Dr. John Dayal Member: National Integration Council Government of India 505 Link, 18 IP Extension, Delhi 110092 India Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: 91-11-22722262 Mobile 09811021072 1 May 2006
Documenting Christian Monuments, Shrines, Historic churches or churches of other significance, altar art and artifices, graveyards (including mortuary art), relics, paintings Dear Friends You must be aware of the Indian National Trust for Arts and Culture Heritage, INTACH. Set up several decades ago, an with Prime ministers such as Rajiv Gandhi taking a personal interest, it has done much work in helping preserve monuments and cultural heritage which would have otherwise vanished. Its advocacy has also been able to procure much needed financial and technical help in restoration of heritage buildings, The only Christian building to benefit from it is the St James church in Delhi I am a founder Life member of INTACH and have impressed on them as also the Ministry of Culture and of Railways among others, the importance to see that Christianity's 1900 year cultural wealth, wherever available, does not vanish in so called modernization, or vandalism and government projects etc. INTACH has now set up a core committee to help it document Christian culture and heritage in India in a scientific manner. Other core committee members include retired senior police officer Maxwell Pereira, and former Diplomat Eric Gonsalves. We seek your help in making this documentation as comprehensive as possible. Please get in touch with me if you know personally, are or aware of in your parish or neighborhood, the existence of 1.Historical churches of any period noted for their founder, architecture, design, historicity etc 2.Historical graveyards inclde War graveyards, places where well known saints or other historical and cultural figures are buried 3.Rare bibles, crosses and artifacts from different periods in History 4.Statuary and paintings, stamps, coinage of any period which depicts facets of Indian Christian history 5.Illustrated Bibles of any period, language etc 6.Cultural accoutrements - marriage clothes of old Malayalee denominations, for instance. Including family portraits qualifying as heritage 7.Other historic buildings, including hospitals, forest dispensaries in tribal areas etc. This is a monumental task, but very important as Christianity is part and parcel of the soil and the air and the waters of this land for more than nineteen centuries. This documentation will help us preserve the more fragile components, including oral history, old music of hymns and dance forms. I will be graceful if you could give it a thought and respond to me. Your efforts will of course be officially acknowledged. For your information, a few films have been mad on Christianity in India - including one by me made for the Foreign office in the Nineties. But there are not too many books on this subject. Prticularly pictorial books. I intend to produce some. The New Delhi YMCA did an exhibition some years ago in collaboration with the national museum and the national Gallery of Modern Art, curated by me and Mark Clive of the YMCA New Delhi on the Visage of Christ in Indian Art. It was a critical success. The INTAC project will fist produce a comprehensive Directory, and may be followed up with Books, documentaries, cards etc... With warm personal regards in the Risen Lord John Dayal _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list ([email protected])
