OPEN-AIR ROCK CROSSES

Open-Air Granite Cross, Udayamperoor (Diamper) Synodal Church

In the upcoming several posts, I will be uploading photographs of a religious structure that you will easily notice in many churches of the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala. These are unique monumental rock crosses generally erected in front of the traditional churches of Kerala at the western side facing the main entrance. The structure usually made of granite, consists of a huge monolithic cross and an elaborate and massive pedestal at its base. The pedestals or basements of the cross are decorated with square, circular, rectangular or octagonal layers or mouldings one above the other. The uppermost moulding is topped usually with a hemispherical dome in the shape of a lotus bud, over which the monolithic square shaft (vertical pole) is erected. The sides of these multi-tiered pedestals are normally adorned with intricate carvings of floral and faunal motifs, geometrical designs, religious symbols representing the Life of Christ and Biblical narratives, celestial bodies, mythical creatures, angelic figures etc. The horizontal shaft (cross arm) of the cross have flat ends, which are sometimes tapering and finely decorated. The top of the vertical pole is usually blank, but in a few types they have a small plaque positioned parallel to the horizontal beam, which gives a double T-shaped appearance to the cross. The cross as such is generally devoid of any images, but rare exceptions are still to be noted (eg. Chengannur). 

How old are these granite crosses? Did they exist before the synod of Diamper, when Portuguese had little control over the ecclesiastical life of the St. Thomas Christians? It is true that today, most of these structures have evolved under strong Portuguese influence after the 16th century. However, we cannot neglect the Indian (Hindu) and Eastern Syrian (Persian) elements evidently present in the early forms. More importantly one can ask if there are any records of their existence before 1599? We have at least two examples, one from Kaduthuruthy that was erected in 1597 (Jornada, 1606) and another from Muttuchira, as early as in 1581 (Muttuchira Lithograph). There is also a Vattezhuthu inscription preserved in St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, North Paravur about the erection of a cross (stone) in the year 1566. 

Fr. Henry Hosten, the Belgian Jesuit missionary who was at Kerala in 1920s, and who visited several churches and meticulously documented and carefully photographed them, strongly argues for the existence of pre-Portuguese open-air rock crosses when he says-"This manner of speaking could not be understood, if the practice of creating open-air crosses were not pre-Portuguese. We may, therefore, boldly argue that, even if not a single pro-Portuguese open-air cross were now extant-the art displayed on these crosses and their pedestals is traditional pre-Portuguese art" (Tanima, 2010, Volume XVIII, No. 2).

Hosten translates from Jornada (French version, 1609) an interesting passage that supports his theory and I thought to cite the quote in its entirety: "The reverence which these Christians of Malabar bear to the Cross is so great, indeed, that it redounds even on the Gentiles, who, at their example, reverence it and offer to it there vows and their offerings; and this is remarkable, that in all these parts of Malabar one will not find a Cross without its pedestal or foot, well-made and wrought (ouvre, carved), and, inside, a hole made for the purpose of placing a lamp, which burns there all night; and not only in the fields, and on the roads, in very remote places; and not only the Christians, but also the Gentiles are accustomed to provide the lamp with oil. And this will not be seen in other parts of the Indies, not even in Europe" (Tanima, 2010, Volume XVIII, No. 2; pp.187-188 in Pius Malekandathil's translation of Jornada, 2003). It is important to note that Gouvea not only finds the  pre-Portuguese crosses well-designed and finely carved with provisions for lighting lamps, but also asserts that they were abundantly distributed throughout Malabar.

Similarly, we learn from the travelogue of the Papal delegate to China, Bishop John of Marginolli, that during his visit to India in 1346-47 period, he erected a marble pillar mounted by a Cross at Cape Comorin or Quilon (see Henry Yule, 1866, 'Cathay and the way tither', Vol2, p. 344). Hosten believes that Bishop John was simply following the existing local custom of Malabar by erecting an open-air cross (Tanima, 2010). Unfortunately, neither the cross nor the pillar has survived and it is believed that they were washed away by the sea.

