Shroro

The Syriac Orthodox Christian Digest - August, 2005

Syriac Orthodox Christian Youth from Europe on Pilgrimage in India

By Shabo (Yauno.com); translated by Simone Fidan and Mike Wingert

A group of 18 young people from Germany, Sweden and Switzerland went to discover India.

We all had different expectations, and none of us were really sure about what we were going to encounter there. We all met a couple times to get to know each other better and to do all the preparations together before our trip. After all, there weren’t only vaccines to think of, but toilet paper should not be missing from our suitcases either.

We were all in a great mood when we met on the train on January 27 to get to the airport in Düsseldorf. After a six hour flight, we arrived in Dubai, but we weren’t really excited until we landed in Cochin after another four hour flight. We were welcomed with flowers from different priests and elders. Still at the airport, we were asked to take the first picture of our group for the newspaper. For our Suryoye in India, it is an honour to meet Suryoye from Tur Abdin. That was the main reason for our tip. We wanted to get in touch with our Suryoye as well as the Suryoye Knanoye and build a relationship with us Suryoye in Germany.

During the first evening, we had the honour to have dinner at the “Patriarchal Center” with our holy Marphiryono Mor Baselius Thomas I. On the second day, it felt like we had already experienced as much as one could in 14 days: one highlight followed the other. We visited Aramaic churches, had conversations with our brothers and sisters there, and drove into the city Bangalore, experiencing India like one might know it from Indian movies. Shopping in a Bollywoodstore was something not to be missed. There was a highlight to our experience at a church in Bangalore. A woman was honoured from the entire community after the church service because she had the third best exam out of the whole state. The atmosphere was overwhelming. The child choir of the church sang us a song which told how the Knanoye from Tur Abdin went to India. This song became the favourite song of our trip… Knanayi Ka, Suryani Ka, lalalala ….. Something like that!

We also experienced cultural elements of this country. We visited the overwhelming King City Mysore, the ape temple in elevation 1800m, which is also guarded by apes, Indian temples, the National Botanic garden, and from there into the jungle. We staid overnight in lodges and could hear the animals climbed above our roof at night. A jungle safari and a trekking tour could not be missing.

We saw the jungle animals, elephants, peacocks, apes and a lot more. We finished the evening with an unforgettable campfire party at night. We danced Bagiye, Shechane, Hurse and Hasade for the Indians and they danced Indian rhythm for us. It was just great that night!

Early in the morning we went to Kottayam and visited a church where 3 priests preached at the same time. It was incredible how full the church was. Over here you can see this only at Christmas or Easter. On this day 40 children got baptized there. Our brothers and sisters were so enthusiastic and wanted us to take pictures with their babies. It was an honour for us.

Our trip led us to Munnar, the area of the tea plantations. We arrived late at night and our hotel was at elevation 1800m. It is the highest hotel in Kerala but an indescribable paradise. The next morning we drove through the tea plantations in Jeeps the whole day. We experienced breathtaking landscapes and saw original bollywoodsceneries, dams, marvellous seas and beautiful vegetation. We bought fresh fruit at every corner and most of the time we ate pineapples during our trip. With the weather being 35 to 40° C this may taste the best.

After these highlights, we enjoyed three more days at the beach (Kovalam Beach) to prepare ourselves for the Shahro in honour of the Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Ellias III. What we saw there was totally overwhelming. Thousands of faithful people hiked hundreds of kilometres for days in that heat just to take part at the shahro.

We weren’t as worthy as they were, but we thought we should also do something. We decided to buy 1600 tangerines and distribute them between the people. Since the tangerines already ran out after a short time, we spontaneously decided to buy a huge load of watermelons. We cut them in pieces and started to distribute them. It felt so good for all of us to do something for our people.

The next day it was the shahro; thousands of people met and we were allowed to sit at the table with Maphiryono and eight other bishops. It was an honour for us. The ceremonies in honour of the Patriarch will remain unforgettable for us. People pushed each other towards the grave of the Patriarch; it seemed like on a concert. It is unbelievable how faithful our Suryoye are over there. We should take them as an example. Crippled and sick people were lying outside at the streets. We distributed donations from Germany to them. This people set so much hope in us and our help. Each one of us will keep this picture in our minds!

We experienced another overwhelming highlight when we visited the boys and girls orphanage. The children rushed towards us, hugged us, kissed us, sang for us and didn’t let us go anymore. We distributed candies and other gifts to them. The children were happy about each little something they got from us. It was so wonderful to make these children happy.

