An icon of hope and redemption

KOCHI:  St George Orthodox Church in Kottoor stands tall and elegant in its calm and serene surroundings. Entering the premises, it does not immediately strike one that the church has been in existence since the fourth century because of its fresh coat of white exterior.

This is in contrary to its wooden panelled floor, golden shades of wall paint and lighting which resembles the regal interior look in Eastern Orthodox churches. However, what stands out are the icon of Risen Christ painted on the madbaha (inner sanctum), Biblical characters on the arch and design patterns on the ceiling as part of the renovation activities carried out at the church.

The painting at the church has grabbed the attention of the faithful and art lovers, especially because of the rarity of the style in Kerala. “The icon style employed in the painting holds a significant role in the Byzantine and Orthodox Christian tradition. The painting depicts the Resurrection scene. ‘Icon’, which means resemblance, tries to create an illusion of the real,” says V M Jijulal, the lead artist of the project and artwork restorer based in Kozhikode.

The artist picturises the scene and goes on to express the eternal idea and the interior truth behind it. Jijulal says the 18x12 foot sized icon - in which Jesus Christ is seen holding the hands of Adam and Eve, taking them out of the ‘box’ breaking locks and chains - could be the largest in Kerala. “I was given a picture to refer and study before actually doing the painting. To understand and interpret the painting, I got the help from some art-loving priests. I even did a detailed study on icon paintings,” he says.

Apart from the Resurrection scene, figures of Mother Mary, St Thomas, St George and Parumala Thirumeni also occupy the front section of the altar arch. The artworks were finished in a month’s time by a team of five artists including Shaiju Narikkuni, Saji Neyyatinkara, Sunil Divakar and Deepu. The team is also actively involved in restoring the artworks in St George Orthodox Church in Paliakkara, St Mary’s Church in Kuduvechoor, St George Orthodox Church in Puthupally, Sree Subramanya Swami Temple in Arpookara and painting works in monasteries and palaces outside Kerala.