B 6

In 1827, the first phase of Bible translation undertaken by Benjamin Bailey was over. Bailey did this translation effort with the help of Chatthu Menon and a few Syrian priests. There were no parameters for translating Bible in Malayalam. The task was made difficult by the lack of a standard language and its set grammar texts. But Bailey and his team took great pains to stick to the spirit of Bible in a comparatively unfamiliar language, Malayalam. Syrian Christians took a lot of interest in obtaining copies of Bible. In 1829, New Testament was published in its entirety. Five thousand copies were printed and distributed and it was a historical event in itself.

This sculptural relief by Venkitesh shows Benjamin Bailey handing over the copy of Bible translation to his fellow Rev. Joseph Fenn who was one of the most prominent teachers in the college. The formal release of the Malayalam Bible seems to be done in a solemn function as the faces of the protagonists show. The number of copies published from the CMS press is suggested through the multiple copies of the book presented as a circular frame often used for commemorative pictures.