9) OPEN-AIR GRANITE CROSS OF KORATTY ST. MARY'S FORANE CHURCH (SYRO-MALABAR)

The open-air granite cross of Koratty has the longest Syriac inscriptions engraved on a cross in Kerala. It is also a super-imposed double T-shaped cross. The inscriptions are engraved on the upper and lower cross-arms and the vertical slab in between them (see photographs below). The small upper cross bar (1) reads "This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" according to the Peshitta (Syriac Bible) verse in John 19: 19. The wide lower cross bar (3) reads "This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1: 29 according to the Peshitta). The middle trunk (2) has the traditional acronym (Tetragrammaton) used for God and in this case only the two initial letters of the biblical name of God YaHWeH, 'Yod' and 'He' are used. The three dots in a triangle above and an isolated dot below the letter symbolizes the unique Trinitarian God. Usually, the single point is below, symmetrical to the triangle with respect to the letters, but here it is next to this triangle on the upper side of the letter.  The conventional representation of the acronym in West and East Syriac scripts are given (2). The East Syriac engraving is taken from the arched entrance to the Madbaha (Altar) of Thrissur Marth Mariam Cathedral (Chaldean Syrian). For a scholarly treatment of the subject refer Chatonnet et al., (2008, pp. 81-82 ) and Perczel, (2009, p. 293), though both translations are fairly identical, I have used the former reference in this post.

Syriac Inscriptions on the Cross Bars Facing the West Direction

Syriac Inscription on the Upper Cross Bar

Syriac Inscription on the Trunk Connecting Cross Bars

Syriac Inscription on the Lower Cross Bar

The Structure of the Cross

The cross is said to be 20 ft tall and having a thickness of 12 inches. The pedestal has two circular mouldings and successive square mouldings. It lacks the octagonal layer of the more advanced type of crosses (eg. Kaduthuruthy) and hence could be categorized under the the intermediate type (Category 2) of Pereira's classification (2000, p. 370). The pedestals are not richly carved like some of the category 3 crosses we discussed. In fact, there are only 3 types of motifs in the cross, a pedestalled cross, a Persian cross, and a winged angel arranged vertically in a line, the pattern repeated on all four sides. The motifs are not identical copies, but variations are observed. Compare the winged angels on each side, and you will notice that they differ in appearance. On the west side there is a niche on the pedestal and an alms box (Bhandarapetty) built entirely of granite.

The East and West Sides of the Cross 

Corner Views of the Pedestal

The Four Sides of the Pedestal

Winged Angel Motifs on the Four Sides of the Pedestal

The West Side of the Pedestal with Alms Box and Niche

Enlarged Views of the Alms Box and Nixhe

Planels Displaying Church History and Traditions

History of the Church and the Age of the Cross

Legends about a 14th century origin of the Koratty church attributes its cross also from the same period. Different versions of the oral tradition exist, however the essential core remains the same (Paul, 1966, p. 338; Devassy, 1978, pp. 91-92; Tanima, 2008, pp. 36-38; Payyappilly, 2009, pp. 36-37). Thus, the cross was installed on the site of the burial of Kavalakkatt Ouseph (Joseph) Vareed, who was the Christian Commander-in Chief of Koratty Kaimal, the ruler of the land also known by the name Pakkatti Swaroopam. The story goes that when the commander died in a battle against the neighbouring lord,  Kodassery Karthavu, he was refused to be buried in the nearest church, Ambazhakkad, which was a place under the rival territory. It was therefore necessary to repatriate the body and was brought back to Koratty where it gets buried after some miraculous interventions. At the very site of his tomb, a cross was erected. Kaimal authorized the burial, offering the land free of tax and granting financial aid for the construction of the church, the foundation of which was laid on August 15, 1341 and was consecrated on September 8, 1342. Since these dates are associated with the Assumption and Nativity of Virgin Mary, the church may have been originally dedicated to St. Mary, but there was a phase when the Portuguese introduced St. Rose of Viterbo (13th century) or St. Rose of Lima (17th century) as the patron saint of the church (Payyappilly, 2009, pp. 37-38).

