St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore

Coordinates: 12°59′3.1″N 77°36′13.99″E / 12.984194°N 77.6038861°E / 12.984194; 77.6038861
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

St. Mary's Basilica
  • ಸೇಂಟ್ ಮೇರಿಸ್ ಬೆಸಿಲಿಕಾ
Style
Gothic
Administration
ArchdioceseArchdiocese of Bangalore
DeaneryBasilica Deanery
Clergy
ArchbishopArchbishop Peter Machado
RectorFr. Martin Kumar
Vicar(s)S. Jaynathan & Msgr. C. Francis
DeanFr. 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

Karnataka, India. It is among the oldest churches at Bangalore and the first church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica.[1][2][3] It is famous for festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, attracting devotees from the entire metropolitan area of Bangalore
.

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

Srirangapattana
.

Dubois built a chapel with a thatched roof in 1803 at Bili Akki Palli, or colloquially Blackpally and offered Mass there.

Our Lady of the Presentation. That small prayer house is the location where the basilica currently stands. When Bangalore Cantonment was established, a Mass was regularly held by Dubois and attended by both European and Indian Catholics. In 1811 Dubois built a small chapel with a rectory
for priests. In 1813, with the help of the British, he modified and enhanced the chapel and renamed it the Church of the Purification of Our Lady, Blackpalli. Until recently the engraving of the year '1813' was seen in the front nave of the old church where the miraculous statue is housed.

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

Catholics of Bangalore
. The total amount spent on the construction of the new church. including the pulpit and the statues, was Rs. 29,659.

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

Eucharistic
celebrations are held on the day of the feast and a decorated chariot with the image of Mother Mary is drawn by devotees along the various streets of Bangalore.

Mass times

Weekdays Saturday Sunday

06:00 English
07:00 Tamil
09:00 Kannada
11:00 Tamil
18:00 Mon, Tue & Fri Tamil
18:00 Wed Kannada
18:00 Thu English

06:00 English
07:00 Tamil
9:00 Kannada
10:00 English
11:00 Tamil
18:00 Tamil

06:00 English
07:00 Tamil
08:00 Tamil
09:15 Kannada
11:00 Tamil
18:00 English

Gallery

  • The church
    The church
  • Nave
    Nave
  • Altar
    Altar
  • Front view from the road
    Front view from the road
  • Pillars inside the church
    Pillars inside the church
  • Church gate
    Church gate
  • At night
    At night

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. . Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  3. . Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  4. ^ Aruni, S K (29 February 2012). "Tracing the architect of the Cantonment". No. Bangalore. The Hindu. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  5. ^ Dubois, J. A. (Jean Antoine); Beauchamp, Henry K. (Henry King); Dubois, J. A. (Jean Antoine) (1906). Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies. Oxford : Clarendon Press.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b St. Mary's Basilica. "St. Mary's Basilica - History". St. Mary's Basilica.
  8. . Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ 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 / 12.984194; 77.6038861

External links