On Thursday, a 1000-year-old, THE MALANKARA Orthodox Syrian church in Kerala’s Alappuzha district urged its follower to vote for BJP leader Balashankar in the upcoming assembly election, due to his intervention in saving the church from demolition to widening a national highway.
While acknowledging BJP Balashankar’s support, in preventing the demolition of St George Orthodox church, Fr Johns Abraham Konat, spokesperson of the Orthodox Church said that church head Baselios Marthoma Paulose II wanted Balashankar is to be voted, to keep away the partisan from political interests.
Fr Konat asserted, ” If Balashankar, a BJP candidate from Chengannur in upcoming assembly election in Kerala, is not voted to victory, it would be ungratefulness”.
“Orthodox church was given to the Archaeology department to demolish, but Prime Minister came to intervened into issue and rescued it from demolition”.
He further added ” When all political parties stayed away from the issue, it was he [ Balashankar] who intervened in the issue and supported us.
The St George Orthodox church was constructed in 1050 AD. It has 13th century origin 47 mural painting, and also the grave of 19th century Malankara Metropolitan Philipose Mar Dionysius in church.

After the order issued by NHAI that the Orthodox church was to be demolished for widening the highway, the church discussed the issue with several political parties, over the years. But no one paid attention unless Balashankar raised the issue last month.
Subsequently, the official Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) decided that the Syrian church is one of the rarest in Kerala. ASI said that “the church has its historic, art and architecture importance, so this monument has to be protected as national importance.
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