Armenian pilgrimage to India: The pilgrims and their stories
by Paul Chaderjian
The Armenian Reporter
Agra - A diverse group of Armenians have gathered for a group picture in front of one of the most beautiful structures in the world - the Taj Mahal. They are trekking through some of the most remote areas of what were part of some of the greatest empires and kingdoms of days past.
Among the travelers is Armen Aroyan, 65, an electronic engineer from Southern California, who has led more than 60 tours to Historic Armenia since 1991.
"I've always heard about the past glory of the Indian-Armenian community," he says. "I have heard that the first Armenian periodical came out in Madras by someone named Shmavonyan. It was called Aztarar and was published about 200 years ago."
Mr. Aroyan says that he is fascinating with the idea that the local Armenian community was so strong and with an advanced Armenian culture that the community could produce a periodical.
"I was always fascinated by the churches they had here, and by the schools," he says. "I've always heard about the school in Calcutta, where many students from the Middle East used to go, and I've heard a lot about their principal who was Vahan Poladian. He was the principal in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and before him the principal was an Armenian from Egypt named Levon Kalamkerian."
Sebouh Baghdoyan and his wife Shoghig are on the pilgrimage from Vienna, Austria. Originally from Lebanon, both in their early 50s, they now work for the United Nations.
"We came to know a lot of Indians during the last years of our careers within the United Nations," says Mr. Baghdoyan. "My wife had been planning for a couple of years to come to India, so it happened coincidentally that we found out about this trip. By coming here now, we have gotten to know some 20 fine new Armenian friends."
Mr. Baghdoyan says he has read quite a lot about Armenians in India, including many articles dating back to the 1920s that he found at the Mekhitarist Monastery in Vienna.
"Unfortunately, not many people in the world know about the Armenians of India," he says. "We should do more to spread the word, because this was a marvelous community, and it's going to be lost forever. The same is the case in Bangladesh."
Mr. Baghdoyan says that he is fascinated that the Armenian community has survived against all odds.
"This country is a difficult place to live in: the greed, the weather, the people, the conditions," he says. "They have made the best out of it. We have seven marvelous pieces of religious architecture, Armenian Churches. That is the pride of our culture, of our nation. Not only from the religious perspective, but also as a reflection of Armenians as a culture. Because wherever we have our culture, we have our churches. They compliment each other."
Third grader Dante Aivazian, 8, from Stevenson Ranch near Magic Mountain, California, is also on the trip. He says he is here to celebrate the 300th anniversary of his grandmother's and grandfather's church. "My grandpa is giving lecterns to the Church," he adds about the gift of five Bible lecterns Peter Aivazian is going to donate to the St. Nazareth Armenian Church.
Dante's brother, first grader Michael Aivazian, 6, says he wants to see where his great grandmother's house was. "And the cows, the goats and chickens," he says while watching the Chipmunks movie on a personal DVD player on the train ride to Kolkata. "And I don't want to get bitten by mosquitoes."
Michael Aivazian, 48, a London-native who now lives and works in information technologies in Hamburg, Germany, says he decided to participate in the pilgrimage because his family members were coming together.
"I studied at the Armenian College for about 18 months from age 6 to age 12," says the IT specialist. "Then I studied at the LaMartiniere School for Boys, which provided Armenian scholarships from the Paul Chater Fund."
Andre Aivazian, 35, who was born in Calcutta and lived there for 19 years, is also making the journey. "My middle name is Nazareth," he says, "and that's because of the Church we are going to celebrate. I was baptized in that church."
Writer Mary Terzian from Hacienda Heights says she is traveling because of her great interest in Armenian churches. "I know not much about the Armenian community, except that we had a school. So it was interesting for me to find out about the community, to be able to visit those places and get the feel of what Indian culture is about."
Charles Hardy from Racine, Wisconsin, says he likes visiting Armenian sites all over the world. "I've been to Western Armenia four times, present-day Republic of Armenia once, Lebanon, and Syria. And I'm always intrigued by Armenian places. I hope to God that I'm able to go to Der Zor in Syria and Thaddeus Monastery in Iran, and I've always been fascinated by the Far Eastern Armenian community."
Mr. Hardy says he used to read about Armenian life in India and the Armenian College and the Aztarar newspaper.
"I heard that these Armenians had kept their identity in India," he says. "When I read about this in the newspaper, about this pilgrimage, I was just enthralled by what I had read, and I called my friend Armen Aroyan and asked him if he was interested. He said he was, and my family encouraged me to go, and that's why I am here, to help celebrate with the Indian-Armenian community the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Church in India."
