By Verghese Joseph –
On a cloudy Thursday evening, all roads in and around Shivaji Nagar cantonment area of Bengaluru, led to St. Mary’s Basilica — as the solemnity of the Nativity of Blessed Mother Mary got underway.
Thousands of pilgrims thronged the basilica to take part in the first flag hoisting ceremony that was presided by Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bengaluru. The archbishop blessed the flag and joined the chief guests in hoisting it. This hoisting of the flag symbolizes that devotees’ hearts too are to be raised towards the Almighty God with the perpetual help of Our Lady. Indeed it was a spectacular to view when thousands of people gathered around the flag post, join in singing the praise of Blessed Mary Our Mother – ‘Ave Maria’ (Praise to Mary) filled the air, when the flag was hoisted.
The festivities began with the hoisting of the traditional flag. A Novena is held on the first nine days from 29 August to 7 September. September 8, the day on which Mother Mary was born, is celebrated as a Holy feast. The festivities will culminate on September 8 with a grand procession.
During the festivities, nine days of novena will be observed, wherein holy masses are celebrated throughout the day, in which thousands of people participate with ardent devotion. Devotees dressed in ‘saffron’ clothing venerated Mother Mary for her bountiful blessings and intercessions.
The basilica had its humble origins as a thatched hut in the 17th century, built by Tamil Christian migrants from Gingee. This village took the name ‘Biliakkipalli’ (present day Shivaji Nagar) because it is said that the rice they cultivated was white and also because a number of white birds were found in those rice fields. However, according to a prominent historian S K Aruni, Blackpally could have been named after John Blakiston (1785-1867), who designed the layout of the Bangalore Cantonment.
A French MEP priest Jean-Antoine Dubois built a chapel and the structure was called Kaanike Mathe Devalaya, which in Kannada means the Church of Our Lady of the Presentation. Later on, Rev. Fr. Andreas an Indian priest from Pondicherry succeeded him and he expanded the Church building in the shape of Cross.
In 1832, due to some communal riots, the church was pulled and pillaged. Fr. Beauchaton, the then Parish Priest, narrowly escaped death by the tactful handling of the situation by the Christian people. Troops arrived to restore peace and the government had the Church guarded first by the European soldiers and later by Indian sepoys for many months.
After some years, a great plague spread throughout the Biliakkipalli region. The people sought the intercession of Mother Mary to relieve them from the clutches of disastrous death. Mother Mary interceded for the victims and the plague vanished from the vicinity. Since she cured the people from the dreadful disease and gave them good health, she was also called as ‘Annai Arokiamarie’ (Our Lady of Good Health).
Mass is offered in different languages and mass marriages are conducted for the poor and needy. A thanksgiving Mass is also organized for couples who have completed 50 years of marriage. Eucharistic celebrations are held on the day of the feast and a decorated chariot with the image of Mother Mary is drawn by devotees along the various streets of Bangalore.
The Main feast is celebrated with all grandeur on the 8th of September, the Feast day of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, every year. This feast is considered by the people, not only as the Feast of the Parish, but also for the whole of the Archdiocese and State of Karnataka.