St Devasahayam Pillai
The first Indian layman to be declared a saint, standing in chains.
About this statue
St Devasahayam Pillai was born in 1712 in Travancore and served at the royal court. He became a Catholic in 1745 and took the name Lazarus, which means Devasahayam in Tamil. For this he was imprisoned, tortured and, in 1752, shot. In 2022 he was declared a saint, the first layman of India to be so honoured. His feast falls on 14 January.
He stands in a white mundu with a gold border, his wrists bound with rope and iron cuffs, chains on his ankles, and the marks of the lash on his body. We also make him kneeling with his hands crossed on his chest and his eyes raised to heaven. The statues are shown here on a stone base.
He is made for parishes and shrines, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and for churches that have taken him as their patron.
Materials, sizes and delivery
- Sizes
- From 48 inches upwards, made to order.
- Material
- Fibreglass (FRP), sculpted and painted by hand in our studio in Mangalore.
- Colours
- Any statue can be made in any colour, for indoors or outdoors: in a natural finish (in colour) or a stone finish (one colour, such as white or marble).
- Outdoors
- For gardens and grottos we suggest a stone finish. It is easier to look after, and stays fresh for longer through sun and monsoon.
- Ordering
- Every statue is made from scratch. We give a timeline with the quotation, and orders are taken first come, first served.
- Delivery
- Collect it from the studio, or we send it by road anywhere in India. Outside India, ask us about delivery.
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