St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore
St. Mary's Basilica | ||
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Style Gothic | | |
Administration | ||
Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Bangalore | |
Deanery | Basilica Deanery | |
Clergy | ||
Archbishop | Archbishop Peter Machado | |
Rector | Fr. Martin Kumar | |
Vicar(s) | S. Jaynathan & Msgr. C. Francis | |
Dean | Fr. Martin Ananda Kumar. | |
Priest(s) | Fr. Martin Kumar | |
Assistant priest(s) | Fr. Joe Prem Britto | |
Senior pastor(s) | Fr. Micheal Antony |
St. Mary's Basilica is a
History
St. Mary's Basilica had a humble beginning as a thatched hut in the 17th century, built by Tamil Christian migrants from Gingee. The Shrine was then known as 'Chapel of Kanikkai Madha' and was located in their village where rice was grown. The rice grown in the village had a distinct white colour, and hence the settlement came to known as Bili Akki Palli or colloquiallyly could have been named after John Blakiston (1785-1867), who designed the layout of the Bangalore Cantonment.[4]
Bangalore was not a big city in 1648 when
Dubois built a chapel with a thatched roof in 1803 at Bili Akki Palli, or colloquially Blackpally and offered Mass there.
Fr Andreas, a priest from Pondicherry of Indian origin, succeeded Dubois and expanded the church building in the shape of a cross. But it was destroyed during the communal riots of 1832, and troops had to be called in to protect the settlement for many months.[1][7][8][9]
The church was rebuilt during the years 1856–1882 under its original name, the Church of our Lady of the Presentation. The current form of the majestic Gothic-style church (pictured) is credited to Rev L E Kleiner. It was consecrated on 8 September 1882 by Bishop Jean-Yves-Marie Coadou, the
Over time, the church of St Mary's at Blackpally had become a parish and has since overseen the construction of other churches in Bangalore, most prominently St Francis Xavier's Cathedral (1851), St Joseph's Church (1867), and Sacred Heart Church, Ashoknagar (Austin Town) (1867). The church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 1973 through an edict issued by Pope Paul VI. It was the sixth church in India to be elevated to this status. An annual nine-day novena is held between 30 August and 7 September, with Mass being offered in English, Kannada, and Tamil.[7] The area of Blackpally is now known as Shivajinagar.
Architecture
The basilica has been built in the Gothic style with arches, ornamental motifs, and stained glass windows.[10] Multiple columns with rich Corinthian capitals support the stately arches of the church. The columns and tall spires of the basilica can be seen from far away. The stained glass windows were removed during World War II and were subsequently restored in 1947.
St. Mary's feast
St. Mary's Feast which celebrates the birth of
Mass times
Weekdays | Saturday | Sunday |
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06:00 English |
06:00 English |
06:00 English |
Gallery
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The church
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Nave
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Altar
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Front view from the road
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Pillars inside the church
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Church gate
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At night
References
- ^ a b Chandramouli, K (29 August 2002). "Home to all faiths". The Hindu. No. Bangalore. Archived from the original on 9 March 2003. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ISBN 9788190405522. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- ISBN 1452904898. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ Aruni, S K (29 February 2012). "Tracing the architect of the Cantonment". No. Bangalore. The Hindu. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ Dubois, J. A. (Jean Antoine); Beauchamp, Henry K. (Henry King); Dubois, J. A. (Jean Antoine) (1906). Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies. Oxford : Clarendon Press.
- ^ a b "Annual St. Mary's Feast begins". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 30 August 2006. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- ^ a b St. Mary's Basilica. "St. Mary's Basilica - History". St. Mary's Basilica.
- ISBN 978-81-904055-2-2. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ^ "Annual St. Mary's Feast begins". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 30 August 2006. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ^ Anita Rao Kashi (16 October 2005). "Blessing faithful, soothing the eye". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
12°59′3.1″N 77°36′13.99″E / 12.984194°N 77.6038861°E