St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
St. Paul's Cathedral | |
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Gothic Revival | |
Groundbreaking | 1839 |
Completed | 1847 |
Construction cost | Rs. 4,35,669 |
Specifications | |
Length | 247 feet (75 m) |
Width | 81 feet (25 m) |
Spire height | 201 feet (61 m) |
Materials | Special bricks, steel trusses, and fine lime plaster |
Administration | |
Diocese | Diocese of Calcutta |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | The Rt. Revd. Dr. Paritosh Canning |
Priest in charge | Reverend Abir Adhikari (February 2018- present) |
Assistant priest(s) | Revd. Dr. Joel Patrick (April 2022- present) |
Deacon(s) | Rev. Dn. Asa Kiran Parichha |
Laity | |
Director of music | Mr. George Sudeep Pande |
Organist(s) | Mr. George Sudeep Pande, Mr. Shreejit Saha |
Music group(s) | St. Paul's Cathedral Choir |
Servers' guild | St. Paul's Cathedral Server's Guild |
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Christianity |
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Anglicanism |
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Christianity portal |
St. Paul's Cathedral is a
The architectural design of the cathedral is "
Apart from that of Bishop
Location
The cathedral is across from the Bishop's House at 51,
The building stands on Cathedral Road,[6] on the "island of attractions" in Kolkata, along with the Victoria Memorial, Nandan, Rabindra Sadan theatre complex and the Birla Planetarium.[7]
History
The cathedral was built to replace St. John's Church, which had become too small for Calcutta's growing European community; by 1810 there were 4,000 British men and 300 British women in Bengal.[6]
In 1819, at the request of
Following acquisition of 7 acres (3 ha) of land to build the cathedral, a Cathedral Committee was set up to build it.
On 8 October 1839, construction was initiated by laying the cornerstone. The cathedral was completed after eight years and consecrated on 8 October 1847.
In the 1897 earthquake the cathedral suffered damage and was refurbished. In the subsequent massive
The cathedral is well maintained in a serene and peaceful atmosphere. People of all religious denominations can visit the church. Service is held regularly. Christmas is a special occasion when a large number of people assemble to participate in the festivities.
Features
The
When completed in 1847, the cathedral as a whole was compared to
The cathedral's interior has a display of many
The cathedral complex also has a library, situated over the western porch, to dimensions of 61 by 22 feet (19 m × 7 m) with a height of 35 feet (11 m). It was built at the initiative of Bishop Wilson, who donated 8,000 of his books and
Entry to the cathedral is from the north through a large gate made of wrought iron called the Sir William Prentice Memorial Gate, which is named after Sir William Prentice,[clarification needed] who was a member of cathedral's congregation for many years. The cathedral is surrounded by a well-tended garden.[8][10] In 1847, 63 species of trees had been planted in this garden.[8]
Burials
Bishop
Picture gallery
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St.Paul's from the southwest in 1865
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South façade between 1850 and the 1870s
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St. Paul's c. 1905
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Detail of crossing and tower
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Church tower of St. Paul's
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St Paul's from the northeast
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St.Paul's in 1906
References
- ^ a b c "Bishops of our Diocese". Ashoke Biswas (Bishop of Calcutta), CNI 2008 – till date. Diocese of Calcutta CNI. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ "St. Paul's Cathedral- Asia's First Episcopal Church". Oursamyatra. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Church of the Province of South East Asia". Episcopal Church. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d Chakraborti, Manish. "The Historic Anglican Churches of Kolkata". BuildingConservation.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ a b "St. Pauls Cathedral". Department of Tourism; Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Banerjee, Jacqueline (27 September 2014). "St Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata, India, by William Nairn Forbes: The First Victorian Cathedral". The Victorian Web.
- ^ "St. Paul's Cathedral". Kednriya Vidya Sangathan: An autonomous organization of the Government of India. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "St. Pauls Cathedral". The Diocese of Calcutta, CNI. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ a b Riddick 2006, p. 175.
- ^ a b c d Kolkata: City Guide 2011, p. 64.
- ISBN 978-1-4454-0665-7.
- ^ "Saint Paul's Cathedral". Kolkata Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ^ "St Paul's Cathedral". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Betts & McCulloch 2013, p. 145.
- ^ Kolkata: City Guide 2011, p. 63-64.
- ^ Dutta 2011, p. 90.
- ^ Kolkata: City Guide 2011, pp. 63–64.
- ^ Bateman 1860, p. 727.
- ^ "Art Galleries / Museums / Libraries". About Kolkata.
- ^ Garnett, Frederick Brooksbank (1890). Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 21. London: Smith, Elder & Co. . In
- ^ "Web Bengal Government - Department of Tourism - St. Paul's Cathedral". Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
Bibliography
- Bateman, Josiah (1860). The Life of Daniel Wilson, D. D. Bishop of Calcutta and Metropolitan of India. Gould and Lincoln.
- Dutta, Krishna (3 June 2011). Calcutta: A Cultural and Literary History. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 978-1-904955-87-0.
- Riddick, John F. (1 January 2006). The History of British India: A Chronology. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-32280-8.
- Betts, Vanessa; McCulloch, Victoria (30 October 2013). Delhi to Kolkata Footprint Focus Guide. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-909268-40-1.
- Kolkata: City Guide. Goodearth Publications. 2011. ISBN 978-93-80262-15-4.
External links
- Media related to St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata at Wikimedia Commons