Javan Chacko is happier than ever before. His most recent work is going to embellish the sanctum sanctorum of a church in one of the most visited pilgrim centres in Asia - at Velankanni.
That the new Morning Star Church at Velankanni will have its most important section embellished by the work of a Malayali artist from Aluva is a matter of pride.
The church was constructed to solve the space constraints of the Old Matha Church. On feast days, Christmas, Holy Week, the crowd used to spill over to the compound.
The altar, which has already been set at the Morning Star Church, has three separate portions: on the left side is the Bible stand, on the right side is the space for reading the Bible or Gospel, and the central area is dedicated for the Holy Sacrifice.
Javan, a glass painter, has designed and painted windows and doors of many churches and commercial buildings in Kerala and neighbouring states. His works are among the prized collections of great personalities including Mohanlal, Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan and even former President A P J Abdul Kalam.
The work of the new church is over and was blessed on February 10 by Cardinal Fermando Filoni, the Vatican representative.
The church, built on Portuguese ideas, without inside columns, and with a capacity to accommodate 15,000 faithful inside and nearly 40,000 outside, will be one of the largest in India.
Almost `10 lakh has been spent for the altar. Woods like mahogany, rose wood and teak have been used for the construction making it quite expensive. People from Aluva, including a non-Christian, have largely contributed to the building fund, said builder and artist Javan Chacko.
According to him, glass works fixed on the sides of the altar have been made with meticulous care. The works including wood carving, fixing and glass painting have been finished in 30 days!” he said.
“There were times when I could not get good workers and helpers for the glass work and painting. Then a group of Anglo-Indians from West Kochi offered me help. They helped me complete the work in 30 days,” said Javan Chacko.
Thousands of devotees from all across the world would soon be able to glance across the glass paintings by Javan which include ‘Last Supper’, ‘the Host and Wine’, ‘Virgin Mary of Velankanni’, ‘Five Bread and Two Fish’, wheat kernels and grapes and finally the alpha and omega symbols.
The 20-feet long and 3.5 feet wide altar is Javan’s 101th work.