St. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL :
Location: 1A, Cathedral Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071, India.
Country: India.
Denomination: Church of North India (Anglican).
Time Required For Tour: 1–2 hrs.
Timing: Monday — Saturday: 9:00 AM — 12:00 PM and
Sunday: 7:30 AM — 6:00 PM.
Cost: No Entry Fees.
HISTORY :
Status: Cathedral.
Dedication: St. Paul.
ARCHITECTURE :
Functional Status: Active.
Designated: 1847.
Architect(s): Major William Nairn Forbes, C. K. Robinson.
Architectural Type: Indo-Gothic.
Style: 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, Fine Lime Plaster.
Administration
Diocese: Calcutta.
CLERGY :
Bishop(s): Rt. Rev. Ashoke Biswas.
Priest(s): Reverend Abir Adhikari.
Assistant Priest(s): Reverend Nirodh Stephen Nag.
Located in the heart of the City of Joy Kolkata, St Paul’s is an Anglican cathedral under CNI — Church of North India and is acknowledged as the first Episcopal Church of the eastern world and is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta. The edifice stands on Cathedral Road on the “Island of Attractions“ to provide for more space for the growing population of the European community in Calcutta in the 1800s. The architectural design of the cathedral is “Indo-Gothic”, a Gothic architectural style designed to meet the climatic conditions of India. The cathedral complex has a library, situated over the western porch, and a display of Plastic art forms and memorabilia. It is said to be the largest cathedral in Kolkata. It is a must-visit for those who seek enriching historical and architectural pleasure in their vacation trips. Right in the middle of the busy buzzing metro city, this colossal structure reminds you of the colonial times and takes you down the lane of history. Travellers keep this among the top few must-visit places when they come to Kolkata. It looks most beautiful during the Christmas holidays, when the cathedral, the garden around it as well as the surrounding streets are all bathed in light and festivities.
As it happens to be, it is also the first cathedral Her Majesty’s empire built in their overseas territory. On Christmas Eve, the cathedral performs a midnight mass and toast which is very famous, and there is literally a queue of people every year trying to get a glimpse of all the grandeur.
Primarily built to accommodate the ever-increasing Christian community in Calcutta, it has now become a major tourist attraction of the city and a much-loved destination too. The building follows what historical architects refer to as Indo-Gothic style and its structure is complete with a cascading white edifice, towering spire and colourful tinted windows. Inside, it has a huge nave, majestic altar and chancel, along with carvings and paintings depicting great moments and events of Christian history. The cathedral complex also houses several memorabilia of past congregants and a library where books as old as its foundation time still exist donated by founding member Bishop Wilson himself.
Besides, being a religious site, the cathedral is also an architectural marvel. St. Paul’s was finally consecrated by Bishop Wilson on 8th October 1847. The cathedral’s tower is modelled on the “Bell Harry” tower of Canterbury Cathedral and the cathedral overall resembled England’s Norwich Cathedral with three Gothic stained glass windows and two frescoes in Florentine Renaissance style. You would also find a library above the western porch with a modest collection of Bishop Wilson’s collection and a marble bust of the Bishop. There are several sculptures and memorials like the “Episcopal Throne” and an ornamented wall — Reredo, carved with incidents from the life of St. Paul.
Following the 1897 earthquake and the subsequent massive earthquake of 1934, when Calcutta suffered substantial damage, the cathedral was reconstructed to a revised design.
LOCATION :
The cathedral is across from the Bishop’s House on 51, Chowringhee Road, in a direct line of sight from the Victoria Memorial. The cathedral is located to the east of the Victoria Memorial and at the southern edge of the Maidan. The building stands on Cathedral Road, on the “Island of Attractions” in Kolkata, along with the Victoria Memorial, Nandan, Rabindra Sadan and the Birla Planetarium.
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. In 1819, at the request of Marquess of Hastings, then Governor-General of Bengal, architect William Nairn Forbes produced a design for the proposed cathedral; however, it was not accepted as it was deemed too expensive to build. Bishop Middleton suggested as a site for the new cathedral the part of the city now known as “Fives Court”, where the cathedral now stands. In 1762 the area had been described as a forest so wild that it harboured tigers, and, at first, it was regarded as “too far south” to serve as a location for the cathedral. Middleton died in 1822 before building plans took shape. The next three bishops, Heber, James and Turner, all died after brief tenures, and it was not until 1832, under Bishop Daniel Wilson, that the project to build the cathedral was revived.
