English
Church and Courtyard of Lalame-a-Nova
Palai, Kerala, India
Religious Architecture
Due to its proportions and refined decoration, the small church of Lalame-a-Nova is a jewel of Indo-Portuguese architecture of Kerala. The church follows a Mannerist trend in its aesthetics, which can be seen in the design and decoration of the façade, divided horizontally in various storeys with jutting ogees and vertically by pilasters and columns. The architectonic composition, with a tower adjoining the façade, shows that the church’s typology belongs to a tradition that goes back to the 16th century. Like Saint Thomas Church at Palai, this building is an example of a church that has a gallery running along the lateral façade. Originally a two-storey wooden structure, the gallery was altered in the 19th century and made into a more solid structure in stone with Gothic arches. The façade retains the bays which once enabled access from the gallery to the courtyard in front of the church, but are no longer functional. The façade has an interesting iconographical programme with figures in low relief. At the top, above the portal, is the representation of the Holy Trinity and below this the figure of the Virgin in a niche flanked by angels. The wings that connect the central section to the lateral ones are fan-shaped and adorned with dragons on both sides, in keeping with entrances to Hindu temples. The two dragon heads that adorn the pilasters on the façade are also of Hindu inspiration. An image of Saint George in relief can be seen above the portal. In his fight with the devil, the saint appears here as a protector divinity, in tune with Hindu tradition. As with other churches of Saint Thomas Christians, the high altar is crowned by a tower, in this case with a hip roof. This structure, called madubaha in Malayalam, once more follows Indian tradition in its affinity with Hindu temples, in which the place of the divinity is emphasised by a tower. Also in the same line as older churches of Saint Thomas Christians, the square in front has two platforms that are connected along their whole width by a stairway that gives the whole a powerful sacred, processional character. A highly refined room for musicians with a sophisticated wooden structure on the first floor shows clear affinities with the gopuras of Hindu temples in Kerala. The church has a single nave, a crossing with two chapels and a triumphal arch leading into the chancel, which has a barrel vault divided by votive plaques, as was usual in churches of Saint Thomas Christians of the time. The small proportions of the church contrast with the aristocratic grandeur of the priest’s residence, which is an interesting example of a colonial house of Portuguese influence. The ground floor was originally a school, as was usual in these houses and which was one of the most significant features of Portuguese influence in Southern India.