High Court rejects plea to demolish historic churches

The High Court of Kerala on Wednesday declared two ancient churches at Ramapuram in Kottayam district as 'historical monuments' and rejected the plea of a parish priest who appealed for the demolition of its structures.

Citing that there was a need for a modern structure to accommodate the growing number of people, Vicar Fr Mathew Nariveli, challenged the Archaeological Department's steps to declare them as protected monuments.

The court responded that St Augustine Church which dates back to around 1450 and St Mary's Church erected in 1864 in Palai diocese, are historical monuments and should be protected as stated by the Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1969.

Both the churches atop the Ramapuram village have a unique blend of Kerala and Portuguese architecture. The statue of St Augustine, the fifth century saint, was the one brought from Portugal.

The two churches which is also part of the Syrian Christian history for the past nearly five centuries contains the tomb of Augustine Thevarparambil (Thevarparambil Kunjachan) and is a pilgrim centre.

``The presence of the mortal remains of the saint attracts lots of people and we have no space to accommodate them. And the building is crumbling. We are not against conservation of structures of archaeological importance. But we have no choice, but to pull down the structure," sources quoted Fr Mathew Nariveli saying.

"God created the whole world for man. Archaeology is for the benefit of man and not vice-versa,'' he added.

Director of the Kerala Council for Historical Research and a member of the Mar Thomas Church, PJ Cherian, stood opposed to the views of Fr Nariveli and said, the church is one of seven in Kerala that trace their faith to Saint Thomas the Apostle.

"These monuments speak volumes about our rich culture and history. If we destroy them, we are wiping out our past," he said.

A notice by the State Archaeology Department to the church authorities has warned them from altering the structure of the church building.