Making of the Encyclopaedia | Prof. George Menachery | Part 10

       Saturday Evening Post

Making of the Encyclopaedia

From the Horse’s own Mouth

George Menachery

Ten

The articles were slow in coming in. Many of them were first drafts as instructed in our letters. I had to wait for the second drafts. In the meanwhile I thought I will start printing the art plates, both in B&W and in full colour. So I took the wonderful photos taken by Shankar and a few by me together with the colour transparencies I had collected from various studios to Madras. I also gave Nayak the long and elaborate captions for the pictures. I had decided at the beginning itself not to append my name to any article in the work. I thought that the contents of an article in my own name might go against the ecumenical spirit of the Encyclopaedia. Hence some articles that I wrote were given in the names of my father, mother, even in the names of my dead baby niece Anna or dead baby nephew Paul. Of course my brothers Baby (later Dr.) E. J. James and (later Dr.) E. J. Thomas s. j. had contributed some excellent articles. As I was not writing any article in my own name I provided very long, research-based descriptions and captions  for the hundreds of B&W and  dozens of color pictures. These captions together formed an exhaustive study of the artistic  and archaeological heritage of the Kerala churches.

Then the B. N. K. did something never done by presses at that time – even today I think. They sent me machine “proofs” of all the photographs, B&W as well as colour on a score of large art sheets. The pictures were printed so well that I was thrilled. They were all almost as good as the pictures appearing in the best international publications. Therefore I decided to conduct an exhibition of these prints as well as some other objects in connection with the Philately Exhibition of that year being conducted at Ernakulam. On the way to Ernakulam I got down at Kalamassery ‘s Rajagiri CMI monastery where I had been told Dr. Mundadan had taken charge as the new provincial. I wanted to meet him and remind him of our previous invitation to him to which he had not responded. He received us well enough. Then I showed him the proof sheets of the photos. He studied the sheets for a few minutes and got up and shook my hand vigorously to congratulate me. From that moment he was a fully converted admirer of the encyclopaedia project and till his death continued to be our staunch supporter, friend, and advocate. And of course he consented to be a member of the Board of Editorial Consultants and wrote some valuable articles for the Encyclopaedia. He began to proudly mention his connection with the Encyclopadia in his conversations and his C.V.s. This naturally did a lot to boost our reputation among scholars and church personnel. And on 7^th April 1973 he was kind enough to propose the vote of thanks at the inaugural function of the Encyclopaedia at the Cardinal House, Ernakulam. When we went to New York in 2005 for a Seminar on Early Christianity in India, and again to attend a Seminar at Chennai he was happy to have my company and at times said that my presence gave him a sense of security. When the third international Seminar to be held in Amman, Jordan on Early Christianity in Asia was scheduled he promptly registered, in spite of little difficulties of old age. To all his friends and family members who tried to discourage him from going to Jordan his reply was that there was nothing to fear as Menachery was going with him. This was publicly mentioned by his brother Bishop Gratian Mundadan at a memorial meeting held at Angamaly after his death. For the exhibition held at Dharmaram, Bangalore under the leadership of Dr. Mundadan in 1972 he sent two of his students to Ollur to invite me and exhibited there some artifacts from my family collection. I remember well how when the bell used in our ancient horse-drawn carriage was sounded by some truant students two old CMI priests in Dharmaram  from the Alappat family of Kattur came running and wanted to meet the person from whose collection the bell had come, because the sound of that bell was familiar to them from long back. Fr. Mundadan also entrusted important roles to me at the CHAI Triennial of 1985 conducted at Ernakulam and Alwaye under his leadership and at the Jeevass Poorna Exhibition and during many other events.

I think it will be appropriate to quote a few sentences from a long article Dr. Mundadan wrote later:

“It was in the 1960s my acquaintance with Prof. George Menachery started. One day his brother James and the professor came to see me. Young and energetic his enthusiasm and firm determination to dedicate himself to the cause of the Christian heritage of India shone brightly in his youthful face and in his inspired words. He was launching a great project  -- a series of what he called St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India. He wanted my collaboration in this grand venture. “

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“George was then teaching English literature at the prestigious St. Thomas ‘ College, Thrissur. An earnest teacher though he was of English literature , George’s first love was Christian history and Christian archeology.

“Finally when this dream project of the Encyclopedia was launched he was kind enough to include my name in the Board of Editorial Consultants. I wrote an article for Vol. II: “History of St. Thomas Christianity in India to the Present Day”. I was also able to provide Prof. Menachery with some colour slides of churches of Kerala and their art treasures which we had collected for the Dharmaram College Exhibition during the celebration of the 19^th centenary of the death of St. Thomas the Apostle, 1972.

“Many of George’s friends wondered whether the project would materialize or would remain at the dream level. I too was somewhat sceptical. But Prof. George surprised all when the news was flashed that volume two was going to be released by His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Parecattil in the presence of His Holiness Catholicos Baselius Augen I. Actually the book was released on 7 April 1973 almost coinciding with the culmination of the 19^th Centenary celebrations of the Death of St. Thomas.At another grand function on 3 July 1973 Joseph Cardinal Parecattil presented copies of the volume to the then Governor of Kerala Sri N. N. Vanchoo. Both the functions were widely covered by the media and the Encyclopedia got good publicity. He book and its skillful editor George became celebrities overnight. We were all wonderstruck when we got in our hands the grant size volume in magnificent  class and style. Great acclaim not only from the general public but from the part of scholars and learned persons greeted the monumental work and its author………”