St John's (Calcutta)

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St. John's Church

The St. John's Church in Kolkata is an Anglican church. It was among the first buildings erected in the city by the East India Company and was the third church built in Calcutta. It was consecrated in 1787 and served as the cathedral of the Church of England in India until 1847 , which became the Church of North India in 1970.

Building history

St. John's was built in the years 1784–1787. The architect was James Agg, a lieutenant in the Bengal Engineers . The funds for the construction were collected through a lottery . The church building was modeled on the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields , as was not unusual at the time . Because of the swampy ground, the church tower was kept lower. Building materials were mainly sandstone from Chunar and bricks . The church was built on an existing cemetery. Later porches with pillars were added and galleries inside were removed.

Interior

Last Supper by Johann Zoffany

The church floor was made of blue-gray marble, which is said to come from Gaur . The windows are made of colored glass. The walls of the church are decorated with numerous memorial plaques. The altar is kept simple. To his left is a painting of the Last Supper by the painter Johann Zoffany . Jesus and his disciples are painted after the example of members of the upper class of Calcutta at the time, one of the figures looks very feminine. There is also an organ on the left side of the altar. On the right side there is a side altar in the Lady Chapel (Marienkapelle). Two angels guard the entrance to this area of ​​the church; the windows show scenes from the life of Jesus.

Outdoor area

The Black Hole Memorial

Right next to the church, on a veranda , is a marble monument to Lady Canning . About opposite the church there is another monument, an obelisk, which reminds of the so-called "Black Hole of Kolkata ", a prison in which 143 prisoners of war allegedly suffocated due to overcrowding in 1756 . Other monuments on the church grounds are dedicated to Job Charnock , the alleged city founder, and Francis Johnson, known as Begum Johnson, who was known as Calcutta's oldest resident.

Web links

Commons : St. John's Church, Kolkata  - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ HISTORY AND HERITAGE. St. John's church, accessed November 14, 2018 .
  2. ↑ St. John's Church . In: Times of India Travel . ( indiatimes.com [accessed November 14, 2018]).
  3. ↑ Jacqueline Banerjee: St John's Church, Kolkata, by James Agg: The Thackerays' Church. The Victorian Web, accessed November 14, 2018 .
  4. ^ Wicked man on the wall. Retrieved November 14, 2018 .
  5. ^ Wicked man on the wall. Retrieved November 14, 2018 .