India Hands Over the Relics of Orthodox Saint Queen Ketevan to Georgia

Handing over the Relics. Pic – YouTube

Pic – https://twitter.com/DZalkaliani

Pic – https://twitter.com/DZalkaliani

OCP News Service – 10/07/21

Tiblisi-Georgia: On behalf of the Government of India, the External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar handed over a part of the relics of the 17th century Saint Queen Ketevan to the Georgian authorities (David Zalkaliani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia) on the 9th of July 2021. The relic was handed over on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishing the Indo-Georgian diplomatic relations. The visit of Jaishankar also marked the first-ever visit of the Indian Foreign Minister to the Republic of Georgia.

“Delighted to welcome my India counterpart Dr SJaishankar on his first visit to Georgia, who has brought the relics of Georgia’s Queen Ketevan. This visit is to definitely play a huge role in strengthening ties between our countries and upgrade our relations to a completely new level,” tweeted David Zalkaliani after receiving the relic.

Ketevan the Martyr or St. Queen Ketevan was a Queen Kakheti, a kingdom in the Eastern region of Georgia. She was tortured and killed by Muslims in Iran for refusing to convert to Islam. She was canonized by Patriarch Zachary of Georgia. Her relics are believed to take to Goa in 1627 and was interred in the St. Augustine Complex. It was later discovered in 2005. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad made DNA Analysis and confirmed the authenticity of the relics. Earlier, in 2017, upon a special request from the Govt. of Georgia, the relics were sent to Tiblisi for an exhibition for six months.

Source:
OCP News Service