Thanking the mother of all

BANGALORE: From a small village shrine in the 17th century, to a chapel in 1811, to finally the church that we see now, St Mary's Basilica has come a long way. The present church was built under the leadership of Rev Fr Kleiner and was consecrated on September 8 1882. Every year, on September 8, devotees beeline to St Mary's Basilica in Shivajinagar and observe the feast of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary. After nine days of mass, the tenth day marks the feast when people gather at the church holding candles and flowers to thank Mother Mary. People from all walks of life and from different religious backgrounds and states make their way to the church on feast day. At around 5 pm, a chariot carrying the statue of Mother Mary, draped in a sheer silk saree, decorated and lit up, is taken through the                                           streets of Shivajinagar.  On the nine days that lead to the feast day, the Archbishop blesses a flag and hoists it, as a symbol of raising our hearts towards God with the help of 'Our Lady' (Mary). This is a not only the Feast of the Parish, but also the Archdiocese and State of Karnataka.The church itself has an interesting history. Designed by a French architect in the Gothic style, the church is shaped like a cross and houses a few interesting figurines. A six-feet tall statue of Mother Mary holding infant Jesus in her arms, is put up in a shrine in the premises. This is thechief object of veneration. There is an interesting story surrounding this statue. It is believed that in when the new church was being built in 1875, people wanted to move the statue to the main altar inside the church. But they couldn't move the statue even an inch. There is another statue of Mother Mary at the main entrance of the church. It is believed that in 1832, when the church was attacked by some miscreants, they were struck blind as they came to pull the statue down.