Having said so, there are no historical evidence of any sort, which proves that a church existed at Koratty in the 14th century. There is neither any reference of a church or a Christian community at Koratty in Jornada (1606). However, Caimal da Corugeyra/Curugeira/Coregeyra (Kaimal of Koratty), the Lord with whom the King of Cochin decided to wage war gets multiple citations in Jornada (Malekandathil, 2003, pp. 113, 217, 219). To the best of my knowledge, the earliest reference to a church in Koratty is from an interesting Jesuit document that lists 88 St. Thomas Christian churches together with their corresponding 26 kingdoms in the 17th century; the Koratty church is placed in the kingdom of the 'Kaimal of Coretti'. Another early reference is Joao Rebeiro's list of 68 Catholic churches in 1704, where Koratty appears as Corotti. The church is mentioned in the lists of Du Perron as Coroutti (1758) and in Paulinus as Corretti (1794), both refer to it as a Catholic church and dedicated to the Virgin Mary (for details of these lists see my previous post here). Koratty was one of the 24 churches that bore the grudges of Tipu Sultan's atrocities in 1789 (Thoma, 1921, vol. 2, p. 237). We don't know if the cross was damaged, but the chances are high if an open-air cross existed. In 1924, when Hosten (Tanima, 2008, p. 38) visited the site, he reports of hearing that only the roof was damaged (burnt) and that the priests had formerly a collection of canon- balls from Tipu Sultan's guns, weighing between 12 and 21 pounds. Hosten also attests a tradition that the existing church was 250 years old, which would then place the church from the late 17th century only. However, he writes only a line about the cross that it is of double superposed T shape, and has a Syriac inscription on each T (Tanima, 2008, p. 38).

The bond between Koratty Kaimal and the church was so strong that "when formerly the Pakkat (i.e. Koratty) Rajas wrote to the Vicar, they addressed him as the Vicar of Our Church" (Tanima, 2009, p. 38). In another document dated 969, Medam 13 (1794, April 25), send from Koratty church to Sakthan Thampuran, the Raja of Cochin, we find them taking pride by calling themselves "the church beloved to the Raja" (Menon, 1989, p. 304) These are some of the earliest documents about the Koratty church. It is therefore obvious that a church existed at Koratty in the 17th century and as open-air crosses were common in early churches, the presence of one from the same period remains a possibility. Recent studies (Chatonnet et. al., 2008, p. 81 and Perczel, 2009, pp. 293-294) also speculate a 16th to 17th century date, but agree that a pre-Portuguese origin is difficult to prove.

References

Chatonnet, Francoise Briquel; Desreumaux, Alain and Thekkeparampil, Jacob (2008)-Recueil Des Inscriptions Syriaques, vol. i: Kerala

Devassy, M. K. (1978)-Keraleeya Kraisthava Devalayangalile Shilpa Chithra Kalakal

Hosten, Henry (1924)-In Documentation 2: Kerala Churches-Church of Kanjur, Alangad, Koratty (Hosten Ms: 105-119), Tanima: A Review of St. Thomas Academy for Research (2008), Volume XVI, No. 1

Malekandathil, Pius (2003)-Jornada of Dom Alexis de Menezes: A Portuguese Account of the Sixteenth Century Malabar

Menon, Puthezhathu Raman (1989 ed.)- Sakthan Thamburan

Paul, V. O. (1966)-Feast in the St. Mary's Church, Koratty; In Census of India 1961, Volume VII, Kerala, Part VII B  (i)

Payyappilly, Ignatius (2009)-Korattyppally Oru Samkshiptha Charithram

Perczel, Istvan (2009)-Classical Syriac as a Modern Lingua Franca in South India between 1600 and 2006

Pereira, Jose (2000)-Baroque India-The Neo-Roman Religious Architecture of South Asia: a Global Stylistic Survey

Thoma, Bernard (1921, vol. 2)-Mar Thoma Christianikal

Photographs of the Cross and the Old Church1-Cross; 2-Church; 3-Bell Tower

These two photographs were taken when the old church was still existing, although the exact dates are not known. The black and white photo was taken before 1978. It is quite unfortunate and sad that the impressive old church was demolished for a modern church in September 8, 1987, which appears more like an auditorium or a mosque from outside now. Photo Courtesy Black and White Photo: Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Historical Survey-Souvenir of the Episcopal Silver Jubilee of His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Parecattil, 1978; Colour Photo: https://korattymuthy.org/.  A beautiful colour photograph of the old church appears in the official website of Koratty church.

 

Another Early Photograph of the Koratty Cross (1955)1-Cross; 2-Church; 3-Bell Tower; 4-Presbytery

 

This photograph appeared in the book entitled "Marian Pilgrim Churches in Kerala" (1955) by Varkey, T. K.