Following acquisition of 7 acres of land to build the cathedral, a Cathedral Committee was set up to build it. The military engineer, Major William Nairn Forbes (1796–1855) (who later became a Major General of the Bengal Engineers), at the request of Bishop Wilson, designed the cathedral with the assistance of architect C. K. Robinson, modelling the tower and spire upon the Norwich Cathedral. On 8 October 1839, construction was initiated by laying the cornerstone. The cathedral was completed after eight years and consecrated on 8 October 1847. The consecration ceremony, to mark which Queen Victoria had sent “ten pieces of silver-gilt plate” for the cathedral, was largely attended by Europeans and local people. The cathedral was built in Gothic revival style, but with modern construction elements.
In the 1897 earthquake the cathedral suffered damage and was refurbished. In the subsequent massive earthquake of 1934, when Calcutta was devastated, the cathedral’s steeple tower collapsed. It was reconstructed to a revised design. Following the 1934 Calcutta earthquake, the tower was rebuilt along the lines of the central Bell Harry tower of Canterbury Cathedral. On its completion, St. Paul’s replaced St. John’s Church as the cathedral. The cathedral also has a statue of Bishop Heber (1783–1826), who was the Second Bishop of Calcutta; the statue was sculpted by Francis Leggatt Chantrey. The Bishop’s House across the street is also architecturally notable. The rebuilt church is modelled on the central Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Cathedral. After its completion, St Paul’s was announced as the new cathedral of Calcutta. . The looming tower, spire, and altar was greatly influenced by and partially modelled upon the Norwich Cathedral of the Holy and Undivided Trinity
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 Imperial Gazetteer defined the architectural design of the cathedral as “Indo-Gothic”, to mean a Gothic architectural style built to meet the climatic conditions of India. It was also called a “spurious gothic adapted to the exigencies of the Indian climate.” The cathedral’s design, otherwise known as Gothic Revival style, includes three stained glass windows and two frescoes in the Florentine Renaissance style; the West Window was created by Morris & Co. to a design by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. The nave of the cathedral is very long at 247 feet (75 m), and its width is 81 feet (25 m). The nave is fitted with well-crafted wooden pews and chairs. The central spire rises to a height of 201 feet (61 m), and the tower on which it stands is square in shape and was patterned on the lines of the 12th-century Canterbury Cathedral, England. The tower was fitted with five clocks, each of which weighed about three tons. The stained glass windows on the western side were the creation of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, a pre-Raphaelite master, which were fitted in half-sunk arches; these were designed in 1880 in memory of Lord Mayo who was assassinated in the Andaman Islands. When completed in 1847, the cathedral as a whole was compared to the Norwich Cathedral of England. The East window, which had original stained glass, was destroyed by a cyclone in 1964. It was replaced with a new one in 1968. The roof of the cathedral is in the shape of a “shallow curve” arching over iron trusses decorated with “Gothic tracery” (it was the largest span when built). The hall of the cathedral is built spaciously without any aisles on its flanks. The materials used in the construction of the cathedral consisted of special bricks, light in weight and with good compression strength. The dressed stones used were Chunar stones. The external and internal surfaces of the cathedral were plastered with fine chunam (lime plaster) in the form of a stucco.
The cathedral’s interior has a display of many plastic art forms and memorabilia. There is an “episcopal throne” on the southern flank of the altar and a decorative reredo or wall on its back side dated to 1879; it has carvings of episodes related to the life of St. Paul, the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt, all the work of Sir Arthur Blomfield. The parish hall within the premises of the cathedral is the venue for holding social functions. The eastern wall in the cathedral has paintings of the life of St. Paul, painted by Blomfield in 1886. Also notable is the font, with its sculpture of Bishop Heber in a kneeling posture. The cathedral’s organ, with 41 stops, made by Joseph Willis and Sons of London, is still in use. This wall also has the bishop’s seat of authority which makes the church a cathedral or the ornate episcopal throne.
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 manuscripts. Further donations of books to the library were from W. Gordon and Rev. J. Nath of the University of Oxford and the Calcutta Bible Society. The library also has a sculpture of Bishop Wilson made in marble.
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, who was a member of cathedral’s congregation for many years. The cathedral is surrounded by a well-tended garden. In 1847, 63 species of trees had been planted in this garden.
There is a library in the premises for which Bishop Wilson had donated over books, the William Prentice Memorial Gate which is the entry point and the well-maintained lovely garden all around the cathedral. The cathedral is also the burial site of the founding Bishop Daniel Wilson and an assassinated Chief Justice John Paxton Norman.
