സാഗരം സാക്ഷി

സായാഹ്നങ്ങളില്‍ പ്രിയസഖിയുമായി കൈകോര്‍ത്ത്, ഇളം കാറ്റുമേറ്റ്, തിരയുടെ ചെറുതലോടല്‍ ഏറ്റുവാങ്ങി, ഹൃദയം പങ്കിടാന്‍ കൊതിക്കുന്നവര്‍ക്കായ്......

This photo was taken at Alappuzha beach (Kerala) on a rainy season. Because of the torrential rain, the sea was very rough. I originally wanted to make this a high key photo, but when I played with Levels, I liked the high contrast version.

Lens: 70-300mm

Week - 28 - മഴ മഴ കുട കുട, മഴ വന്നാല്‍ കിങ്ഫിഷര്‍ കുട

What I liked in this photo is the rain drops. If you look carefully, you can see the falling rain drops.

മഴയത്ത് കുഞ്ഞുമായി നടക്കാനിറങ്ങിയ ഒരു ചെറുപ്പക്കാരന്‍.

ഈ ചിത്രത്തില്‍ എനിക്കേറ്റവും ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടത് ഇതിലെ മഴത്തുള്ളികളാണ്. ശ്രദ്ധിച്ച് നോക്കിയാല്‍ മഴത്തുള്ളികള്‍ വീഴുന്നത് കാണാം.

Week 28 - Journey in rain (മഴയത്തുള്ള സവാരി)

View in full size.

മഴ മൂലം റെയില്‍ പാളത്തിനടിയിലുള്ള മണ്ണൊലിച്ച് പോയതുകൊണ്ട്‍ തൃശൂരിനടുത്തു വച്ച് ഞങ്ങളുടെ തീവണ്ടി യാത്ര തടസപ്പെട്ടു. 6 മണിക്കൂര്‍ അവിടെ കിടക്കുന്നതിനിടയില്‍ ഒപ്പിയെടുത്ത മലയാളികളുടെ “മഴയത്തുള്ള സവാരി” കള്‍.

Week 26 - Waiting for morning walkers.....

Waiting for morning walkers.....

Taken at Lal Bagh, Bangalore.