• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

August 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Kolkata, West Bengal

St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata is the largest Anglican church in India and among the largest in Asia. Located in what was for over a century the capital of British India, St. Paul’s was of particular religious and political importance throughout much of the British colonial era. It is part of a cluster of the city’s major sites, including a number of museums and the Victoria Memorial. It is among the most visited sites in the city.

History

The city of Kolkata was little more than a handful of fishing villages when the British East India Company purchased the territory from the Nawab of Bengal in 1698. Due to the ongoing conflict with the French in the region, Kolkata became increasingly fortified throughout the 18th century. This led to conflicts with the local Nawab, which led to the East India Company annexing the territory outright.

Over the course of the 19th century, the East India Company made Kolkata one of the most important centers of trade in India, making it their headquarters and ultimately establishing it as the capital of their colonial territories. In 1858, when the British Empire annexed India outright as a colonial territory, Kolkata became the colonial capital which remained for over half a century.

By the time the East India Company had reached the height of its power and influence in the early 19th century, the Church of England had become a prominent institution in India. To serve the large Anglican expat community that had grown up in Kolkata, and in recognition of the colony’s political importance, a new cathedral was constructed in the heart of the city. Completed in 1847, it was one of the largest non-Catholic churches in the world outside of Europe.

The cathedral became the seat of one of the most important Anglican diocese in the Far East, as well as one of the most famous symbols of the city. It stood for exactly one hundred years before the end of British colonial rule in India in 1947. Now part of the Church of North India, it is still an important institution in the Anglican communion, and one of the most important bishoprics in Asia.

Visiting

St. Paul’s Cathedral is among the finest Anglican cathedrals outside of England. One of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the Far East, this gleaming white edifice is one of Kolkata’s defining landmarks. The traditional cross layout is crowned with an immense bell tower over the transept. The current tower, modeled after one at Westminster Abbey in London, replaced an earlier tower that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1934.

The cathedral interior is architecturally unusual, with traditional appointments and stained glass windows, but with a modern, arced ceiling which is oddly out of place. This feature of the cathedral, with an exposed structure, was designed to support the installation of celing fans. Despite this practical application, it definitely takes away from the aesthetics of the place, which is otherwise impressive.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is located at the southeast corner of Maidan park in the city center of Kolkata, approximately 700 miles southeast of New Delhi. As of this writing no visitor information was available. Web: http://westbengaltourism.gov.in/kolkata (official tourism website of Kolkata).

Other Sites

The city of Kolkata has a number of sites of Christian interest, but hands down the city’s star was Mother Teresa, who worked here among the poor of the city for decades. She is buried at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity.

Filed Under: Anglican and Episcopal Tagged With: India (NE)/Nepal

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.