The Kanpur Memorial Church
-Piyushma Sonkar
B.Architecture student, Lovely School of Architecture and Design, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India.
The largest city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur is a city of many wonders, and is inherently Indian in all regards. Places to visit in Kanpur bring out the flavour of India, making it one of the most interesting places to visit in the country. An important British garrison during the pre-independent era, Kanpur today holds some of the most interesting relics of the nation. Together with its roots and unlikely charm, the city has a quality of being mystic. Tourist places in Kanpur present travellers with an opportunity to witness beyond the glamour of the larger cities. Being an industrial city, Kanpur is regularly visited by businessmen and other people looking for work. It is also home to a branch of the Indian Institute of Technology, making it a student friendly city as well.
Nobody really thinks of travelling to Kanpur when posed with the question of a vacation, but the idea here is to understand the diversity of India, of a city that is perhaps still true to its heritage. Urbanisation has of course crept into this historical land, but there is a visible understanding of India, of one’s own culture here in Kanpur. The people here aren’t swept away by modernity, while affirming their alliance to the digital age at the same time. Founded by the Chandela dynasty way back in the 10th and 13th centuries, Kanpur is one of the largest cities in India.
Famous for its leather and textile industry, Kanpur is also referred to as ‘The Leather City of the World’. Besides gigantic factories, the city is dotted with numerous old temples, modern entertainment zones, eccentric restaurants, and crowded markets. One can witness the beauty of the city at the various places to visit in Kanpur. JK Temple, ISKCON Temple and Anandeshwar Temple are among the most popular temples in Kanpur. Witness rare and exotic species of plants and animals at Kanpur Zoo, stroll around Moti Jheel or Japani Garden, and enjoy boat rides in Bithoor; there are infinite things to do in Kanpur.
So along with these major attractions there is also one very important place to visit in Kanpur is All Soul’s Memorial Church also known as Kanpur Memorial Church.
Kanpur Memorial Church, popularly known as All Soul’s Cathedral is an impressive architectural edifice that was constructed in 1875 to commemorate the courage and valour of the British troops who surrendered their lives in the tumultuous Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Walter Granville, an erstwhile architect of East Bengal Railway, was responsible for the exquisite Lombardy Gothic architecture of the church.
The church was built to honour those British lives that were lost during the Siege of Kanpur way back in 1857. Located on Albert Lane, this is right at the centre of the Cantonment, and is an architectural marvel. Built in Lombardic Gothic style, its red bricks speak volumes of an era that is now lost forever. Here you will also find a Memorial Garden located towards the east, where there is a gothic screen that was carved by one Henry Yule. There is also a figure of an angel that was crafted by Carlo Marochetti and is something to behold. A place where you can really get lost and go into a sort of contemplation, this is the historical saga of Kanpur that is yet to vanish, and perhaps will forever remind Indians of the struggle for independence. One of the primary historical places in Kanpur, this is a must visit for history buffs.
During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, lots of British belonging to Kanpur Barracks were killed by the Indian rebels who were hell-bent and in rage against British atrocities. Unfortunately, the casualty included British children and women. A foolish act of some Indian soldiers got the bad name for the Indians. That the British killed Indian natives more than 10 times that of their causality is a different story. Incidentally Kanpur (Cawnpore) had second largest European community in the entire subcontinent in the mid-1800s.
At the centre of the church stands a beautiful figurine of an angel, designed by the eminent Baron Carlo Marochetti. Post — independence statue and the screen have been relocated here from Kanpur’s famous Municipal Gardens near the Bibighar well. Some of the ancient graves are intriguing with interesting inscriptions.
The building is made up of vibrant red bricks adorned in multi-coloured hues. The interior of the church houses the heart-breaking memorial tables, epitaphs and monuments that pay a tribute to those soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country. They also narrate the shattered hopes and dreams of the young whose life ended even before it had properly taken off.
The Kanpur Memorial Church recounts the unfortunate massacre of the Kanpur Barracks and the betrayal of patriotic Nana Sahib, nicknamed” The Butcher of Cawnpore”. A separate enclosure in the eastern extremity of the church contains the memorial garden and separated from the main building by an exquisitely carved and striking in appearance Gothic screen. A visit to the beautiful Kanpur Memorial Church brings visitors face-to-face with the morbid truth of India’s struggle for independence, a battle that caused enormous bloodshed on both sides.
Originally the statue and the screen were in the Municipal Gardens in the centre of the city, over the site of the Bibighar well. It was after independence in 1948, the memorials were relocated here. The British dismantled the Bibighar and built a memorial railing and a cross at the site of the well. In 1862, they built a church called All Souls’ Cathedral in memory of those killed; subsequently it was renamed the Kanpur Memorial Church. This Church still stands at what was the northeast corner of Wheeler’s entrenchment.