The First Floor 1 The Gate

4. THE DESCRIPTION OF MARIAN SHRINE OF ANNAI VELANGKANNI

4.1 The Building Structure and The Symbols Meanings

This pilgrimage place sanctuary was built in Indo – Mogul style. It is the architecture unification of Islam – Hindu style since the ancient of Mongolia empire. It looks from the face of its building which formed in mosque and temple without door. It is deliberately constructed in inculturative nuance that makes this Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni has its own power of attraction. However, this building fully has religious meanings.

4.1.1 The First Floor 1 The Gate

The gate of Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni is a local inculturative building – a portal with the traditional houses of Batak Tobanese and Karonese with the relief of various ethnics with also their traditional clothes. All that signs mean that everybody who comes to this place with good intention is WELCOME. The picture of gate is in Appendix page 39 in Picture 07. 2 The Building Structure The structure and the format content of this building are fully inspired by God. For 4 years of this sanctuary constructing, God only gave inspiration how this building must be built to tell about God’s Gospel. The architecture is in Indo – Mogul style. Indo – Mogul style means that it is the combination of Islam – Hindu architecture which imitates from Mongolia empire. The face of its architecture is looked like a mosque without any door and temple. In the Universitas Sumatera Utara architecture of Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni there are various colors in it. The colors used in the Shrine in its ascending order are: black, grey, blue and yellow gold, starting from the bottom up to the top of the shrine tower heaven. a. Black means Darkness Sinfulness If we look at the asphalted entrance, we will observe a human figure in its dark and sinfulness fallen prostrate with its out-stretched arms, before God the Holy Trinity in heaven which is symbolically represented by the seven-storey tower and three domes of Marian Shrine. b. Grey Ash Color means Repentance Grey or ash color is considered to be a symbol of repentance in the bible. Thus, Marian Shrine is meant to proclaim repentance to all who come to visit. c. White means Holiness The sinful man in prostration pleads for God’s mercy in order to become pure and holy White like him d. Red means Sacrifice After a man has become holy through repentance and wants to remain in holiness for long he has to die to his sinful everyday by sacrificing himself. e. Green means Life When man loses himself through sacrifice for the sake of God and for the sake of others, he will have God’s life Green in him. Green carries the hope. f. Blue means Heavens If a man has God’s life in him, he has the right to enter heaven which is indicated by the sky – color blue. Universitas Sumatera Utara g. Yellow Gold means Glory And when man enters heaven, God will glorify him in eternal glory which is indicated yellow gold as it appears on the top of three domes of the Shrine tower. The amazing thing about the colors of Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni is that it took seven years to discover their significance intended by God, the original architect who seems to have arranged the ascending order: Black, Grey, White, Red, Green, Blue and Yellow. Symbolically, the initiator of this shrine would like to inform that here, in this place, the heaven and the earth are met and here, in this place, God would like to meet with the human race - His creatures. Hence, the church upstairs was seven-story with three domed towers. It is symbolically showed the seventh sky – Heaven and the overpass with the ground floor are symbolically showed Earth. The hall on the first floor is called St. Anna Hall. Therefore, on the wall of the overpass was graven the creation events which are suitable to the bible. The picture of building structure is in Appendix page 39 in Picture 08. 3 The Pavement and The Overpass The pavement and the overseas to the Shrine that take people to the church are symbolized the embrace of God to the human. The shape of the black pavement is symbolized a man in his her weaknesses and sins comes to kneel and surrender his herself to God. Universitas Sumatera Utara The overseas is also symbolized the two hands of Mother Mary that hug to take us to God. These symbols would like to inform that if a man embraces Mother Mary, he will get the salvation of Jesus Christ and get also eternal life. Hence, symbolically there are two banana trees are put in front of the hall to show “life without end”. The picture of the pavement and the overpass is in Appendix page 40 in Picture 09. 4 The Well of Jacob The fountain in front of St. Anna hall is symbolized of Jesus and a Samaritan woman that shows Jesus asked for the water from the Samaritan woman who came to draw water and after talked to her, Jesus said that He is the water of life, and whoever in thirsty, come to Me, I give the life water thus you will not be thirsty anymore. The picture of Jacob’s well is in Appendix page 40 in Picture 10. 5 The St. Anna Hall The St. Anna hall on the first floor is the meeting hall for people who gather without seeing the differences of nation, language, religion, culture, etc. Therefore, this hall is intended to anyone who wants to use it. St. Anna Hall is usually used as a place for any necessary of meetings needed, and even for wedding celebration. Everyone who wants to use this hall, must have had permission to the Rector of Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni – Father James Bharataputra. The picture of St. Hall is in Appendix page 40 in Picture 11. Universitas Sumatera Utara 6 The Pilgrimage Road to Emmanuel’s Home However, for those people who want to meet Emmanuel, they have to do pilgrimage in faith to God’s house on the top floor. So, the overpass becomes a pilgrimage road for people who seek God. The pilgrims who seek God will not be afraid of walking in the darkness because all the roads are fully put of 40 lights that symbolized the journey of Israel people in the dessert for 40 years to the promised - land and in 40 days Jesus fasted in the dessert and also this Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni was built for 4 years. The picture of pilgrimage road is in Appendix page 40 in Picture 12. 7 The Rosary Beads Rosary pray is a particular pray in a devotion to Mother Mary and has an important role in spiritual life of Catholic people. Therefore, the rosary beads are put around the Marian Shrine. The picture of Rosary beads in Appendix page 41 in Picture 13. 8 Annam Bird Before entering the church, people could see the relief of birds around it. Although, the birds are like pigeon or peacock, those birds are India legendary birds – Annam Birds. The birds are put there to give a worth lesson for faith people. According to India’s legend, Annam bird liked most drinking cow’s milk. When, they were given the milk mixed with the water, the Annam birds would not drink the milk directly. They would filter the milk starch and they left the water. Universitas Sumatera Utara The worth lesson is that God hopes His people not to swallow everything that earth offered because there are so many falseness and lie in this world. So, like Annam birds, people should filter the truth from all the falseness that earth offered by faith. The picture of Annam bird is in Appendix page 41 in Picture 14.

4.1.2 The Second Floor - The Parts of Church 1 The Windows