TURA: This has been truly a labour of love. Decades ago, a motley crowd of faithful dared to dream big. Today, a sea of faithful have helped transform that dream into a reality.
For the Catholic faithful, Tura has a new destination.
On Saturday morning, all roads will lead to the doors of the Sacred Heart Shrine, one of the biggest church projects ever to take shape in the religious history of Garo Hills, which will be opened for the devoted by the Archbishop of Guwahati, Rev. John Moolachaira, who will grace the holy event with the bishops of the north east and bishop Andrew Marak of Tura.
The energy and excitement is already overwhelming as volunteers come forward every day to extend a helping hand in giving the finishing touches to the upcoming celebration.
“We are overwhelmed by the love and support given by the faithful. Contributions have flowed generously for the construction of the Shrine and I must say the support and contribution at the local level has been immense,” said Parish Priest Rev Fr. Theodore T Sangma who is overseeing the completion of the shrine.
The inauguration is to take place at 10 AM in which Archbishop Moolachira would dedicate the Shrine and anoint the altar and the 12 pillars of the church. This will be followed by Holy Mass concelebrated by the bishops of the north east in which several thousand Catholics are expected to take part.
The organisers are expecting almost fifteen thousand people on the occasion of inauguration of the shrine.
“The Shrine will edify the parishioners and, even more, will be a place whose beauty gives honour and glory to God,” said a member of the laity.
The Shrine was conceptualised many years ago by the priests and laity to house a large congregation under a single roof. Its actual work began on September 9th 2014.
Designed by a team of architects from Kerela state, the Shrine has been constructed in the style of a traditional Garo basket called “Kok Megam” lying in a supine position, the Shrine has four minarets and a centre piece white dome. The two bell towers with gigantic bells will chime to call the faithful home for the first time on Saturday.
The state-of-the-art shrine whose exteriors are done with exquisite murals depicting Biblical stories of the Lord and his faithful houses a gallery and has at its centerpiece a dome engraved with a design resembling the beads of the Sacred Rosary which serves as a canopy to this House of God.
The Shrine can house 5000 faithful.
“The Kok Megam design was taken because the traditional Garo bamboo basket was the centerpiece item of the first missionaries who visited the region. All important items including the Holy Bible and the Eucharistic items used to be placed inside the Kok Megam and carried by the early missionaries,” said Fr Theodore T Sangma while narrating the history behind the Shrine’s design.
He further pointed out that the Kok Megam is an indispensable part of everyday Garo culture because the rice is stored inside the basket and used during weddings and funerals. It forms part of the leitmotif of traditional Garo events whereby rice along with ‘bijak’ is served by the host to the guests on solemn and festive occasions.
For a parish almost four decades old , this event which will be witnessed by the commoner and the privileged alike will mark a new era in the religious history of Garo Hills.