Bela Church: Simple church in Kasargode

-

 


Around 10kms away from the Kasagode town within coconut groves is this beautiful Bela church which as any typical old church arrangements invites all its devotees along a long corridor. Built in 1890 the church considered to be the oldest church in Kasargode has been a place of worship to all people around for over a century & its rustic view still invites many more.

The church managed by the Mangalore Diocese is a Roman Catholic Church. It is also known as the Our Lady of Sorrows & is dedicated to the Mother of Dolours. The church prays to Virgin Mary who is referred to have felt all the sorrows in life. The church is built in Gothic architecture & has a convent within its expanse. The church built in the old style of architecture has terracotta tiles as its roof & the wide prayer hall is flanked by a simple altar with not much decoration. The large wood cross on the wall is a great work of craftsmanship. Outside the church on the façade one can find a fine work of art in clay which shows Mother Mary soothing the body of Jesus Christ after crucifixion.

The history of the church is quite simple as missionaries are said to have built this church when they travelled north from Kodungaloor. The response to their initial preaching’s did not find many followers, but later there came forward a small set of people who raised funds to build this church. The local language spoken by people around is Konkani which gives one the taste of Tulunad which was what these parts of South India were known earlier. The church mass is also conducted in Konkani along with Malayalam. The church celebrates its annual festival or feast to Mother Mary with all its grandeur & pomp. Christians from all over Kasargode come to the church for the celebrations & is a beautiful sight with lights.

The church has a very normal history & one has to come to the place to know better.

Location: Kasaragod, Kerala, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Trichambaram Temple: Stories, Myths & Legends of Lord Krishna

-
Image
  Lord Krishna is considered to be the avatar of Lord Vishnu having temples around the country where the idol is placed in the shaanth shyamala posture which is based on the belief of Him being in his most serene form at all times. In the town of Taliparamba stands the Trichambaram temple in all its majesty where Lord Krishna is worshipped in the most ferocious form. The temple is a beautiful complex & has the distinction of the same degree  to that of Guruvayur temple in regards to the reverence to Lord Krishna & so is referred as North Guruvayur. The origin of the temple is not clear but most believe it to be present well before the 10th century.  The temple has many stories associated with its existence & its rituals are unique as compared to most other temples. As one enters the temple, one striking presence is the temple with a small pond around it dedicated to Goddess Jaladurga. The temple is considered to have been consecrated by Parasurama on the requ...
Read more

Malayattoor Church: The divinity of St Thomas

-
Image
  Kerala has been a place where St Thomas the apostle came & preached the Jesus way of life. His travel blessed every place that he went & one such is the land of Malayatoor where he came after establishing the famous set of Seven & a half churches. The Malayatoor church is revered not for the structure but for the beliefs of divine presence of the apostle himself. The church is associated with the most important trek performed by Christian devotees when they walk uphill to the mountain where they pray at the church called Kurisumudy. The church is also one among the eight International shrines in the world & the only one in Asia. The church is also the largest pilgrim centre in the name of St Thomas among all places in India. The church is also a beautiful site for many who come here as the Periyar flows along the mountains. The church is said to have been constructed around the 10 th century but the origin of the belief goes back further to the 1 st century. St ...
Read more

The Life of Velu Thampi Dalawa

-
Image
In the sweet town of Mannady in Pathanamthitta is a museum that glorifies one of the most feared & respected warriors of the Travancore dynasty. The life size statue of Velu Thampi Dalawa stands proudly at the entrance to make one remember his revolt against the corrupt & later the British. The museum houses a beautiful stone statue of Buddha along with some of the most unique artefacts which belonged to Velu Thampi including his daggers, swords & other weapons. The museum also has a collection of coins & manuscripts with portraits of all Travancore kings from Marthanda Varma to Sree Chithra Thirunal. One look at the statue of Velu Thampi Dalawa makes you want to know more about him & how he influenced the masses to revolt against British Supremacy. Born in the 18 th century to a Nair family he was named Velayudhan Thampi & was part of the family which held the title of Chempakaraman for having ownership of the Kanyakumari province under the Travancore kingdom....
Read more