11) OPEN-AIR GRANITE CROSS OF UDAYAMPEROOR, SYNOD OF DIAMPER OLD CHURCH (SYRO-MALABAR)

 

The open air granite cross of Udayamperoor stands on a site that changed the course of history for St. Thomas Christians in Kerala. The 'Synod of Diamper', convoked by Dom Alexis de Menezes, the Latin Archbishop of Goa was held at this very spot from June 20 to 26, 1599. The word Diamper is the Portuguese version of the name Udayamperoor. It is not possible to confirm if the cross existed at the time of the Synod, but tradition has it that it was installed before the Synod was held. There is a legend in favour of this assumption that at the time of the Synod, the pedestal of the cross functioned as altars and Holy Masses were conducted simultaneously from the four sides of the Cross. The granite cavities still visible on pedestal above the central projections are said to be meant for functional altar stones. However, even if a cross didn't exist at the time of the Synod, it would have been erected soon after the fateful council, as open-air crosses were integral part of St. Thomas Christian architecture and there is no reason to believe that for such an important venue like Udayamperoor one will be delayed. A 16th century date for the cross is speculated by James (1979, p. 71). Originally the cross was considered to be standing on the western courtyard in front of the church, but was brought to the eastern side behind the altar when a public road was constructed.

According to the official history of Udayamperoor Church (Nalagamam) compiled in 1944 and 1957, and published in 2006 by George Koilparambil, at the time of Tipu Sultan's attack (1789) the church roof was burnt down and the front porch was demolished and leveled to mount a canon. The severely damaged church was later renovated by the Christian leader Thachil Mathu Tharakan (late 18th century?), which is the current existing building (Nalagamam, p. 10). One major issue though is that, since Tipu Sultan did not cross the banks of Periyar at Aluva, attack on Udayamperoor beyond the river is an unlikely scenario. Having said so, a church that could accommodate 153 priests and 671 delegates from 168 places for a week (Thoma, 1921, p. 9) must not have been an ordinary parish. Excavations conducted inside the church in 1929 (Nalagamam, p. 12) have revealed foundations of a structure believed to be from an earlier sanctuary. It is also reported that the church premises yielded structural remains of older buildings during 1912-1914 period, the stones obtained thus were used to build the eastern compound wall and the cemetery on the north (Nalagamam, p. 12). 

 Another View of the Cross from East

The Structure of the Cross 

Udayamperoor cross like any typical open-air granite cross lacks carved images on the cross beams and vertical shaft. However, at the central intersection point of the vertical and horizontal cross bars on the west side is a motif, which Hosten (1924) identifies as an eight-petalled lotus cross (Tanima, 2010, p. 47). The cross has three tiers, an upper circular, a middle octagonal and a bottom square mouldings with central projections. In one of the round mouldings, wingless angelic heads are carved and arranged in a concentric ring. The octagonal mouldings have narrow rectangular panels, but devoid of any images. As expected the west pedestal is the important side with notable features. Arranged from top to bottom in a vertical axis are a large winged angel, a protrusion with a semi-circular cavity and a small angel head, all carved on the circular mouldings; a central projection at the bottom square layer with a niche on the front and an open cavity on the top. This west sided niche enshrines an engraving of Virgin Mary holding Infant Jesus. The motif is carved deep inside and unless you have a proper light source it cannot be observed from outside. There are no other niches on the remaining sides, but in the central projection of the north side is a border marked in the shape of a niche. 

All the projections are flanked by rectangular side panels with carved images. The images represent mostly floral and bird motifs, mostly peacocks, or swans according to Nalagamam (p. 21). The south side panels have faded significantly and are beyond recognition. On the cornice of the bottom layer are series of angel heads, but most of them are poorly preserved and difficult to identify. The cross has a slight tilt towards the south direction, but the structure has remained stable til date. Near the four corners of the pedestals are 3-tiered stone lamps, each surmounted by the symbols of the four Evangelists, viz.  Angel (Mathew), Lion (Mark), Ox (Luke) and Eagle (John). However, these lamp stands and Gospel Symbols are recent additions and not part of the original structure.

