Churches of Mumbai Series | St Thomas Cathedral

It all started when last month I came across an article in the MIDDAY newspaper. A three hundred years old church was celebrating its tri-centenary. Naturally I was all inquisitive to know where was this church, what was the history behind and as I started my research I was getting more and more immersed into the past of this church. What got unveiled left me dumbfounded!.

Present Churchgate Station

For all these years passed, I never knew why Churchgate Station was called Churchgate and over that we always enjoyed Kishore Kumar crooning in the movie DON, Ee hai bumbai nagariya tu dekh babuwa....jaha churchgate ka  church hai lapata. 

Well the good news is I found the missing Church.

Jokes apart, St Thomas cathedral is in fact that missing church which gives Churchgate its name and another interesting fact about this church is that it is Point Zero spot where the pin falls in "Bombay"from where distance in the city was measured in milestones.

History:
St Thomas Cathedral stands testimony to the colonial past. The times when there was actually a fortified British settlement of Bombay which we call as Fort area in present times except that today there is no fort, no bastions or fort walls. What we see today is bustling commercial hubs yet being a commercial hub the British era can still be felt,looking around the buildings in these areas which are converted to Govt offices or bank premises. 
Till the 19th century the Bombay was fortified settlement with a fort wall and a moat.

The city had three gates 

Apollo gate- at Apollo bunder
Bazaar Gate- That is where today chhatrapati Shivaji Bus Terminus 
Churchgate- Where the flora fountain stands today
stands. 

Old Church gate,where the present day Flora Fountain stands
 (Pic source Wikipedia)

All the gates along with the city wall was demolished in the year 1860.

As the city of Bombay was inhabited by the Britisher they needed a place to worship so in the year 1676 the foundation stone was laid by the Governor Gerald Aungier  the same year that Emperor Aurangzeb began building Badshahi Masjid or mosque in Lahore. Unfortunately after the death Gerald Aungier the construction of the church was abandoned,however as the construction of the church was underway so the structure stood half way at 5 metres high for half a century. In 1710 Richard Cobbe the Chaplain adopted this unfinished Church and got the construction completed and finally the church was thrown open to the general public on the Christmas day 1718. 

The Church was named after St. Thomas, the Apostle, one of the 12 Disciples of Lord Christ who is believed to have come to India.

In the year 1837, the Church was consecrated as a Cathedral and Rev. Thomas Carr was appointed the first Bishop of Bombay. The Church underwent lots of  additions and renovation and took its present form in the year 1865.

In the 18th and 19th century the Cathedral was divided on the basis of different classes of society.There were even separate rooms for "Inferior Women" ( Now don't ask me what does that mean, I always felt that all humans are equal in the eyes of God, yet why this discrimination...probably another creativity of humans to divide the humans )

My Journey :

Armed with all the info that I can gather I was very eager to have a first hand experience of seeing the St Thomas Cathedral. So Weekend wanderer that I am, I set out one Sunday afternoon to visit this church. Let me share my experience from here on.

I took local train from Andheri to Churchagate and it was 4 pm when I reached the Churchgate station. Coming out of the station I started to walk towards Hutatma Chowk aka Flora Fountain and from there towards Horniman circle, just before that you see a Clock tower like structure and you can be forgiven if you mistook it for a clock tower. Its not a clock tower but the church, St Thomas Cathedral. I have come to Horniman circle for upteem times I fact I must have savoured the coffee at Starbucks  just opposite to it and yet missed this so important monument.

As I was entering the church I noticed a beautiful ornate fountain in front of the main entrance.

In 1864, Sir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney, a Parsi philanthropist, had gifted this Gothic fountain to this church, because he wished to donate one in the vicinity of his residence, still known as Readymoney Mansion. 

ReadyMoney Mansion (It still exists)

This kind of donation was nothing unusual gesture for Sir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney, because he had donated 40 iron fountains to Mumbai, of which only six can be found now. This ornate fountain actually compliments to the beauty of this Cathedral.

