Siddhant Babu at 06:07, 18 April 2026

2026-04-18T06:07:31Z

New page

{{Use Indian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox monastery
| name = Bethany Ashram
| native_name = ബഥനി ആശ്രമം
| native_name_lang = ml
| image = Bethany Ashram Logo.png
| caption = Bethany Ashram Logo
| order = Order of the Imitation of Christ
| established = 15 August 1919
| dedication =
| diocese =
| churches =
| founder = [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios]]
| abbot = Very. Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Kuttiyil OIC<ref name="Governing Council">{{cite web |last= |first= |url=https://www.bethanyashram.net/governing.php |title=Governing Council |website=Bethany Ashram |access-date=April 18, 2026 |language=en}}</ref>
| prior =
| archbishop =
| bishop =
| archdeacon =
| people =
| status =
| website = {{URL|https://www.bethanyashram.net/|Bethany Ashram Official Page}}
}}

'''Bethany Ashram''', is a [[monastic order]] in the [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]]. It was established by [[Archbishop]] [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios]]. The Ashram follows the [[religious order]] called '''Order of the Imitation of Christ''' (O.I.C.), which is derived from the [[Catholic]] [[devotional literature|devotional book]] called [[The Imitation of Christ]] by [[Thomas à Kempis]].<ref name="Bethany Ashram History">{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicate.net/religious_men_oic.html |title=Bethany Ashram History |publisher=Syro-Malankara Catholic Church |accessdate=1 November 2013}}</ref>

==History of the Founder==
[[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios]], who founded Bethany Ashram, was born on 21 September 1882 at Mavelikara to the 'Mallitta' Panikar family, belonging to the [[Malankara Church]]. He was given the baptismal name Geevarghese. At the age of 15 he joined M.D.Seminary School for high school studies. On 20 April 1898 he received minor orders and was sent to [[Madras Christian College]] for higher studies, there he obtained his Master degree. On Sept.15th 1908 Geevarghese was ordained priest by Vattasseril Mar Dinoysius. Just after the ordination [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr.P.T.Geevarghese]] was appointed Principal of M.D.Seminary, Kottayam. He moved to Calcutta in the year 1913, accepting an invitation from [[George Howells|Dr. George Howells]], the principal of [[Serampore College]] to teach there. He made use of this opportunity to educate the Malankara Youth. About 20 young people from Kerala reached Calcutta for higher education.<ref>Fr. Thomas Inchakkalody, ''Archbishop Mar Ivanios'' Vol. 1, (2006), pp. 146-147</ref>

== Foundation of the Ashram ==
At Serampore [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr.P.T.Geevarghese]] got more time for prayer and contemplation. He came across the writings of [[St. Basil]] on monasticism. Basilian monastic vision had a great influence on him. Besides the visits to the [[Sabarmati Ashram]] of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[Santiniketan]] of [[Rabindranath Tagore]] gave him a new vision of Indian Sanyasa (monasticism). These experiences made him to reflect upon starting an order of missionaries to carry out the task of evangelization in India.<ref>L. Moolaveettil, ''The Spiritual Life of Mar Ivanios'', Kottayam, 1977, p.74</ref> Slowly the residence of [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr.P.T.Geevarghese]] and his followers at Serampore became an Ashram (Monastery), and they began to live a sort of religious life according to the monastic rules of St. Basil, adapting them to [[Indian culture]].<ref>Fr. Thomas Kuzhinapurath, "Mar Ivanios: Bharata Christava Sanyasathinte Pravachakan", ''Deepika'', 15 July 1997.</ref> As he accepted this as his way of life, he resigned from the Serampore College.

On his return from Calcutta, [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr. P.T.Geevarghese]] looked for a location to establish an ashram. One of his friend Advocate E. J. John donated {{convert|100|acre|m2}} of land at Mundanmala, [[Perunad|Ranni-Perunadu]], [[Kerala]] at the meeting place of the rivers Pampa and Kakkatt. The adjacent area of {{convert|300|acre|m2}} was bought from the [[Travancore|Government of Travancore]] at a rate of 5 [[Travancore rupee|rupee]] per [[acre]] using the fund of about 2000 [[Travancore rupee|rupee]] from his father. The place was thickly filled with thorny bushes and herbs. [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr. P.T.Geevarghese]] and his followers built a small thatched hut made out of the branches of trees and bamboo. This turned to be the first Ashram in Malankara on 15 August 1919. He prayerfully searched for a name for the Ashram and opened the [[Bible]] and he got the word "Bethany". He meditated upon it and came to the conclusion that it is an apt name for a religious order which upholds both contemplation and action.<ref>Fr. Thomas Inchakkalody, ''Archbishop Mar Ivanios'' (Vol.1), pp. 152-171</ref> Eventually the [[Bethany Ashram]] became a place of pilgrimage and spiritual experience. Spiritual retreats and discourses were given by [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr. P.T.Geevarghese]] especially in the Passion Week. [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr. P.T.Geevarghese]] envisioned the Ashram also being a shelter for the poor and the marginalised. Along with the Ashram he started a house for the orphans.

[[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr. P.T.Geevarghese]] founded the [[Bethany Madhom]] for religious women in 1925, with the help of the [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] sisters, entitled [[Former religious orders in the Anglican Communion|Oxford Mission Sisterhood of the Epiphany]] working at [[Serampore]].

== Bishop of Bethany ==
The Malankara Synod decided to ordain [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Fr. P.T.Geevarghese]] as the [[bishop]] of bethany. He was ordained by [[Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Geevarghese of the East|Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese I]] on 1 May 1925. He received the name [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios]].<ref name="CLL">{{cite journal | last =Rajan | first =Matthew | title = H.H. Baselios Geevarghese I - Second Catholicose | journal=The Christian Light of Life | url=http://www.lightoflife.com/LOL_Arch_Basalios_GeevargheseI_Second_Catholicose.htm | year = 2004 |volume=3| issue=12|pages=221–225 }}</ref> After the consecration there was a meeting to felicitate [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Mar Ivanios]]. In this meeting [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Mar Ivanios]] expressed his desire that the church might become one flock under one shepherd.

==Reunion Movement==
On 20 September 1930 [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios|Mar Ivanios]] along with Mar Theophilos, the suffragan bishop of Bethany, Fr. [[John Kuzhinapurath]] OIC, Deacon Alexander Attupurath OIC, Chacko Kiliyileth and most of the members of both the Bethany orders reunited with the [[Catholic Church]] establishing the [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] ''[[sui iuris]]'' [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]] in India.<ref>Fr. Thomas Inchyakkalody, ''Archbishop Mar Ivanios'', Vol. 1, Kottayam, 2006, pp. 470-480.</ref> The Reunion Movement gained rapid momentum under the leadership of [[Geevarghese Mar Ivanios]].<ref name="Glimpses of History">{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicate.net/Syro_MarIvanios.html |title=Glimpses of History |publisher=Syro-Malankara Catholic Church |accessdate=1 November 2013}}</ref>

==100 Years of Bethany==
Inauguration of the centenary celebration was carried out at Muvattupuzha on 21 September 2018 and the closing of the centenary celebration happened at Pattom, trivandrum on 21 September 2019.

==External links==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Christianity in India]]
[[Category:Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1919]]

The Bethany Ashram - Revision history

Siddhant Babu at 06:07, 18 April 2026