'Strengthening bonds of friendship' : India gifts 17th Century holy relic of St. Queen Ketevan to Georgia

New Delhi, July 10: During India's first-ever visit to Georgia since the country's independence in 1991, Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S.Jaishankar handed over the holy relic of St. Queen Ketevan to the Georgian government with a full cultural and traditional ceremony.

 

 

Jaishankar handed over the relic placed inside an ornate wooden box to his Georgian counterpart David Zalkaliani at the airport in the presence of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia--Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II and the Prime Minister of Georgia H.E. Irakli Garibashvili. It was an emotional moment for Georgia.

 

"Considering the persistent request from the Georgian side for the permanent transfer of the holy relics and also taking into account the historical, religious and spiritual sentiments that are attached to the St. Queen Ketevan by the Georgian people, India has decided to gift one part of the holy relics to the government and people of Georgia" the Foreign Ministry said. This will strengthen the bonds of friendship and understanding between India and Georgia.

 

“Warmly welcomed in Tbilisi by FM @DZalkaliani. Blessed to hand over the holy relics of St. Queen Ketevan to the people of Georgia. An emotional moment...,” Jaishankar tweeted, along with images of the hand-over ceremony.

Ketevan, queen of Kakheti kingdom in Georgia was killed (Martyr) in Iran's Shiraz for refusing to convert to Islam from Christianity. She is buried in the Church of St. Augustine, Goa. Her relics were found in St. Augustine Convent in Old Goa, India in 2005. DNA analysis by the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad at the instance of the Archaeological Survey of India confirmed its authenticity. It is believed her relics were brought to Goa in 1627. In 2017, at the request of the Georgian government, India sent the relics to Georgia for an exhibition for six months. This loan of the relics was extended for another six months and was returned to India in September 2018. The holy relics spent the year traveling to different churches of Georgia.

  

It should be noted that India recognized Georgia’s independence on 26th December 1991 and established formal diplomatic relations on 28th September 1992. After the Atal Bihar Vajpayee, Dr. S.Jaishankar has become the second External Minister who physically visited Georgia. EAM of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the country was 40 years ago in 1978.

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