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My first entry into the S B Campus at the age of seven

The liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church culminates and concludes with the feast of Christ the King, which falls on the last Sunday of November. When I was very young, (the early 1960s) as part of the celebration of the feast, a procession, rather a rally was held from my parish church, St Mary’s Cathedral, Changanacherry to St Berchmans College. Only the tiny tots, those studying in Lower Primary of the Sunday school were included in this rally. I was studying in the second standard when I joined the rally for the first time. About 50 kids must have been in the rally. We flung our little fists up in the air, shouting the slogans “Long live Christ the King”, “Christ the King Ki Jai”. This gave us a much-desired opportunity to imitate our elders whom we had often watched excitedly, shouting slogans aloud for political parties.  We entered the S B Campus with a sense of awe and wonder.  We were directed to the College Chapel. A short homily followed by the distribution of sweets marked the end of the celebrations. This, my first impression of S B at the age of seven, in association with the feast of Christ the King, remains etched in my memory.

At that age, I could not connect S B College with Christ the King. It was years later when I joined the B Com programme that I read “Christ King’s Chapel” embossed prominently on the College chapel’s pediment facing southwards right above the basketball court. Then I realised that the statue on top of the college tower was that of Christ the King. The tower with the statue has now become the renowned icon for the college. So I believe it right to say that S B College is the campus of Christ the King. I sometimes suspect that at least a few who passed through the campus must have mistaken the statue for that of St John Berchmans, the heavenly patron of the college.

A search for some details regarding the first buildings on the campus and their connection to Christ the King brought out a few facts that were not recorded in the history of the College[1].

The first building on the campus and the flood of 1099

In 1922 the Madras University sanctioned St Berchmans College. The first campus was housed in the newly constructed building which was originally a minor seminary, on the premises of the St Mary’s Parel church.

That very same year the foundation stone for the new college building was laid at its present site (then known asVedikunnu). Dewan Raghavaiah under Maharajah Sreemoolam Thirunal offered 1500Kandysof teakwood (3810 quintals, in metric measure/ over 38 tonnes) as part of a grant for the building to be constructed.

Mar Thomas Kurialaserry, the Bishop of Changanacherry, entrusted the task of procuring timber from the government to Kannampuzha Kochu Varkey Joseph MLC (member of SreeMulam Praja Sabha). Mr Kochu Varkey was the leading timber merchant in Changanacherry in those days. He auctioned 1000 logs of teak from Vettikattumukku Timber Depot (near Kanjiramattam). These were tied together like a raft and to be ferried through the river to Changanacherry. That was the available means of transportation used in those days. Then an unexpected disaster struck Kerala. The unprecedented devastating flood of 1099 (Malayalam year, 1924 Gregorian calendar) engulfed the state bringing untold suffering and loss on many fronts. All the logs bought for the college construction were washed away. But the courageous Mr Kochu Varkey rose to the occasion. He hired several boatmen and sent them through different water routes to retrieve each log from wherever they were. After several days of search, the logs were located at the Muvattupuzha River. They all had been marked, making identification easy. KochuVarkey had the complete list, and he recovered them without losing a single log, to the delight of the bishop who felicitated Mr Varkey for his valiant effort.[2]

In 1925 the three-storied first building on the campus, now named Kurialasserry Block, was completed. The college was shifted to the new site. This single building housed the office, the Principal’s residence, and the hostel. [This building was renovated and rededicated in 2007. The round plaque of Jesus and Mary was installed on the third floor]

Inordinate delay in the construction of the tower building

1927 the college was upgraded and sanctioned to offer Botany and Zoology at the degree level. This necessitated the construction of a new building. A detailed plan was drawn with a front block with two wings on either side budgeted at Rs 3.5 lakhs. The construction was started in 1926-27 itself. An advance grant of Rs 25,000 was received from the Government, thanks to DewanVazhapally Subramania Iyer’s influence.  The building had to be completed quickly. There was pressure from the government which advanced the grant and Madras University which granted affiliation for degree courses on the condition of availability of adequate space. The paucity of funds put a heavy crunch on the Principal Rev Fr Mathew Purakal. The original plan of wings on either side was dropped and the ground floor was completed in 1934.

