Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Feast of the Chapel at Cabo Raj Bhavan - "Our Lady of the Cape"


This chapel stands at the Cabo Raj Bhavan (Governors residence) at Dona Paula,
This beautiful chapel is around 500 years old.
"Our Lady of the Cape" chapel was constructed around the year 1541.
This chapel is open for the Morning Mass on all Sundays, as also on Christmas and Easter. A large number of devotees, mostly from the nearby villages, attend the Mass.
The Feast of the Chapel is celebrated on 15th August which coincides with the Independence Day of India.
Thousands of devotees, cutting across various religious groups, attend the special prayers held on this occasion it is followed by the veneration of the statue in the grotto. there are steps leading down to the grotto. This Saint used to be venerated in the 4th and 5th centuries in Europe and the grotto referred to as the Grotto of St. Paula. You will notice that the Saint is being paid due respect even today with Indian-styled garlands and floral tributes.

There is also a tradition where the priest says a prayer and blesses the crops. (paddy crop) and Later a few sheaves are placed on tray and distributed among the people after the high mass. People take the blessed ‘Konsa’ (sheave) after the mass. The sheaves are placed at the altar at homes and some put the ‘Konsa’ in their cars as a sign of a symbolic protection.




The main altar of the Cabo chapel


The left hand side altar of the chapel


The right hand side altar of the Chapel


carved Pulpit of the chapel



the main altar of the chapel



devotees the blessed ‘Konsa’ (sheave) after the mass


devotees take the blessed ‘Konsa’ (sheave) after the mass


People in line for veneration of the statue at the Grotto



People in line for veneration of the statue at the Grotto


A statue of Our lady kept for veneration at the Chapel


An eagle flying high over the Cabo Raj Bhavan

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