Govindharaj Muthiah, a 44-year-old Indian-origin carpenter in Singapore, has been tasked to create two handcrafted chairs for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the city-state.
The Pope will utilise these chairs during his inter-religious dialogue sessions, as reported by Channel News Asia last week.
In 2019, Muthiah decided to pursue his passion for woodworking as a full-time career.When he received an unexpected call from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore in late July, he was surprised to learn that he would be adding a remarkable achievement to his resume.
Despite the tight deadline, Muthiah managed to complete both “100 per cent handmade” chairs within a month. However, he admitted that the significance of being chosen for this prestigious task had not yet fully registered with him.
“When I got the call, the first question was: ‘Hi, we knew you do furniture. We were introduced by someone.’ And they asked if I could make a chair. I was like, ‘Okay, do you have the dimensions? I’ll work on it,'” he told CNA, as per PTI.
“Then (the caller) said, ‘No it’s more than that, there’s a lot of specific details.’ And I said, ‘Okay, send me the drawing.’ Usually what I tell customers is, if you can draw it and show me, I will build it for you. So likewise, I said that, thinking he’s on the same page. He paused for a while and said, ‘It’s for the Pope.’ I was like, ‘Sorry? Who?’ He (repeated himself): ‘For the Pope’,” Muthiah recalled.
Pope Francis is set to visit Singapore from September 11 to 13, marking the final destination of his extensive 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region, which also includes stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. This journey marks his most extended trip away from the Vatican since his appointment as the leader of the global Catholic Church in 2013.
During his time in Singapore, the 87-year-old Pope has a packed schedule, including meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He will also preside over a mass at the National Stadium and engage in an interreligious dialogue session with youth at Catholic Junior College.
The chairs used during the interreligious dialogue have a unique story behind them. Muthiah, a practicing Hindu, sought out leftover lumber from recently renovated temples and mosques to repurpose for the chairs. When it came time to design the chairs, Muthiah drew inspiration from 18th-century furniture, aiming for a “very vintage” look that would stand out from a “normal chair.”
The Pope will utilise these chairs during his inter-religious dialogue sessions, as reported by Channel News Asia last week.
In 2019, Muthiah decided to pursue his passion for woodworking as a full-time career.When he received an unexpected call from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore in late July, he was surprised to learn that he would be adding a remarkable achievement to his resume.
Despite the tight deadline, Muthiah managed to complete both “100 per cent handmade” chairs within a month. However, he admitted that the significance of being chosen for this prestigious task had not yet fully registered with him.
“When I got the call, the first question was: ‘Hi, we knew you do furniture. We were introduced by someone.’ And they asked if I could make a chair. I was like, ‘Okay, do you have the dimensions? I’ll work on it,'” he told CNA, as per PTI.
“Then (the caller) said, ‘No it’s more than that, there’s a lot of specific details.’ And I said, ‘Okay, send me the drawing.’ Usually what I tell customers is, if you can draw it and show me, I will build it for you. So likewise, I said that, thinking he’s on the same page. He paused for a while and said, ‘It’s for the Pope.’ I was like, ‘Sorry? Who?’ He (repeated himself): ‘For the Pope’,” Muthiah recalled.
Pope Francis is set to visit Singapore from September 11 to 13, marking the final destination of his extensive 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region, which also includes stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. This journey marks his most extended trip away from the Vatican since his appointment as the leader of the global Catholic Church in 2013.
During his time in Singapore, the 87-year-old Pope has a packed schedule, including meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He will also preside over a mass at the National Stadium and engage in an interreligious dialogue session with youth at Catholic Junior College.
The chairs used during the interreligious dialogue have a unique story behind them. Muthiah, a practicing Hindu, sought out leftover lumber from recently renovated temples and mosques to repurpose for the chairs. When it came time to design the chairs, Muthiah drew inspiration from 18th-century furniture, aiming for a “very vintage” look that would stand out from a “normal chair.”
