Mother Mary shrine in Baroda binds people of all faiths
The statue of Mary installed at Vadodara was made by Spanish sculptor Senor Cuesta in the early 1930s. Posted in UCAN on February 26, 2016, 6:19 PM
Vadodara: Thousands of people, including non-Christians, throng the shrine of Mother Mary in the city every year. But few would know that the statue at the Shrine of Mother of The Forsaken in Fatehgunj is known to have 'miraculously' escaped the wrath of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
"People who come here develop a lasting emotional connect with the place. Every year during the feast on January 26 nearly 50,000 people come to the church from across the country," said chaplain of the shrine Fr Lawrence Lobo.
The shrine was conceptualized by Spanish missionary Vincent Tena in the 1930s, who felt the need to establish a shrine dedicated to mother Mary in Gujarat. The statue at the shrine is a replica of the statue at the Mother of the Forsaken shrine built in Valencia in Spain in early 15th century.
The statue of Mary installed at Vadodara was made by Spanish sculptor Senor Cuesta in the early 1930s. After civil war broke out in Spain in 1936, Cuesta was imprisoned and most of his works were desecrated by rebels.
Lobo added that the statue that was destined to be instated in Vadodara made its way to the city after about two decades. The statue reached Vadodara in 1956, and it was installed at the shrine on January 26, 1959.
Each year devotees queue to offer wax miniatures of houses, vehicles, babies, body parts affected by illness to the mother during the nine day annual feast that concludes on January 26. The shrine was planned by Fr TJ Campos who helped in acquiring a bungalow owned by an English lady in Fatehgunj for the shrine in 1956.
"Usually religious places are frequently visited by senior citizens, the shrine in Fatehgunj has been attracting many youth over the years. They come here mostly to deal with various crisis in life," said Fr. Lobo.
"A friend has recommended me to visit the church four years ago. I was going through a tough phase, coming here and sitting here has helped me in dealing with the tough times. I have been coming here ever since," said Himshikha Chandel, a student of museology at M S University's Faculty of Fine Arts.
Source: Times of India