The Principal availed bank loans, started chit funds, and purchased land to be converted into rubber plantations to generate funds. These measures were found inadequate and it became difficult to meet the daily expenses. He finally resorted to cutting the staff salaries. Based on complaints received, an enquiry was conducted by the syndicate of Madras University. The affiliation of the college was at risk. The first Principal Rev Fr Mathew Purakal had to resign in 1936. A new Principal, Rev. Fr. Romeo Thomas was appointed.

The exact year of completion of this building is not recorded. There is a marking on the main staircase of the building, which reads 21.1.1937. It may be presumed that the building was completed in 1937

The tower was constructed with a provision for three floors for the main block. However, the central block was completed with two floors with provision for a third floor. The roof was fitted with nuts and bolts and wooden tresses so that it could be dismantled for further upward construction.

Christ the King Statue was imported from Spain

It was in 1925 that Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King and added it to the liturgical calendar. This might have prompted the college authorities, to decide on Christ the King statue to be installed on top of the College tower.

It is known from the family circles that the Statue of Christ the King was donated by Malayil Varkey Ouseph (Kochouthachen), Thathampally, Alapuzha a pious and large-hearted spices trader. He is known to have donated statues to Mohamma Church and Ettumannor Vettimugal Church. Mr Varkey Ouseph imported the statue from Spain. It is said that it was shipped in three pieces and joined together at the site. He was insistent that his name be not displayed in connection with it.[3]

When the college chapel was constructed in 1940, as a sequel to the statute on the tower, it was named after Christ King.

Christ the King statue as a location for Malayalam film scene

I recall that in 2007, the statue was used as the location for a crucial scene for Mohanlal’s film entitledFlash. The director Siby Malayil and cinematographer Sajan Kalathil were former students of the college. Coincidently Siby Malayil is the grandson of Malayil Varkey Ouseph who donated the statute.

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The scene shows the heroine climbing the spiral staircase at the back of the tower leading to the statute and she stands near a high pedestal of the statute surrounded by a concrete enclosure. We could make out the actual size of the statute when the heroine stands near it. the statute may be between 15-20 feet in height.To watch the scene from the film you may clickhere

Christ the King with Cross as His Sceptre

When I was the Principal of the College (2007-10), I used to leave the campus by 6-6.30 in the evening. I left home every day reflecting on the statue, which brought me to the campus at a very young age, its outlines glowing against the beams of the setting sun. The statue itself is unique. Usually, kings are depicted sitting on their thrones with the scepter (emblem of authority) in one hand. But this statue of Christ is depicted as a King with a crown, wearing the royal cloak, the right hand stretched palms down, in the gesture of blessing, and the left hand bearing a full-sized cross. The cross -the most evocative symbol of all, connotes the sceptre of Christ the King.

The tower was renovated in 2010 by an agency nationally renowned for its work on heritage buildings. One small change happened; only the cross in the statue which was distinguishable in black now appears painted the same colour as that of the statute.

The central building with the tower standing tall on the hill imparts its look of grandeur to the college. A first-time visitor to the college may assume that the Principal is housed in this tower. The office of the Principal I presume was planned to be in this tower which has a vantage view of the entire campus. I often wondered why the Principals never occupied this space.

Blessing the Neighbourhood

The tower with the statue is so placed on the campus that it is visible from quite a distance to the western side of Changanacherry town. It is symbolic of the role played by the College, guiding, directing, and showering the blessing of God Almighty on the thousands who have passed through its portals and the citizens of its neighbourhood.

Long live Christ the King,Ki Jay S B College

An appeal to the readers

The contribution by Kannampuzha Kochu Varkey and Malayil Varkey Ouseph came to our knowledge only through personal contacts. There will be ever so many others who have contributed to making S B what it is today. We seek your initiative to identify such persons and give due acknowledgment when we celebrate the S B centenary in 2022. If you know of any such instances/persons, please send details with relevant documents to the mail id: mysb@sbcollege.ac.in

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[1] A draft history of the college was prepared in 2007 with the available records in the College Office. To go through it please clickhere

[2] Kannampuzha family, near the Changanacherry Cathedral, has preserved an archive of the manuscripts by their forefathers. To read the relevant portion regarding the college, clickhere.

[3] To read the written note given by a Malayil family member clickhere

[4] To watch the scene from the flash movie, clickhere