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Akbar’s Church” from 1772 with additions in 1835.Archbishop’s house, within the complex has the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (1848) and Akbar’s Church; a large colonial mansion. sarsonkekhet.in |
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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1848).sarsonkekhet.in |
Among the Mogul rulers, Akbar was not only a dynamic and sagacious leader, but also a secular administrator. Built in the late 16th century, it was pulled down in the middle of 17th century and at last rebuilt in 1772. Fittingly it is named after Akbar, considering his secular credentials and his liberal attitude toward people, following other faiths.
The early church was built by the missionaries during the reign of Akbar who allowed them to preach the Gospel of Christ and convert the natives to Christianity. The subsequent demolition of the church points out the fact that the later mogul rulers like Shah Jahan and Aurangazeb were not tolerant towards other faiths. Aurangazeb, in particular, was tyrannical that caused his down fall. The present church, as it stands now, was rebuilt only after the British gained supremacy in this part in the later years of 1761 with the fall of mogul and other Indian rulers.
Standing close to Akbar's church, a new church was built in 1848 to manage the growing congregation during church services. The space was not adequate enough to handle a huge gathering. Further, the christian community also had begun to grow slowly. The large new church complex with imposing building to meet the additional crowds is called the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. It is very much similar to Akbar's church except the altar. The new church has baroque exterior in the front that makes it look majestic. In Wazirpura, the Roman Catholic Complex is a huge colonial site with imposing baroque Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,
St Patrick’s School built earlier in 1843 is in the same complex. Also included in this complex is St. peter's college which is housed in an impressive building that has been around since 1840s. This particular colonial building is characteristic of big ornate porch and arcades.
The Akbar's church is a legacy of Mogul as well as British era and their roller coaster rule over the Indian subcontinent.
Ref:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/ETNEW/ArtWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=ETNEW&BaseHref=ETM%2F2010%2F02%2F23&GZ=T&ViewMode=HTML