Chavara kuriakose elias biography of william
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Pilgrim Centre and Museum
In order to give greater facilities and convenience to the devotees who flock to Mannanam almost daily, a pilgrim centre was constructed in the 1990s. It also houses a museum, designed and executed by Master Ramachandran. The exhibits, mostly paintings, are based on the events connected with the life of St Kuriakose Elias . Memorial items like the country boat and bullock cart used by him for journey and the wooden press designed by him and executed by carpenters and black smiths can be seen in the vicinity. San Jose Book Stall, established in 1976, is functioning here. The edifice of the Sanskrit School started by St Kuriakose Elias Chavara in 1846 was shifted from the original place to the present site recently.
St. Joseph’s Monastery, Mannanam
St. Joseph Monastery, Mannanam is the mother house of the CMI Congregation, the foundation stone of which was laid on 11 May 1831.Here it may be specially mentioned that the Mary Immaculate shrine in front of the church to the south identifies the Spot where the founding fathers erected a wooden cross, prior to laying of the foundation stone. The shrine was constructed in 1905 through the efforts of Fr. Francis Sales Puthiaparambil to commemorate the golden jubilee of the profession of the first fath
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Kuriakose Elias Chavara: Ahead of his Time
09:22 Chavara Kuriakose Elias, education, educationist, Kuriakose Elias Chavara, pallikoodam, playright, prior mango, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Social Reformer, St. Chavara, writer
| Kuriakose Elias Chavara |
It is the second time in less than two months that I write about the Blessed Kuriackos Elias Chavara, who will be declared a Saint, on November 23. He is one of the greatest social reformers of Kerala, whose contributions have, unfortunately, gone unrecognised for reasons like his own aversion to self-glorification and publicity.
Though I first read about Fr Chavara only when Pope John Paul II visited Kottayam on February 8, 1986, and declared him “Blessed”, I never missed an opportunity to read about him. For one reason or another, I always compared the priest from Kerala to William Carey, his contemporary, whose contributions have also gone unrecognised.
Last week when opportunity came my way to address the Kerala Club on the social, cultural and literary contributions of Fr Chavara, I took up the challenge. My recent visits to Kainakari, where he was born on February 10, 1805, and to Mannanam, his karmabhoomi, provided me the perspective required for the task.
I also read his biogra
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