Kochi: A 200-year-old Christian shrine under St John Nepumsian Church, Konthuruthy, which was facing demolition after Indian Railways acquired its land, is being relocated, thanks to the perseverance of the faithful.The shrine, 12 ft wide and 14 ft tall, holds immense emotional as well as heritage value for the parishioners, who bought back the structure at a railway auction and purchased land 25m away to relocate it. However, the relocation was easier said than done. Any attempt to move the structure carried a high risk of damage. The parishioners roped in an agency based in Kurukshetra, Haryana, which separated the structure from its foundation and moved it gradually using jacks, levers and iron rods.Within a week, the structure was moved 18m without any major damage. The parishioners hope that by Friday they will be able to place the shrine at its new location.Parishioner Johny Mathew Kalathiveettil, who is coordinating the project, said there had been an attempt by the railways to acquire the shrine when the track was initially laid in 1983. On the request of parishioners, the railways had allowed an exception then, but it acquired the land in 2023.“I remember my childhood days when we used to play around the shrine. So, after it was acquired by the railways, the parishioners began discussions on the possibility of conserving it. We had heard of lifting buildings, but we did not know it could be shifted over such a distance. That was when we heard about the Haryana-based company Shri Ram Building Lifting, which has done similar work in other parts of the country,” he said.By the time the idea emerged, the railways had already sealed the deal and paid compensation. “When we approached the railways, we were told that the structure would be put up for auction. We entered the auction and bought it back for a nominal sum,” Johny said.A small plot — what remained of a neighbouring property, which had also been acquired by the railways — was then purchased to relocate the structure. “We then approached the Kochi corporation and they gave us special permission,” he said.After securing all permissions, preliminary relocation work began over two months ago. Vikas Rana, managing director of Shri Ram Building Lifting, said the relocation began on March 15.“We use jack systems to manually move the shrine. After separating it from the foundation, jacks were used to lift it to a height of about five feet. Concrete beams were then constructed underneath and the structure was placed on them,” Rana said.Once the structure was positioned on beams and jacks, it was placed on iron channels. “Iron rods are then used as temporary ‘wheels’ between the structure’s base and a set of temporary rails. Using larger jacks, the structure was slowly rolled onto an adjacent road. For the past week, we have been moving it a few feet each day. We are hopeful of placing it at the new site by Friday,” Vikas said.The parishioners are hopeful of celebrating Easter with the shrine restored to its former glory. “Once the shifting is complete, we plan to restore its original look and beautify the surroundings. A 14-metre-tall cross will also be placed atop the shrine,” Johny said.
