In the Indian state of Goa, the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Lithuanian – missionary Andrius Rudamina – in India was solemnly commemorated.
On this occasion, at the Se Cathedral in Old Goa, which dates back to the time of Rudamina, an oak sculpture of Andrius Rudamina carved by Lithuanian folk artist Juozas Kalinauskas was unveiled. At the Museum of Christian Art, an illustrated book “Rudamina. The First Lithuanian in India” (authors Laimonas Talat-Kelpša and Elzė Milašiūtė), published in cooperation with the Vilnius Academy of Arts, was presented, along with a lecture by Lithuanian Ambassador Sigita Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė on the parallels between Lithuanian and Indian Christian art and symbolism.
The sculpture dedicated to Rudamina was unveiled in the presence of the Archbishop of Goa, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, who also serves as the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Participants of the event also received greetings from the Holy See, conveyed on behalf of Pope Francis by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Marking both the 400th anniversary of the first Lithuanian’s arrival in India and the 130th anniversary of the first known Indian – Dr. J.J. Modi – visiting Lithuania, Lithuania and India have declared 2025–2026 as the Year of People-to-People Connections. The celebration in Goa is one of the key events in this series of bilateral initiatives.
Courtesy: Facebook page of the Embassy of Lithuania in India