Mission of Yeldho Bava

Yeldho Mor Baselios Bava & His Mission

Though the holy father Mor Gregorios had succeeded in reorganizing the Syrian Christians and reaffirm them in the true faith, the saint's demise created a great vacuum for the native Syrian Christians. The excessive pressures and influences of the Portuguese elements once again forced the Syrian Christians to slowly drift away from their ancestral precepts and ethos. MarThoma II who was the lone Metropolitan in Malankara was not able to discipline them as well. So he sent a fervent appeal to his supreme head, the Patriarch of Antioch, for the immediate assistance of a Metropolitan and also 'Malpans' (teachers of theology) to educate the faithful. A delegation was later deputed to the Patriarchate at Mardin (Turkey) with the same purpose. During the consecration of the 'Holy Mooron' (Holy Chrism) at the Kurkuma Dayro (Deir-al saffron) in 1684, Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Abdul Messiah I painfully discussed the matter with the Maphryono Mor Baselios Yeldho and other prelates assembled there. ('Maphryono' is another canonical title of the 'Catholicos of the East' that functions within the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch. The title was adopted by the Syrian Church in the 7th century following the defection of the reigning Catholicos to the Nestorian faith in AD 498).

Knowing about the unpleasant situation prevailing in Malankara, Maphryono Mor Baselios Yeldho, who was above 90 years of age, gladly volunteered for the service, relinquishing his administrative charge there. His self-sacrificing decision was praised by all. But the Patriarch and others who were concerned about the Maphriyono's age and health, tried to discourage him. However they later succumbed to the determination of Mor Baselios Yeldho Bava.

On returning to the Maphriyanate at the Mor Mattai Dayro in Mosul (Iraq), the saint made preparations for the treacherous journey to India.  He installed Metropolitan Mor Dioscoros of Mosul who belonged to Kurd Island as Maphryono (Catholicos) by name Baselios Geevarghese II and started the long journey to a region, totally unknown to him. He was accompanied by his brother Jamma, the newly consecrated Episcopo Mor Ivanios Hidayatulla (son of Samma of Bakudaidand) and two Ramban's (monks) namely, Joea and Mathai of the monasteries of 'Mor Mattai' and 'Mor Behnan'. (There is another version that the Episcopo was only a Ramban/monk and he was ordained as a Metropolitan only after he reached Malankara.) The group travelled down to south from Mosul and boarded ship at Basra in Iraq, thus commencing the first phase of the mission.

Mor Baselios Yeldho Bava and his entourage reached Surat in Gujarat (North India) by the middle of 1685 and from there proceeded to the Malabar coast.  Some time later, they landed at Thalassery port in North Malabar. [As per the letter of MarThoma IV to the Patriarch of Antioch dated 25th Elool (Sept) 1720, those who reached Malabar, were Mor Baselios Yeldho, Mor Ivanios, and 'Ramban Mathai' (there exists no further information about this Rabban)]. In order to avoid attacks from pirates along the seacoast and to escape from the Portuguese, they traversed due east to Tamil Nadu and proceeded down to southern Kerala on foot. Obviously the saint and others with him were under the impression that the Portuguese were still wielding power on the west coast. So the journey was in disguise through thick forests.  After some weeks they reached a small village on the bank of a river at sunset.  On the way they encountered a ferocious tiger.  Bava’s escorts were scared to death but it is said that the Saint calmly took out the 'Sleebo' (Cross) and made the sign of the cross in the direction of the animal and it ran away roaring into the forests as if struck by a heavy object. 

Later they reached the place which is now known as 'Pallivasal' near Munnar. There were many huts in the foothills for the travellers. Mor Yeldho Bava had a feeling that it would be dangerous to stay in those inns since he expected heavy rains and floods that night.  So Bava advised his companions and the people remaining in the place that it would be better to sleep on the upper reaches of the surrounding hills. Some people who believed him moved higher up the hill but others dismissed the idea lightly and stayed on the inns. During the night there was a very heavy downpour and in the instantaneous flood many people and animals living on the river banks lost their lives.  In the mourning the saint offered the Qurbono (Holy Eucharist), for the dead and the mercy shown on those with him, on a temporary altar made there. From that time the place assumed the name ‘PALLIVASAL’ (place of Holy church). The site where he offered the Holy Qurbono is said to be considered sacred by the tribals of the hills around.

From there the Holy Father accompanied by the Episcopo Ivanios came to Kozhippilli village near Kothamangalam by afternoon. When they came to know that they had reached populated areas, Bava decided that it was unwise for both to travel together any further. He therefore asked the Episcopo to climb a tree and hide himself while the Saint proceeded on foot for reconnaissance. When the holy father reached the banks of Kothamangalam river at Chakkalakudy he saw a Nair (Hindu) Gentleman who was tending cattle there. Through symbols they communicated and the man told Bava that there was a Church nearby. 

Bava asked him to accompany him to the church. The man expressed his inability to do so since he could not abandon the cattle. The Saintly Bava took his walking stick and drew a big circle on the ground. Then he asked the man to take all the cattle into that circle.  He waited for some more time to see how the cattle behaved and he found that they were not leaving the boundary of the circle.  He realised that Mor Baselios Yeldho was a man of God.  The man's sister was at that time in labour pains.  He told the Bava about the difficult situation.  When the Saint asked for some water with a view to bless it, the man thought that he was asking for water to quench thirst and he tried to climb a coconut tree nearby. The tree began to bend ! The man took two tender coconuts from the tree and gave them to the Saint. The Saint blessed one of the tender coconuts and asked the man to rush home and make his sister drink the juice. While Bava waited at the same spot, after about one hour the man returned with the good news that his sister had given birth to a boy.  Greater surprise was in store for him, since the cattle had not moved out of the circle. The man gladly accompanied the Saint to the church.  While they got into the river to cross it, some children who were swimming in the river tried to throw pebbles at the Saint.  Somehow instead of throwing pebbles they ended up following the Saint and his companion.