Top 10 churches of INDIA to visit at least one time :)

India is famous for it's rich heritage and multiplicity of cultures. Though the population of Christians is very less but the role played by them in many sectors is marvellous, especially, if we talk about education. Christianity is India's third-largest religion according to the census of 2011, with approximately 27.8 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population.

Here we are telling you the top 10 churches of India which are a must visit for everyone.

1) Sé Cathedral at Old, Goa

                   

The architecture style of the Se Cathedral is Portuguese-Manueline. The interior is Corinthian whereas exterior is Tuscan. The church is 250 feet (76 m) in length and 181 feet (55 m) in breadth. The frontispiece stands 115 feet (35 m) high. It is one of the largest church in Asia.

This Cathedral is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. This church was built to honor the victory of Portuguese under a Muslim army, which led to the capture of the city of Goa.

2) Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa
                   

This is one among the most famous churches in India. Being situated in the beach city of Goa, this church is around 300 years old. Bom Jesus means “Good Jesus” or “Infant Jesus”. The church is said to hold the remains of St. Francis Xavier and the body is opened for public display at a particular time of the year. During this period, thousands of believers come to this church. This church has been declared as the world heritage site.

The façade has on it, at the top, the letters, “HIS” which are the first three letters of Jesus in Greek.

3) Medak Cathedral, Telangana

Largest Diocese in Asia and Second in World after the Vatican. The cathedral is 200 ft. (61 m) long, 100 ft. (30 m) wide.  The tiles were imported from Britain and are of six different colors. Italian masons were engaged for laying the decorative flooring. Massive pillars built with fine-hewn and well-dressed grey stone support the gallery and the whole edifice. The roof of the church is made sound-proof by means of hollow sponge material, and has an impressive style of vaulting. The surface of the vaulting has the shape of squares. The bell-tower is 175 ft. (53 m) high.

 

4) St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata

 

St. Paul’s Cathedral of Kolkata was the first cathedral built in overseas territory. This Cathedral is largest cathedral in Kolkata and noted for its Gothic architecture.

Following the 1897 earthquake and the subsequent massive earthquake of 1934, when Calcutta suffered substantial damage, the cathedral was reconstructed to a revised design. 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.

 

The cathedral was built to replace St. John's Church, which had become too small for Calcutta's growing European community .

 

5) Velankanni Church, Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu)

Velankanni is one of the most visited pilgrim centers in India. It is a town situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal. This renowned shrine Basilica of our Lady of health draws pilgrims from all over the world. Not only Christians but also the people of other faiths come to this Church to pray at the shrine of “Our lady of health”. Knowing the importance of this town the Pope in the Vatican City has declared Velankanni as a “Holy city” This Roman Catholic Church has an extended Basilica, which has two floors where one can find the statue of Jesus Christ AND ALSO THIS CHURCH IS BLESSED BY THE POPE WHICH ALSO ADDS TO ITS FAME.

6) St. Philomena’s Church, Mysore

St. Philomena’s Church of Mysore is a Catholic church and one of the greatest secular monuments in the city. This Roman Catholic Church is a major tourist attraction and a well-known landmark of Mysore city.

This Catholic church built in honour of St. Philomena in the Diocese of Mysore, India. It was constructed in 1936 using a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.[1] This is one of the tallest churches in Asia.

  

7) All Saints Cathedral, Allahabad

            

All Saints Cathedral of Allahabad is also known as Patthar Girja is a Gothic style churches, build at the center of a large open space at Civil lines. The cathedral is one of the most impressive structure and part of the Church of North India.

It is a remarkable example architecture of colonial India. Glass and marble work of Cathedral is retained in originality even after more than 125 years, The Cathedral also houses many plaques which depict the death of different British nationals for a variety of reasons during their rule in India. The church is surrounded by a lush green garden.

The land for the cathedral was granted by Sir William Muir, the lieutenant governor of the North Western Provinces, thereafter Elizabeth Huntly Wemyss, his wife, laid the foundation stone.

8) Rosary Church, Shetihalli, Hassan (Karnataka)

Rosary Church in Shetihalli was built by French Missionaries in 1860 near the banks of river Hemvathy. The church was constructed with mortar, bricks and a mixture of eggs and jiggery. However, roughly a century later, i.e. in 1960, Gorur dam was built, after which every monsoon whenever the water level rises, the church is found submerged in the water. At times, only the spire is seen. And because of the fact the church is submerges in water when water rises, it is a great tourist attraction.

9) Our Lady of Dolours Church, Trichur (Kerala)

Third tallest church in Asia and largest church in India, Our Lady of Dolours is well-known for its Gothic style of architecture. Its magnificent interior decorations include fine specimens of scenes from the scriptures, specimens of murals and images of saints.

The Church is located in Thrissur city of Kerala and known as is an archaeological wonder of olden times.

10) St. Thomas Church, Malayattoor (Kerala)

 

The 52 AD church that stands on the pinnacle of the mount, considered one of the most aged houses of worship, the well-known and most popular Christian pilgrimage situated 52 km absent from Cochin. The Malayatoor Church was built 609 m high on Malayatoor hill by St. Thomas in Kerala.

Today; the Malayatoor church has been confirmed as a worldwide pilgrimage mark by the Vatican. According to the tradition, the Malayatoor is in fact a town in Ernakulum one of the North Eastern bend of Kerala.
Gorgeous looking Malayatoor is gathering rest of heaps; tributary and lands, the unadulterated amalgamation of three vocabularies Mala (Mountain) Arr (River) Oore (Place) to visit the holy church one required to mount the peaks.

by: utkarsh kokcha