Made for each other

 This fountain was brought from London in parts."The local Parsi community were unhappy that such generosity was wasted on 'Unbelievers' and hence they disparagingly nicknamed the fountain the 'Cowasjee Cross'."( Source Times of  India Report)

Lobby at the entrance of the church

From here I moved to enter the Church. As we enter the Church we find a small lobby, what is noticeable here is the designed flooring, a designed wrought iron gate and the visitor book lying on the right side of the lobby.

Designed flooring in the lobby

Next we enter the main hall, What I saw was very imposing and grand.The inside of the church is painted in white.There was these  beautifully designed huge wrought iron brackets which holds the fans in the church.

Wrought Iron fan brackets in the hall catches your eyes

 The next thing that interested me a lot was the many memorials made of marble stone that adorned walls of the church. These memorials tell different stories of the different people and look very ostentatious.

Memorial for 300 Passengers
who perished on steamship Cleopatra

The first Memorial that I saw was for the 300 passengers of the Steamship called Cleopatra, who perished when the ship sank of the coast of Malabar on 15th April 1847. the ship was en-route from Bombay to Singapore.The monument was erected by the officers and the seaman of Indian navy as per the plaque 

The next interesting memorial was this huge memorial for Jonathan Duncan.

Memorial of Jonathan Duncan

Jonathan Duncan was the longest serving governor (16 years)The memorial comprises of a Dhoti clad Brahmin and a statue depicting the symbol of justice and this was all set against the backdrop of Banyan Tree with the smiling Chirubs.

In the words of  Reverend Avinash Rangayy the Church Priest "Duncan was a visionary who abolished infanticide in India… those cherubs denote this good deed. He was an Indophile — the Brahmin and the banyan tree depict his deep association with India, while the statue portrays his fairness in judgement despite being a colonial ruler."

Memorial for Captain George Nicholas Hardinge

Another interesting and beautifully carved monument of horses with a fairy and waves caught my eye. On closer observation I noted it was a memorial to Captain George Nicholas Hardinge
As per the plaque Captain George commanded the ship called "San Fiorenzo" considered to be terror of Indian seas which had 36 guns and 186 men on it.

 He chased and fought for three successive day the enemy frigate "La-Piedmantaise which had 50 guns and 566 men on it. Yet The Captain along with his crew achieved a brilliant conquest but unfortunately fell in the last and critical, part of this heric battle. It is said that he was very much inspired by his hero Lord Nelson. Captain George dies in the year 1808.  
last but not the least i liked this peculiar kind of memorial which looked like a coffin with a statue of a priest lying on it. This memorial belonged to the Rev. Thomas Carr  The first bishop of Bombay.

Memorial of  First Bishop of Bombay

Other than this there are many more exotic memorial some of which are in brass form each telling a different tale. Do visit and read each epitaph probably you may find some new secret unveiled.

After going through all the memorials I came down to the central of the church and started to walk down the nave. Just as I was to about to approach near the chancel,on my right side on the first row of the seating chairs I saw these two iconic chairs . Iconic because these chairs were occupied by King George and the queen on 3rd Nov, 1911.

Copper plate on the seats

Just before that there is this pew on which was used by Mother Theresa on 08.01.1989. I get goosebumps when I find myself so near the history and could actually feel the presence of this blessed soul.

After this I move towards the altar area or rather the chancel, what catches your eyes is the lovely stained glass windows with colour paintings of St Thomas and many others.

Some beautiful designed stained glass windows 

The chancel

One of the paintings at the cathedral shows St Thomas with a Bible in his hand and a T square in the other hand perhaps reminding the viewers  that at on time he was a builder by profession standing next to him on both his sides are archangels St Gabriel holding a lily symbolising purity and truth. and St Micheal holding a double edged sword, symbolising truth and justice.

No wonder that such beautiful Church is considered as a heritage site and is a recipient of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Award.

Stained glass window of St Thomas,St Gabriel and St Michael

I was simply overwhelmed by what I experienced here. I sat for sometime soaking in all the grandeur and the peace the place had to offer. Paid my respect to the lord and came out of the Cathedral as a contented man.