 The Cross and the Pedestal

 West and East Sides of the Cross

 Enlarged View of the Intersection of Cross Bars and the 8-Petalled Floral Motif

West Side of the Pedestal and Enlarged Views of the Side Panels (Left & Right) 

 

 Niche in the West Pedestal and the Icon Inside

 The Vertical Axis of the West Pedestal with Angels and Semi-Circular Protrusion

 East Side of the Pedestal and Enlarged Views of the Side Panels (Left & Right)

North Side of the Pedestal, Enlarged Views of the Side Panels (Left & Right), and the Marking on the Central Projection

South Side of the Pedestal and Enlarged Views of the Side Panels (Left & Right)

Central Projections on the Four Sides of the Pedestal

Aerial View of the Central Projection on the West Pedestal with the Cavity for Altar Tablet?

The 3-tired Stone Lamps and the Symbols of the Four Evangelists

References

 

Hosten, Henry (1924)-In Documentation: Kerala Churches-Church of Kothamangalam, Kadamattom, Udayamperoor (Diamper), Kandanad, Parur (Kottakavu) (Hosten Ms: 58-73), Tanima: A Review of St. Thomas Academy for Research (2010), Volume XVIII, No. 1

James, E. J. (1979)-The Thomas Christian Architecture of Malabar- Ancient and Medieval Periods, Ph. D. Thesis

Nalagamam (Udayamperoor Pazhaya Palliyude Nalagamam); In George Koilparambil ed. (2006)-Udayamperoor Sunnahadose Palli

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

 Old photograph of the Udayamperoor Cross-1

The red arrows mark the positions of the niche and the winged angel on the west pedestal. Photo Courtesy: Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Historical Survey-Souvenir of the Episcopal Silver Jubilee of His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Parecattil, 1978

 

 Old photograph of the Udayamperoor Cross-2

This undated photograph has appeared in 'Indiayile Pourastya Kristavarude Katha (2000)' by Mattam A. D., and Thachil J.-which is a Malayalam Translation of 'Eastern Christianity in India' by Eugene Cardinal Tisserant (original in French).

 

 

A Henri Hosten Photograph (1924) of Udayamperoor Church?

According to George Menachery, this photograph is from the Henri Hosten collection of 1924. The image of the church is taken from the west side (front), but what strikes me is on the background behind the church (i.e. east side) is a vertically standing tall structure (see the red arrow). Could it be the open-air cross? If it is indeed the case, we can say that the current position of the cross was the same even at the time of Hosten's visit. It is not possible to suggest if there is a public road in the background from the image, but if the cross was brought from the west side to the current position, this might have then occurred before 1924. The numbers in the photograph mark some of the features in the church that have undergone alterations with time. 

 

Today, a modern 2-lined plaque is kept on the wall which says "The Synod of Diamper was held in this church in 1599". However, the inscription in the old photograph (1) is larger in size and consists of at least 5-lines. Interestingly, in the Udayamperoor Nalagamam (pp. 18-19) there is a reference to an inscription that was gifted to the church by the Travancore Government under the request of the British Resident of Travancore and Cochin, Gordon Thomson MacKenzie (1899-1904). The content of full inscription is given as: "THE SYNOD OF DIAMPER WAS HELD IN THIS BUILDING ON THE 20TH OF JUNE 1599 BY ARCHBISHOP MENEZES OF GOA" and that it was made of copper letters, framed in wood and placed on the eastern gate of the church (see photograph below). Today, this 5-lined inscription is displayed above the east door of the church building (see inset in the photograph for an enlarged view of the inscription). Now coming back to the 5-lined inscription in the photograph, could it be the one mentioned in the Nalagamam, and if so, when was it transferred to the east gate, and later to the current location above the east door? May be it was the same period when the public road arrived on the east side and both the plaque and open-air cross were moved to the new location. Changes in the main door (3) and middle window (2) is self evident by comparing with the modern photograph. The side wall (4) and the side entrance (5) do not exist today. The side entrance (5) probably led to the cemetery which we learn from Nalagamam was built during the period of 1912-1914 (p. 13). The modern cemetery is also located in the same position, north of the church building.

 

The Former East Gate of Udayamperoor Church with the Cross and the Inscription

Photo Credit: George Menachery, The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Volume 2, 1973

Front Side of Udayamperoor Church Today

Also don't forget to see the 1806 sketch of Udayamperoor facade made by Buchanan, one of the four earliest representations of any churches from Kerala in my previous post here.