Mingle all the Way133; News Archive News

December 25, 2008 12:00 AM IST

4 min read

This Christmas, Premankur Biswas visits one of the first 8220;inculturation8221; architecture projects in West Bengal, and is charmed by an inculturation of a different sort

It8217;s Sunday morning mass at the Sacred Heart Church at Burdwan. Outside, Krishnachura trees lining the Tentultala street drip slow tears and film posters pasted on the walls of the Church gather dust. While the sleepy town of Burdwan is yet to stir herself awake, the Sacred Heart Church is abuzz with activity. Girls in frilly frocks run around as their mothers engage themselves in 8220;women talk8221;. At the other end of the church compound, the men have gathered themselves in a huddle and are evidently impatient for a smoke, but equally aware of their surroundings. Sights like these make for a typical Sunday mass scene anywhere in the world, but this particular mass holds significance for the 3,000 parishioners of the Sacred Heart Church. This is the first service to be held at this 140-year-old church which was made by the East India Company for the benefit of Christian soldiers serving in the area, after it received an 8220;innovative8221; makeover. 8220;This church is special in many ways. It is one of the first churches in the state to be remodeled keeping the local cultural themes in mind,8221; says Father Sebastian Rodriguez of the Sacred Heart Church.

The church caters to about 3,000 Santhals scattered in 136 villages around Burdwan, many of whom are students at the schools run by the church authorities. The Santhals, who are known for their unique tribal culture, were the inspiration behind the makeover of the church. 8220;We wanted it to represent the lifestyle of the parishioners. We didn8217;t want to alienate them with traditional European architecture which most churches have,8221; says Bishop Seprian Monis of the Diocese of Asansol to which the church belongs. This is why the Sacred Heart Church proved to be an ideal 8220;inculturation8221; project for the Diocese. Inculturation is a Vatican initiative referring to the adaptation of the way Church teachings are presented to non-Christian cultures. 8220;We are working for almost all the Catholic congregations of the country. It is our endeavour to create awareness in public regarding new concepts in interior designing and decoration,8221; says Subrata Ganguly, who was in charge for the renovation work.

Keeping that in mind, a survey of the church8217;s interiors isn8217;t exactly inspiring. Fibre glass paintings depicting scenes from the apostles lines the walls. The marbled floor glistens with polish, the altar is decorated with plastic flowers and two fibre glass palkis adorn the walls behind the altar. What8217;s so local about them, you wonder. Until a group of white sari clad women enter the church and take over the mike. They hum a mellifluous tune, which is steeped in rustic poignance. Following them are a group of dancers who sway their bodies to the tune. The sight entrances me, and I8217;m told by Father Rodriguez that the song is a hymn in glory of lord Jesus. The service that is to follow, will also be in Santhali for the benefit of the Santhali majority in the parish. And while I8217;m taking all this in, a young boy quietly sits beside me. 8220;You are from Kolkata aren8217;t you?8221; he asks in crisp English. When I answer in affirmitve, he says that he has been to Kolkata once, as a part of a school trip. He is Bimal Tudu, a 12-year-old Santhal boy who resides in the neighbouring village of Katwa. His parents 8220;work in the field8221; and he happens to be the first literate member of his family. His parents speak nothing but Santhali, while he negotiates both these languages with remarkable ease. Tudu, I would like to believe, is a true product of inculturation.

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