Thank You

Jodhpur Diaries | Toorji Ka Jhalra | Part 2

After finishing the Sardar Market (Click here to read part 1) we came out from the gate opposite to the Nai Sarak gate. Immediately after coming out we inquired from the local shopkeeper as to where is Toorji ka Jhalra,

Back gate of Sardar Market

Luckily for us he knew to the place and directed us.You must be wondering as what is this Toorji ka Jhalra, Well Chalo aaj aap ki class leta hu, Please bore mat hona Stepwells in most part of India are known as bavri or bawdi but here in Jodhpur it's called Jhalra. Toorji ka Jhalra is an ancient stepwell. One can easily reach this place by simply inquiring from the locals.

Narrow streets with Blue houses

 A little walk through the narrow alleys,local blue houses and in hardly 10 mins you are at Toorji ka Jhalra Stepwell. Standing at the road level one cannot gauge as to what is in store for him or her unless one climb few steps and reach the edge of the stepwell. That is the reason I didn't divulge any information to any of my co travelers, I wanted to surprise them. Hence just like a magician who is ready to unveil the secret magical object , I called all of them to the edge and  then called out to open their eyes. I  got the response that I was seeking  from them and yes it was simply   WOW.

I could see the sparkle in their eyes. Who could have thought that such beautiful historical treasures lies in the narrow alleys of this Blue city. 

Wow Moment

Let me inform you Jodhpur is full of such hidden stepwells,some are explored while some lies buried due to neglect. I'm told there are more than 100 such hidden stepwells. According to Rajyavallabh and Prasad Mandan, two traditional books on town planning in Rajasthan, an ideal city should have 40 stepwells. Ab dekhna yeh tha ki Jodhpur me kitni milti hai dekne ko So for a start Toorji ka Jhalra was the first one to be visited by us.

All over India, stepwells are on the verge of extinction, barring a few big ones that have survived  the test of time are being turned into local tourist wonders. Jodhpur, however, has the unique distinction of not only maintaining these structures well, but also using the water for domestic and recreational purposes. In fact, the city’s stepwell system is an example of what can be achieved through people’s participation.

\Why I said people participation, Actually due to neglect these stepwells were buried underneath the heap of debris, waste, mud etc but then the local volunteer through community efforts cleared and cleaned these hidden treasures.

View at the bottom 

Folklore.

While talking to the local guide,he gave me an interesting insight to these stepwells. According to him there is a folklore about Jodhpur having a curse. In the mid 15th century, the king of Mandore , Rao Jodha, was keen on moving his capital to an elevated spot from where he could defend the empire against frequent attacks by enemies. He found Chidia-tunk, a 125m-high rocky hill, ideal for this. However, inorder to build Mehrangarh Fort, he had to  encroach upon the hermitage of Saint Chiriya Nathji, who in anger cursed that the new city would face  constant famines.In response to  the curse the king realised  that they will have to safeguard themselves against this curse, Hence  town planners thought of this water conservation tool of stepwells.

Mehrangad fort is on the hilltop, the walled city of Jodhpur is located at the foot of Chidia-tunk. This made it possible to supply water through a gravity-led system. A vast network of lakes and canals were built in the hills around the city, while wells, stepwells (bawri), step ponds (jhalara) and tanks became a common feature in the plains.

Intricate carvings around Windows

Those maze of steps , the carvings on the stone , for me these stepwells are nothing but architectural delights to be relished.

Fact File of Toorji ka Jhalra

Toorji ka Jhalra was built in the 1740s by Maharaja Abhay Singh's queen consort which was in keeping with the age old tradition of ladies of the royal family building Public water works. The Jhalra was primarily used by women, as fetching and storing water was one of their principal household chores.The Jhalra is embellished with intricate carving of dancing elephants, Medieval Lion and cow shaped water sprouts.

Some more carvings

I think enough of Gyan for today. We were running like mad up and down the stone stairs of this step well enjoying every nook and corner of this well.

Running up and down, exploring every nook and corner

The water below have lots of fishes in it.The depth of the stepwells was nothing less than 200 feets.

Its Show time for the Gang

We took few photos to mark our presence. I had to drag everyone out because our next destination Mehrangad fort was beckoning us.