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY :
St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata, India. Architect: William Nairn Forbes (1796–1855), with C. K. Robinson, who was one of the Magistrates of Calcutta. Forbes, “a product of the East India Company’s military school at Addiscombe,” is seen as a “versatile genius in architecture”, while Robinson’s name was felt to stand “high as a scientific amateur in civil architecture.” Forbes had drawn up plans for a cathedral at Calcutta as early as 1819, at that time at the behest of the the Marquess of Hastings, then Governor-General of Bengal. But the planned building would have been costly, and was not sanctioned. He undertook the present cathedral later, on a modified scale, at the request of the Bishop Daniel Wilson of Calcutta. The first stone was laid in 1839, and the building was completed in 1847. This makes St Paul’s the first Anglican cathedral of the Victorian age. “The building was constructed in a peculiar brick especially prepared for the purpose, which combined lightness with compressional strength; the dressings were of Chunar stone, and the whole edifice was covered inside and out with polished chunam”. The latter is a kind of stucco, and it gives the cathedral almost an ethereal aspect. St Paul’s is ideally placed on Cathedral Road near the Victoria Memorial, close to the main parts of the city but in an open setting.
St Paul’s was built because James Agg’s St John’s Church of 1787, still remembered affectionately as the “old cathedral” was never in fact intended as one, and was now too small to serve the burgeoning European community in Calcutta. It was built when that community in Bengal would not have numbered more than a thousand or so, whereas in 1810 the number had already jumped to 4000 men and 300 women. The new grand house of worship was intended to seat at least 800 people, and up to 1000. It has been termed “the original metropolitan church of British India”. In style too it was a new departure. St John’s, like Holy Trinty, Quebec, which was consecrated in 1804 and preceded St Paul’s as the very first Anglican cathedral outside Britain, was inspired by James Gibbs’s St Martin’s-in-the-Fields by Trafalgar Square in London. St Paul’s, on the other hand, is English Perpendicular Gothic in style. Its architects consulted Norwich and Canterbury Cathedrals, and York Minster. The cathedral was to lose its steeple later on, as a result of earthquakes, but the redesigned early twentieth-century tower is still “on the pattern of the Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Cathedral” (“St Paul’s Cathedral”). It might be somewhat backward-looking in its Gothicism, as Philip Davies suggests — perhaps the kind of “cardboard” or superficial Gothic that marked the early days of the Gothic Revival in Britain — but this was largely because the engineer Forbes had to take into account the ground and climate. Its style is therefore summed up by one early commentator as “spurious gothic adapted to the exigencies of the Indian climate”. Nevertheless, it is undeniably “a noble structure,” which usefully “broke the mould of Gibbs derivatives which hitherto had dominated church design in India.”
The main gate leads to a large hall displaying wooden chairs, stained glass windows and bright artworks of intricate designs. The church has an underground chamber that houses the coffin of Bishop Wilson and the delegation plate bestowed on him by her Majesty Queen Victoria. The walls are decorated with the paintings and photographs that depict the work and life of St. Paul. The Great East Window illustrations of the life of Lord Jesus, two tall stained glass windows, the main gate leading to the hall displaying tall wooden chairs,etc will leave the visitors struck with wonder and awe.
THE CONSECRATION :
The consecration of St Paul’s on 8 October 1847 was a splendid occasion:
“IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST GRATIFYING TO THE QUEEN’S RELIGIOUS AND BENEVOLENT HEART, COULD HER MAJESTY HAVE HONOURED THE CONSECRATION WITH HER PRESENCE. SUCH A SIGHT HAD NEVER BEEN SEEN IN INDIA. A CROWDED AUDIENCE FILLED THE SACRED EDIFICE, PRESSED AROUND THE DOORS, AND IN THE LANTERN AND TRANSEPT, TO OBTAIN A SIGHT OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE, AND HEAR THE DIVINE WORD. THE IMPRESSION MADE ON THE MINDS OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, AND THE NATIVE POPULATION, WAS ELECTRIC. I TRUST A PERMANENT BLESSING WILL FOLLOW”
WROTE BISHOP WILSON WISTFULLY TO QUEEN VICTORIA.
The presence of the Queen would have been too much to hope for, but he was delighted by the turn-out of local people. The Queen had already presented the bishop with “ten pieces of silver-gilt plate” for the cathedralThe impression his account made on her mind might well have been “electric” too, enouraging her growing fascination with these regions. St Paul’s, Kolkata, should not be neglected when discussing cathedrals built in Victorian times. In some ways like, and in other ways unlike, new places of worship on home ground, this first endeavour gives fascinating insights into the history and visual arts of the colonial period.