The Armenian Reporter
Agra - A diverse group of Armenians have gathered for a group picture in front of one of the most beautiful structures in the world - the Taj Mahal. They are trekking through some of the most remote areas of what were part of some of the greatest empires and kingdoms of days past.
Among the travelers is Armen Aroyan, 65, an electronic engineer from Southern California, who has led more than 60 tours to Historic Armenia since 1991.
"I've always heard about the past glory of the Indian-Armenian community," he says. "I have heard that the first Armenian periodical came out in Madras by someone named Shmavonyan. It was called Aztarar and was published about 200 years ago."
Mr. Aroyan says that he is fascinating with the idea that the local Armenian community was so strong and with an advanced Armenian culture that the community could produce a periodical.
"I was always fascinated by the churches they had here, and by the schools," he says. "I've always heard about the school in Calcutta, where many students from the Middle East used to go, and I've heard a lot about their principal who was Vahan Poladian. He was the principal in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and before him the principal was an Armenian from Egypt named Levon Kalamkerian."
Sebouh Baghdoyan and his wife Shoghig are on the pilgrimage from Vienna, Austria. Originally from Lebanon, both in their early 50s, they now work for the United Nations.
"We came to know a lot of Indians during the last years of our careers within the United Nations," says Mr. Baghdoyan. "My wife had been planning for a couple of years to come to India, so it happened coincidentally that we found out about this trip. By coming here now, we have gotten to know some 20 fine new Armenian friends."
Mr. Baghdoyan says he has read quite a lot about Armenians in India, including many articles dating back to the 1920s that he found at the Mekhitarist Monastery in Vienna.
"Unfortunately, not many people in the world know about the Armenians of India," he says. "We should do more to spread the word, because this was a marvelous community, and it's going to be lost forever. The same is the case in Bangladesh."
Mr. Baghdoyan says that he is fascinated that the Armenian community has survived against all odds.
"This country is a difficult place to live in: the greed, the weather, the people, the conditions," he says. "They have made the best out of it. We have seven marvelous pieces of religious architecture, Armenian Churches. That is the pride of our culture, of our nation. Not only from the religious perspective, but also as a reflection of Armenians as a culture. Because wherever we have our culture, we have our churches. They compliment each other."
Third grader Dante Aivazian, 8, from Stevenson Ranch near Magic Mountain, California, is also on the trip. He says he is here to celebrate the 300th anniversary of his grandmother's and grandfather's church. "My grandpa is giving lecterns to the Church," he adds about the gift of five Bible lecterns Peter Aivazian is going to donate to the St. Nazareth Armenian Church.
Dante's brother, first grader Michael Aivazian, 6, says he wants to see where his great grandmother's house was. "And the cows, the goats and chickens," he says while watching the Chipmunks movie on a personal DVD player on the train ride to Kolkata. "And I don't want to get bitten by mosquitoes."
Michael Aivazian, 48, a London-native who now lives and works in information technologies in Hamburg, Germany, says he decided to participate in the pilgrimage because his family members were coming together.
"I studied at the Armenian College for about 18 months from age 6 to age 12," says the IT specialist. "Then I studied at the LaMartiniere School for Boys, which provided Armenian scholarships from the Paul Chater Fund."
Andre Aivazian, 35, who was born in Calcutta and lived there for 19 years, is also making the journey. "My middle name is Nazareth," he says, "and that's because of the Church we are going to celebrate. I was baptized in that church."
Writer Mary Terzian from Hacienda Heights says she is traveling because of her great interest in Armenian churches. "I know not much about the Armenian community, except that we had a school. So it was interesting for me to find out about the community, to be able to visit those places and get the feel of what Indian culture is about."
Charles Hardy from Racine, Wisconsin, says he likes visiting Armenian sites all over the world. "I've been to Western Armenia four times, present-day Republic of Armenia once, Lebanon, and Syria. And I'm always intrigued by Armenian places. I hope to God that I'm able to go to Der Zor in Syria and Thaddeus Monastery in Iran, and I've always been fascinated by the Far Eastern Armenian community."
Mr. Hardy says he used to read about Armenian life in India and the Armenian College and the Aztarar newspaper.
"I heard that these Armenians had kept their identity in India," he says. "When I read about this in the newspaper, about this pilgrimage, I was just enthralled by what I had read, and I called my friend Armen Aroyan and asked him if he was interested. He said he was, and my family encouraged me to go, and that's why I am here, to help celebrate with the Indian-Armenian community the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Church in India."
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