St. Paul’s Cathedral
AN ELGIN EXCLUSIVE FEATURE By AASHIMA CHOWDHRY
Image by @ayondutta491994, Instagram
St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of Kolkata’s most beautiful churches, it is a must visit during the Christmas holidays as it is well-known for its Christmas midnight mass.
The city of Kolkata is home to a number of culturally diverse communities. People from different parts of the world have visited and settled in Kolkata for trade and other purposes which has led to a harmonious mingling of varied cultures. Different communities brought in their cultures in the form of glorious structures and cuisines along with them.
Standing tall on the ‘island of attractions’ is St. Paul’s Cathedral, an illustrious symbol of the European heritage in Kolkata.
Image by @ankitpahwa, Instagram
Built by the British, this is one of the first Episcopal Church of Asia and is famous for its gothic architecture.
Built between 1839 and 1847, the cathedral is the largest in the city and was the first Anglical cathedral in Asia. It is widely known for its Indo-Gothic style of architecture, meant to accommodate the Gothic-revival designs to suit the Indian climate. Detailed and intricate artwork adorn the entire structure of the cathedral with colourful, tainted windows and frescoes in Florentine Renaissance style.
Inside the cathedral, you will find yourself awestruck by the magnificent carvings and paintings depicting events from the life of St. Paul amongst a huge display of plastic art forms and memorabilia. What is noteworthy is the majestic episcopal throne at the altar for the bishop.
Image by @myself___mystery, Instagram
Where prayers are fulfilled
The cathedral also has a library that houses books donated by the founder of the cathedral, Bishop Wilson himself. An everlasting edifice of the European community, the cathedral looks exquisite during Christmas.
Take a peek into the resplendent history of Kolkata at the St. Paul’s Cathedral located at 5 minutes drive from The Elgin Fairlawn, Kolkata.
