Unique CHRISTO MANDIR in Krishnagar

On 29^th November 2009 following the Eucharistic Procession and after the inaugural cutting of the ribbon by the District Magistrate of Nadia, the band from Don Bosco School and a song by the Cathedral Choir, Bishop Joseph Gomes of Krishnagar, welcomed all to Christo Mandir, to the Risen Savior, in whose name and glory this monument of skill and devotion has been built. He wished that all their intentions be fulfilled. Pope Benedict XVI too has his blessing of joy and peace on the Bishops, priests, religious, lay faithful and civil authorities gathered for the dedication of the Christo Mandir - a religious and catechetical building in the Diocese of Krishnagar, nearly 100 kms north of Kolkata.

What has been achieved in the Christo Mandir ? The wish of all who projected and built this Holy Temple along with Fr. Colussi Luciano SDB, the Vicar General of the diocese, is that all who visit this Mandir should be “inspired to live more meaning­fully their daily assignments by having a model before their eyes and their hearts.” Rightly, Jesus’ life and teachings laid bare through statues, murals and paintings, are set to be the model. The engineers, constructors and the artists have effectively skilled out such devotion to the Saviour of humankind in this present piece of art. The same sentiment has been expressed by the Italian donors' message: "We are very happy that our dream has come true. May this Mandir give love, truth and joy to every brother and sister, who through it will come in touch and intimacy with the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour".

Art works on Biblical personalities, stories, symbols have found their public manifestations of harmony between the faith journey and the aesthetic sense of the artists. Many masterpieces have been inspired by great biblical narratives, themes, images and parables. This present creation is one such. At the entry into the Mandir one sees straight on the mural, Jesus’ human reality – from birth till death and resurrection - shared with all through the immanent power of the Holy Spirit. The same Power continues working in all with wonderful means and sac­raments as depicted inside just above the main door. Like millions of holy men and women all are invited to be inspired by what is proposed by this sacred Christo Mandir.

The erection of the Christo Mandir is meant to renew the local Church's (Krishnagar Diocese) closeness with the world of art. Christianity has always recognized the value of arts and made wise use of it to express the Good News. The art form does not reduce one’s existence to mere material realities; it is an invitation to relationship, dialogue and cooperation among people of varied faith and cultures, people who "are passionately dedicated to the search for new 'epiphanies' of beauty" (JP II). It is a search for perfect harmony between faith and art. In this present art-expression efforts have been made progressively to arrive at an authentic "renaissance" of art in the context of a new humanism. “Human history is movement and ascent, a continuing tension towards fullness, towards human happiness, towards a horizon that always transcends the present moment even as the two coincide” (Benedict XVI, 2009). Any art depiction is a strong prophetic cry against evil, against every form of injustice.

The Church needs art in order to communicate the message of Jesus. Art has always made the invisible, the ineffable and the world of the spirit, more attractive. The message of transcendent values translated into colours, shapes and sounds nourish the intuition of those who see and listen with a sense of mystery. For believers, the Risen Christ on the cupola with the cross and the flag of victory is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The main Door is the symbol of entrance through which we are brought to that "face-to-face" vision of God – the Drawer of definitive happiness for what one sees inside. Thus the whole artistic setting, bit over crowded though, presents to our gaze the Alpha and the Omega, within which lies life’s trodden path of joy, courage and hope.

In the era of relativism and the decoupling of art from religion, an urgent need is felt to re-establish a strong supernatural bond between Beauty and Truth. The establishment of the Kristo Mandir, more aptly ‘Kristyo Kala Bhavan’, seems to be the unique architectural figure in India, imperfect though, easily associated with the plural-God (Trinity) in a multireligous nation with significant presence of Christian socio-charitable witness. It would therefore be useful to reinvent the contemporary Church-art with pluralistic "Trinitarian purposes" of harmony, unity, dialogue and peace. The sacred character of such truth and beauty would be preserved in its proper ratio, through its strict connection to the "Logos", truly turning it into "trinoliturgical" art, and a visual catechesis to render to the Truth the most appropriate divine Beauty.

The art beauty is a means to rediscover a source of fresh and well-founded inspiration in religious experience and in Christian revelation (Tradition and Scriptures). The artists engaged in this mega creation under the director-artist Mr. Dilip Michael Biswas of Krishnagar, acting as mediators, speak to the heart of humanity; they touch individual and collective sensibilities, and broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. It becomes their responsibility to communicate the Truth through beauty and be “heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity!” The artists within their rich cultural heritage are inspired to create works of beauty, thus enriching the culture they live in, and render an “exceptional social service in favour of the common good” (JP II, 1999).

Dignitaries and special invitees to this mega occasion were: Sri Onkar Singh Meena IAS (DM, Nadia), Md. Meghlal Sheikh (Sabhadipati), Rev. Pedro Lopez Quintana (Nuncio to India), Archbishop Lucas Sirkar SDB (Kolkata), Sri Ashim Saha (Chairman of Krishnanagar Municipality), Rev. Thomas Ellicherail SDB, (Provincial, Kolkata), and many others. The inauguration was joyfully celebrated with songs, dances, band, speeches etc.