St . James Church, Kashmere Gate
This is perhaps the oldest church in Delhi the construction of which started in 1826 and consecrated in 1836. The Church is Anglican and belongs to Church of North India. It was built by James Skinner who founded the Skinners Horse in 1803 the Cavalry regiment of East India Company.
James Skinner was half Hindu being born to a British and a Rajput Hindu women. While lying wounded in a battlefield in 1800 he took a vow to build a church if he survived and hence the church was built. He had 14 wives( how he managed them) and many children and a big family grand and great grandsons, grand daughters whose family still visit the church.
The Church though Anglican is not situated in Lutyens Delhi and outside the walls of old Shajahanabad in Kashmere Gate. The Steeple of the Church does not soar high unlike many of the churches, has an Octogonal arcaded central dome with stained glass windows and looks like a neighbourhood church. The Altar of the church is simple in design. The church has beautiful majestic colonaded portico porches on its three sides. The Church has a special Pew(Bench) for Skinners family .
Before it was built the area was a Mango Grove belonging to Dara Sukoh the estranged brother of Aurangazeb. All the members of the Skinners family are buried in the North side of the church complex. James Skinner died in 1841 at Hansi and is buried before the altar of the Church. William Fraser Resident Commissioner of Delhi in 1857 and scores of English killed during Mutiny lay buried in the Church complex.
The Church is a stones throw away from Kashmere gate metro station. It is an active church and services are held regularly.
No comments:
Post a Comment