Our Team

Shirgaon Fort, Palghar

Another weekend was round the corner and nothing was planned for the weekend wanderer within me so I thought let me try out something nearby, hence Sunday Morning I took 7;40 am shuttle train from Virar Station  to Palghar because this weekend my destination will be Shirgaon Fort in Palghar,

Shirgaon Fort, I was given to understand is some 13 kms away from the Palghar Station. I took ST bus from Palghar Station to go to Shirgoan fort. The bus frequency I was told is quite good.One needs to catch buses going to Satpati to reach this fort.

ST bus to Satpati all set to go

A bus journey of half an hour and I was dropped at a coastal village,The Bus Conducter said "Aap Masjid ke stop per utar jana " actually this stop is before Satpati. I got down before Sarpati as I saw this huge Masjid along the road.

Masjid is the landmark to get down from ST bus

 After getting down the bus I took direction from the locals and  started walking for few minutes through the coastal village towards the Shirgaon Fort.

Sleepy coastal village

In few minutes I reached the main entrance of the Shirgaon Fort.

Shirgoan Fort Main Entrance

Before setting my foot on the fort let me brush up some history about the fort.

HISTORY:
Historical name of Shirgaon during Portuguese ruling was Sirgão. Locals told me that this fort was built by the Portuguese though I could not find much history about this fort except that this fort was later won by the Marathas in 1738 along with the Dahanu Fort, Tarapur, Kelve and Asherigad Fort under the able leadership of Chimaji Appa. However in 1818 the Britisher captured this Fort.

Fort in Ruins

This been a land fort hence no trekking is required, one can simply walk in from the road to reach the entrance of the fort. Standing in front of the fort we see Minar or tower on the right side and a gate next to that. Minar construction some how gives the impression of Mughal architecture Just at the entrance on the right side are inscriptions dating the origin of this fort to 1714 A.D.

 Frontal view of Fort from outside

As soon as we enter the fort from the door we immediately come across a big entrance door on the left side which leads into central courtyard of the fort.

Interesting architecture 

 The structure near the entrance lies in a ruined state today, tall walls and small windows atop them spells the historic tale unknown to us in today's time. I am sharing few pictures of lost glory .

Tall walls with windows

Tales of lost glory

Door leading to central courtyard

 The moment I entered through the door to central courtyard I saw a large ground with some ruined structure on the right side which looked like rooms probably for soldiers or for holding their rations.

Stairs leading to the rampart of the fort

Inside View of Large halls

I explored the inside, actually not much to see. I came out and as there was stairs which were leading to the top walls of the fort.This fort so reminded me of Arnala Fort ( You can click the link to read about Arnala fort here) near Virar.

These stone stairs going up ends on the ramparts of the fort which one can easily circumvent.I started to walk on the top. There are 5 Bastions on this fort.

View from the ramparts of the quarters,Rooms of soldiers

Walking on the ramparts of the fort just across from where I was standing I could see a white structure perched on the bastion so naturally started to move toward it to explore.

But before reaching this bastion I came across one more bastion. which has the usual windows and circular construction.

Moving forward from here I made my way to the white structure perched on the northern bastion.
The spiral stairs take you to the top.Its quite sad to see lots of graffiti on the walls, How I wish people start respecting their heritage.

Upon reaching the top of this bastion I could see the whole fort and the most prominent thing was the multi branch Palm tree...wow must be one of its kind.

Unique multi branch Palm tree

Bird's eye view from the Bastion.

After spending some time here I went on to explore the other bastion which we saw at the entrance door.

Bastion on the other end, waiting to be explored

Bastion from ground level

Exploration of these ancient forts is always an adventure because we often come across secret tunnels, caves etc. Shirgoan fort too has its quota of such historical mysteries.

Doors to unknown

The sun was hitting me hard and I think I have seen all that I can see so felt it was time to move on now back home. Shirgoan Fort is a small fort which you can explore in two hours. Do visit it if you are at Palghar.

Watch the video here for the Shirgoan Trek

Thank You for reading the blog. Please join this site if you like my blog.