A SHRINE WHERE CHRISTIANS, HINDUS, MUSLIMS AND JEWS PRAY TOGETHER.
Today myself and my wife went to Domino's pizza at Calicut . After getting the takeway, she wanted to go to the next door Kurishupalli ( shrine with cross in Malayalam ) to offer a prayer.
I had been wanting to see the black stone inside this shrine for a long time. So I tagged along.
Was the black stone a broken up Shiva Lingam? It is reputed that this black stone becomes taller every year, or it rose out of the foundation.
I checked it out-- well it was a little too big to be a Shiva lingam and also the stone was too coarse, and was probably black granite-- not a meterorite .
A cross had been chiselled on to the front face of this rectangular black stone stone. The top part of the stone appeared to be broken and is uneven. The stone was oily, probably to prevent devotees from kissing the stone, or may be to sanitise the stone daily..
This shrine gets visitors cutting across all faiths. Hindus , Christains and Muslims etc --all go there.
The cross etched on the stone is NOT a christian cross, but the type with equal arms, which crusaders wore on their tunics, also popularly known as St George's cross.
St George was the patron saint of Portugal , much before he became the patron saint of England. So I guess the Portuguese must have installed it in 1498.
St George is the patron saint for madness due to syphillis.
A big percentage of Vaco Da Gama's sailors were suffering from it in 1498 when they landed at Calicut-- and the locals called this disease PIRANGI PUNNU ( foreigner's disease ).
I remember asking a Russian Jew if there are any temples in Jerusalem where all faiths go to worship. Muslims, Jews, Christians etc.
He had told me of a shrine at Beith Jala near Bethlehem. Previously all faiths used to pray at this PAGAN temple. Mad people used to be hit with peacock feathers on the head by the priest.
This site is regarded as the birth place of St George, as per Christians -- but the Jews consider it as the burial place of Prophet Elias.. Muslims describe St George as a holy figure in their religious books.
St George's cross was adopted by the Crusaders in the 11th century. They did it for selfish reasons, so that their ships would NOT be attacked in the Mediterranean by Italian Portuguese and Spanish ship, who considered St George as their patron saint. Today England's white flag with the red cross is same.
So what is the legend of horse rider slaying the dragon? This coloured statue is there covered by glass next to the black stone at Calicut Kurishupalli, probably to avoid getting blackened by hundreds of candle flame soot. People touch the black stone and pray however.
During exam time this Kurishupalli shrine is chock-a-block with students who come to light candles. Rather it becomes difficult to even drive past.
A dragon ( probably a huge crocodile ) makes its nest at the spring that provides drinking water for the city of “Silene” or the city of Lydda. Consequently, the citizens have to dislodge the dragon from its nest for a time, to collect water.
To do so, each day they offer the dragon at first a sheep, and if no sheep can be found, then a maiden must go instead of the sheep. The victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, this happens to be the princess. The monarch begs for her life to be spared, but to no avail.
She is offered to the dragon, but there appears Saint George on his travels. He faces the dragon, protects himself with the sign of the cross, slays the dragon, and rescues the princess.
The grateful citizens abandon their ancestral paganism and convert to Christianity.
In the allegorical reading, the dragon embodies a suppressed PAGAN cult ( read as Vedic Hindu ) .
Whenever you see "PAGAN " written by a white man , read that as "Vedic Hindu".
What is the " historical story "?In the allegorical reading, the dragon embodies a suppressed PAGAN cult ( read as Vedic Hindu ) .
Whenever you see "PAGAN " written by a white man , read that as "Vedic Hindu".
Saint George was born to a Christian noble family in Lydda, Palestine during the late third century between about 275 AD and 285 AD. Our man George decided to go to Nicomedia, the imperial city of that time, and present himself to Emperor Diocletian to apply for a career as a soldier.
Diocletian welcomed him with open arms, as he had known his father, Gerontius — one of his finest soldiers. By his late 20s, George was prematurely promoted to the rank of Tribunus and stationed as an imperial guard of the Emperor at Nicomedia.
In the year AD 302, Diocletian (influenced by Galerius) issued an edict that every Christian soldier in the army should be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Pagan gods. But George objected and with the courage of his faith approached the Emperor and ruler.
Diocletian was upset, not wanting to lose his best Tribune and the son of his best official, Gerontius. George loudly renounced the Emperor’s edict, and in front of his fellow soldiers and Tribunes he claimed himself to be a Christian and declared his worship of Jesus Christ.
Diocletian was left with no choice but to have him executed for his refusal, when George jumped the gun and tore up the Emperor's order, in front of all. The Emperor's hands were tied now. . Before the execution George gave his wealth to the poor and prepared himself.
After various torture sessions, including laceration on a wheel of swords in which he was resuscitated three times, George was dragged by a horse executed by decapitation before Nicomedia’s city wall, on April 23, 303.
A witness of his suffering convinced Diocletan's wife Empress Alexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become Christians as well, and so they joined George in martyrdom.
His body was returned to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon came to honour him as a martyr.
Praying at St George's is considered good for people suffering from skin diseases.
In 1940 King George VI of England , inaugurated the George Cross for 'acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger'.
The award is usually awarded to civilians. Saint George slaying the dragon is depicted on the silver cross.
His memorial is celebrated on 23 April, and he is regarded as “ national day “ in England.
St George is buried in a tomb at Lod in Israel.
Here is a picture of me and my Chief engineer at Diocletan's palace.
I have visited Bethlehem and Jerusalem too, while my Chemical tanker used to go to Haifa and Ashdod.
The local lore says that the Calicut Kurishipalli black stone is chiselled out of a large Shiva Lingam from a "pagan" temple, at the same place, 600 years ago.
Grace and peace!
CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL
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