The nuns who took care of the children told us the fate of each child. The father of one girl set her mother on fire. The father is in prison now and her mother is dead. Another boy was found in a boat when he was still a baby. Listening to these stories none of us could stop their tears. The visit of the orphans was one of the nicest moments of our trip.

We visited also a Knanoye church which lies at the Backwaters. The people there were very very poor. We visited them in their impoverished houses and had the opportunity to help them a bit with our donations from Germany. One family needed money so their daughter could get married, another poor widow needed a cow so she could live from it on a long-term basis, and another family lived in a house that rather looked like ruins…. and we saw a lot more.

Here I would like to mention a project which was led by our sister Hatune Dogan. For 400 Euro, we can build a house where homeless Suryoye will be able to live. Some of us made themselves could personally envision such a thing. Hatune showed them a young couple that just got married recently. They lived under a palm tree and were waiting for a chance to get a house. Another very helpful project is that we can support the building of a well, where several families can draw their water to live from.

Please let us help our Suryoye there together. If you could see how poor the people are there, it is no comparison to the Suryoye in Tur Abdin. We must help.

As a good role model, the former Aramaic youth committee of Westphalia donated 1800 Euro for orphanages and poor families.

The 3 weeks passed by and we experienced our last evening at the hotel. We celebrated with our Knanoye friends a small Hafle and composed a song for them. With lots of overwhelming impressions and memories we flew to our last highlight--Dubai. This city is just unbelievable. Take a look at the pictures.

Back in Germany we all agreed that we should not forget our experience there. We have a mission now. Since we saw the living-conditions of our brothers and sisters in India very closely, we now know how we can support them.

Finally, some individual impressions of the India group 2005

Elisabeth:
To India I can only say, simply unforgettable, phantasmagorical, overwhelming. Take a look at the pictures and you’ll know how well it went for us. I have never seen as warm a people as in India. The most incredible thing is that they admire us because we’re real Aramaic. I have never seen as faithful people as there. Also the country had to offer so much. I’ll never forget this trip and this was certainly not the last time that I have been there.

Anita:
It was the second trip to India for me. Also this time it was a trip filled with experiences and emotional moments.

It was very impressing to see how strong our brothers and sisters in India put their faith in the foreground (or do you say on first place?). A particularly good example is the ceremonies in honour of the holy Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Ellias III. To this Procession came approximately 100.000 faithfull people and most of them walked the whole way (that means up to one week of walking with about 270 km). To see an overcrowded church with where most of them are children and young people, let us become more disappointed about our Suryoye in Europe. Altogether it will remain an unforgettable trip which changes my way of thinking a little bit.

I always knew that we live better than other people on the world but that there is such an extreme difference is almost incomprehensible. God willing it will not have been the last trip to India for me.

Samuel:
Even if one thinks, one already experienced a lot in his age and one knows a lot about the world, I have to say that this 3 weeks change you totally. You’ll think different about life!

Where one got angry beforehand about something or felt bad because on couldn’t afford the new Mercedes or the new Nokia cell phone, one is more satisfied with the own life. It is because you see how bad other peoples life can be and they still go on with their life and are nevertheless satisfied with it because they learn to handle it. They have nothing but their faith and that makes them as rich as Bill Gates.

On the other hand we “new-Europeans” are the poor and begging people. Actually we should be the ones asking for donations from our sisters and brothers i.e. faith and love.

The time with our people there shows how important our folk (or nation?) is. One is really treated like a superstar and that’s how you notice what you are! Here in Europe we are so negatively adjusted towards our people. Disfavour, quarrels among families are on the day’s schedule. You wouldn’t find this there.

I don’t believe that we could ever have such a strong company here but we all should look a little bit more positively towards the future to make something out of it. Since it doesn’t go that badly for our people.

Also for me it hasn’t been the last time I have been to India.

Tidora:
When I read this text my tears break out and everyday I think I want to go back. I can recommend to everyone to do this trip.

The people were very nice and hospitable and the landscapes indescribable beautiful. I felt like I was at home, like I have known the people for my whole life…

Zyane:
I lost my heart in India, at most to the children in the orphanage, particularly to the two twins in the girls' orphanage. I love the culture, the country, the blaze of colour (or colourfulness??) of the fabrics (Saree) and everything that belongs to India.

I will never forget this trip and it hasn’t been the last time. I’ll fly there definitely again.

P.S: Our group was so perfect coordinated; we had so much fun together!

Suat:
For me it was totally impressing to see how faithful the Syrian-orthodox Christians in India are. It was a great feeling to be welcomed with open arms from our brothers and sisters.

The absolutely highlight were for me the visit of the orphanages. The joy of the children about our small gifts was simply overwhelming.

This article originally appeared in the German publication Yauno.