We also get a hint in this direction from the historic document, 'the  Narratives of Joseph the Indian', written about 1507 by an anonymous European author, based on the reports of interviews given by Joseph, a St. Thomas Christian from Cranganore in Lisbon, Rome and Venice. Joseph, who arrived at Lisbon in June, 1501, is considered as the first Indian Christian to visit Europe, and had an audience with Pope Alexander VI at Rome in 1502, has given an extensive account of the life of St. Thomas Christians who lived in the turn of 16th century in Kerala. In the Latin version of this narrative, we see the author mentioning that: "The Christians have their churches, which are not different from ours, but inside only cross will be seen...On the foundation is seen a big cross just as in our place". This cross on the foundation could mean 'in the courtyard' and this may be the open air granite cross found in Kerala churches, says Antony Vallavanthara (1984, pp. 125, 273), who has conducted the most comprehensive and detailed study on the narratives of Joseph. Nevertheless, he also points out that, in the Italian and Dutch versions of the same narrative, the cross is ‘on the top of the churches’, and the Latin words used "in Crepidine" could mean either on the foundation (base) or on the  top.

Another early testimony, although it is from the Portuguese period, is from an Italian Carmelite Missionary, Fr. Vincenzo Maria, who stayed in Malabar from 1656 to 1659, and wrote in his Viaggio all' Indie Orientali (1672, Volume 2, Chapter 2, p. 136) that: “The Syrians have erected huge crosses in granite or in wood, in front of the churches or in public places. These crosses are fixed on the beautiful bases with multiple steps and lit lamps around, they go towards these crosses in procession, they pray before them and thus adoring them publicly before the gentiles” (Translation by George Kurisummoottil, 2008).

What do these crosses signify other than being the central symbol of Christianity venerating the ultimate sacrifice of Christ for mankind? Scholars have put forward various theories such as:

1) They act as a pillar marker (Stambhas) to distinguish a church from a non-Christian worshipping place.

2) The pedestal is a Christian equivalent to the Hindu balikal or balipithas (sacrificial stone or altar) and the cross represents the supreme Bali (sacrifice) and like a Hindu devotee places his offerings in the balipitham, a Christian worshipper can give his share (oil, flowers etc.) at the base of the cross.

3) Built with provisions for lamps carved into the pedestals, the crosses can be seen from a long distances and they were a source of light in older days.

4) They are cross-bearing obelisks.

5) They evolved first from Indian Deepastambhas (the granite pillars with wick holders in Hindu temples) to granite crosses with oil lamps and finally to the modern open-air granite crosses without oil lamps.

6) It is a symbol of cultural synthesis which stands out as a monument of Malabar nourished by Chaldean connections.

I will be uploading images of the crosses including the ones that have retained at least some of the early elements even if they have been substantially modified over ages. For instance, there are crosses entirely replaced with newer ones, but the original pedestals are retained (eg. Angamaly Kizhekkepally). It is difficult to ascertain the exact date of erection for most of the older crosses as they lack any inscriptions, and we are left with the only option of depending the oral traditions. However, one can get a rough idea by comparing the evolution of the carvings and designs on the pedestals over time as they are the result of acculturation of both native and foreign influence.

References

Andrews Athapilly (2000)-Kerala Church Architecture, In George Menachery (ed.), The Thomapedia.

Antony Vallavanthara (1984)-India in 1500 AD-the Narratives of Joseph Indian

Cyriac Jose  (2017, Ph D. Thesis)-Cultural Landscape and Architecture of Medieval Churches in Kerala.

Falk Reitz (2001)-Is the Origin of the Granite Crosses in Kerala Indigenous or Foreign.

George Kurisummootti (2008)-An Iconographic Explanation of the Open-air Granite Cross of Valiyapally, Kaduthuruthy, Harp, Volume 23)

James Menachery (2000)-Thomas Christian Architecture, In George Menachery (ed.), The Thomapedia.