Those who have been to the Mar Thoma Church of Charalkkunnu, Thiruvalla, on April 8 might have witnessed the enthralling silhouette of Jesus on an eight-feet diameter toughened glass with an inlayer brass work. The intriguing juxtapositions of objects that are astutely presented for sunlight to fall and make the silhouette visible exactly on the day of April 8, is an art installation that revamps the relationship with nature and religion — a sacred matrimony that had ended long ago.
“I regard the art installation at Charalkunnu Church as an activism. Nature is God. Nature imparts the images of God more beautifully than any man can do,” says Eldho Pachilakkadan, the architect behind the silhouette artwork.
The greenery in his name (Pachilakkadan) is not a frippery. After working for 15 years as an architect, he quit his job listening to the call of the wild. Then on, fondness for living in the wild with his photography gear in his backpack kept him in pursuit of the formidable trails of the Western Ghats. Never turning back while wandering through the wilderness and renouncing civilisation, he developed a new form of farming called cyclic farming which embodies all cycles in life. “Our biodiversity has a cycle. The so-called organic farming that boasts of being eco-friendly kills the pest using bio poisons, thus altering our natural biocycle. The pests have importance in this world; they inherit certain rights to live on this planet. My farming accommodates their right to live.”
His saint-like looks and Christopher McCandless-like lifestyle rhymes well with his philosophy. He loathes monoculture and values mixed farming that recreate the natural cycles. At his 25 acres of land at Kootathara near Attapadi, he breeds goats, chickens, cattle and ducks. “I collect saplings and seeds from wherever I go. I study their geographic conditions, temperature at which they will survive and plant those seeds that are likely to work in our climate. I don’t have a precise number of how many varieties are there at my nursery, but I know there are plenty,” says Pachilakkadan.
Quitting his career as an architect was not an impulsive act, unlike the mainstream ‘chasing-the-dream’ stories. An early retirement at 35 was always his plan. His wildlife enthusiasm drove him into co-founding the Travancore Natural History Society, an NGO that carries extensive research on biodiversity of the Western Ghats and works for its preservation.
His journeys were not limited to vastness of Indian land. Last year, he visited Israel as part of an agricultural group for studying the scientific farming methods of Israel. He re-visited Israel, accompanying a crew of 30, including Rima Kallingal, Ramesh Pisharody, Dharamajan Bolgatty and Rimi Tomy for a mega show. From there, he went to Palestine and encountered the works of famous street artist Banksy. Those graffiti echoed the plight and struggles of Palestine with stringent criticism against war and capitalism. The Wall Museum, the wall that separates Palestine and Israel, is the canvas for artists from various parts of the world.
Eldho connected to the fellow artist by painting on the Wall Museum a picture of Dinkan with swathanthryam (freedom) written next to it. “Dinkamatham, as it’s popularly called, is the only religion that encourages free thought. The war between Palestine and Israel is the conflict between two religions. I was symbolising the irony of religions through Dinkan.”
On his way back home he did not forget about the cyclic farm; he took with him 20 varieties of seeds and saplings. His future dreams involve a fruit farm in Munnar and a house carved out of stones. His dream house does not involve three storeys and French windows; he’d rather have a house made from natural resources. Asked when the construction would begin, he grins widely, saying, “Let the money come.”
