Kodathel Unni

When I was young, very young, as old as eight or ten, during one of our weekly visit to the Church, my friend, Varkey took me to the idol of “ Kodathel Unni” (Baby Jesus on a globe)–literally meaning ‘Child on the Pot’. Unni was, in fact is, beautifully clothed like a young little girl. Yes, Unni, though a boy, is robed with a well-knit silk maxi frock.(when I recently visited the church I looked for Unni — the robe has been changed).

Varkey took me to the ‘Kodathel Unni”, glanced around and made sure no one, especially the nuns, was around. Then suddenly he raised the maxi.

Aghast! I could not believe my eyes, I saw it.

Yes, an electric like tremor passed through my bones. Varkey, my friend, made me to view Jesus in his true attire. I committed a sin. I sinned with my eyes. Believe it, I saw Baby Jesus naked. A dead sin indeed. Under his decorated pink rob, Unni wore nothing, I mean, the boyish thing was there for real. I was scared to the bone. I do not know, for how long I was under that fear of sinning with my eyes. I had revealed this secret not to many. Had that act be known to the Nun teachers, God, what would have been the case. I don’t know if the sculptor of the idol was rebuked by the Church.

I am sure, one of the nuns might have had the idea of covering Baby Jesus. She might have had a smile too.

I feel, Baby Jesus would have been put there as it is, I mean without that pink maxi on him. Then Varkey, my friend, and me would not have committed that sin, sin of seeing the disturbing revelation. Unni Krishnan (Baby Lord Krishna) is seen in as is in temples, and, I believe, Unni Krishnan is more in friendship with boys of my age at that time than Kodathel Unni. My point is, why not Unni Yesu a naughty, wily, and earthy boy like Unni Krishnan, a friend of all ages and gender. While Unni Krishnan plays with the boys and Gopikas Unni Yesu is confined to the tabernacle. No play, only bow. Let Jesus be a friend of Children, let HIM play with them. Children will like it, love it indeed.

Pope Benedit XVI in his latest book Jesus of Nazareth, Part II corrects some of the beliefs of the Catholic world viz. the general belief that Jews crucified the Lord. He apologises the Church’s inaction against holocaust of the Jews, an act the Nazis committed during the ww.II, a thing Pius XII, the then Pope, closed his eyes on.

So much so, church needs to also change its stand on marriage, celibacy, child bearing etc. There are good number of persons in the religious robs wanting to do away with it, but can not, for fear of social boycotts. I believe, it will be apt, if the church allows the apple to seed, instead of rot and perish.