Anderson Church | |
---|---|
13°05′19″N80°17′18″E / 13.08861°N 80.28833°E Coordinates: 13°05′19″N80°17′18″E / 13.08861°N 80.28833°E | |
Location | Parry's Corner, Chennai |
Country | India |
Denomination | Protestant |
History | |
Dedication | 1845 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Architectural type | Chapel |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Diocese of Madras of the Church of South India |
Anderson Church is one of the oldest churches in Parry's Corner area of Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original structure was built in 1845 by Anderson as an educational institution. The church is named after Anderson, a Scottish missionary who founded the mission of the Free Church of Scotland at Madras, India.
Anderson Church is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services and follows Protestant sect of Christianity. The church also celebrates Harvest festival every year during the month of November. In modern times, it is under the dominion of Diocese of Madras of the Church of South India. It is one of the most prominent landmarks of Parry's Corner.
The church has an exterior with brick walls, stained glass windows and Chisholm styled dome. The altar houses conventional Methodist images and a prayer hall for the devotees. The plaques of Anderson and Jesus Christ are housed in glass chambers in standing posture on the walls facing the devotees. The college hall, which would go on to become the assembly hall of the church, is plastered with shingles. The church is declared a landmark heritage building by the Tamil Nadu Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). [1] It was also on the Phase I list of Heritage buildings in Chennai under the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). [2]
The church was named after John Anderson (1805–1855), a Scottish missionary who founded the mission of the Free Church of Scotland at Madras, India. He is believed to have established an educational institution in the name of General Assembly School in 1835 at Egmore. It was moved to George Town area in Chennai by 1838 and later went on to become the Free Church of Scotland's central shrine in Chennai in 1845. The Madras Christian College was started at this campus in 1867, initially as a school and later became a college in 1876. The College was later moved to Tambaram in 1937 and only the Church operates from the campus. [3] [4] The Chapel was originally called College Chapel, but later came to be known as Anderson Church, after the death of Anderson. [5]
The priests in the church were originally only English, but during modern times, Tamil people were also allowed. In modern times, the Church is administered by the Diocese of Madras of the Church of South India. Service is performed in the church from Monday to Friday on 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays. The festival of the temple is celebrated during the Christmas times for eight days, starting with flag hoisting on 24 December and ending with a feast and religious lectures on 2 January. The 150th anniversary of the church was celebrated on 3 March 2009 when special prayers and lectures were delivered. [1]
Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The state's largest city in area and population as well, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, and is the most prominent cultural, economic and educational centre of South India.
Fort St. George is the first English fortress in India, founded in 1639 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land. Thus, it is a feasible contention to say that the city evolved around the fortress. The fort currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official buildings.
Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institution from its main campus in Tambaram, Chennai.
Subbiah Muthiah,, was an Indian writer, journalist, cartographer, amateur historian and heritage activist known for his writings on the political and cultural history of Chennai city. He was the founder of the fortnightly newspaper Madras Musings and the principal organizer of the annual Madras Day celebrations. Muthiah was also the founder-President of the Madras Book Club.
Madras Day is a festival organised to commemorate the founding of the city of Madras in Tamil Nadu, India. It is celebrated on 22 August every year, 22 August 1639 being the widely agreed date for the purchase of the village of Madraspatnam or Chennapatnam by East India Company factors Andrew Cogan and Francis Day from Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka, the viceroy of the Vijayanagar Empire.
The Greater Chennai Metropolitan Area, or simply the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in India, the 22nd-most in Asia, and the 40th-most in the world. The CMA consists of the core city of Chennai, which is coterminous with the Chennai district, and its suburbs in Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, and Thiruvallur districts. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is the nodal agency that handles town planning and development within the metro area. Since 1974, an area encompassing 1,189 km2 around the city has been designated as the CMA and the CMDA has been designated as the authority to plan the growth of the city and the area around it.
The Diocese of Medak is one of the prominent Dioceses in the Church of South India, a Protestant Uniting Church with its headquarters in Medak comprising nearly 200 Presbyters ministering to Telugu, Lambadi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindustani, English and other linguistic groups numbering nearly 1/3rds of a million spread over 105 pastorates and administered through 3 District Church Councils (DCC), namely, the Town DCC, the Medak DCC and the Godavari DCC geographically located in the erstwhile civil districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Mahboobnagar in Telangana.
George Town is a neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is near the Fort Saint George, Chennai. It is also known as Muthialpet and Parry's corner. It is an historical area of Chennai city from where its expansion began in the 1640s. It extends from the Bay of Bengal in the east to Park town on the west. The Fort St. George is on the south, to Royapuram in the north. The Fort St. George houses the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat. The High court of Tamil Nadu at Chennai, Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Stanley Medical College and Hospital are located here.
MCC Higher Secondary School is located in Chetpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1835 and has a long, and illustrious history, including having produced many citizens of note. It is also known for its large campus in the center of the city, with large playgrounds, verdant gardens, and various facilities.
Raja Sir Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar was an Indian banker, politician, philanthropist, socialite and cultural activist who served as Mayor of Madras city (1933) and Minister of Excise and Education (1936–37) in the provincial government of Madras Presidency. He was holder of the hereditary title Kumar-rajah (1929–48) and later, Raja of Chettinad (1948–84).
Kachchaleswarar Temple, also known as the Great Kachali Pagoda, is a Hindu temple located in Armenian Street, in the neighbourhood of Parry's corner in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed on land belonging to dubash Kalavai Chetty in 1725, the temple belonged to the left-hand castes and was the site of the first major conflict between left and right-handed castes in the then Madras city.
This is a timeline of major events in the history of Chennai.
Chennai, with historically rich records dating at least from the time of the Pallavas, houses 2,467 heritage buildings within its metropolitan area (CMA), the highest within any Metropolitan Area limit in India. Most of these buildings are around 200 years old and older. Some of them are Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Ripon Building, Senate House, Bharat Insurance Building, and so forth. Chennai is home to the second largest collection of heritage buildings in the country, after Kolkata. The official list of heritage buildings was compiled by the Justice E. Padmanabhan committee. The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the Heritage Commission Act in 2012 to preserve old heritage structures.
Wesley Church is one of the oldest churches in Egmore area of Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original structure was built in Gothic architecture in 1905 by Wesleyan Mission. It was constructed at Egmore considering the growing needs of it in the area around Egmore. The church is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodist Movement in 140 countries.
St. Thomas Garrison Church is one of the oldest churches in the St. Thomas Mount area of Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Church was built by the British government at the request of the army officers in the area in 1830. The church was constructed with bomb-proof roof and rust-proof iron railings, and most of the materials for the construction were imported from Britain. It is located in the foothills of St. Thomas Mount and named after St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles who resided at the place during his final years.
Triplicane Big Mosque is a mosque located in Triplicane High Road, Triplicane in Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Mughal architectural style, the mosque was built in 1795 by the family of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, the Nawab of Arcot during 1765. It has a large prayer hall, a tank and a large ground in front. The entire structure is constructed with granite without the use of iron or wood.
CSI-Garrison Wesley Church located in Trimulgherry is among the oldest churches in Secunderabad under the auspices of the Protestant Church of South India (CSI) within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Medak. Situated in Lal Bazar civilian area of the Secunderabad Cantonment, the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church is in near vicinity of the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), and the church has continued to attract not only its regular worshipers but also the new visitors from the nearby military stations of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force through its regular Sunday Mass as well as its annual Good Friday, Easter and Christmas programmes.
Zion Church is one of the oldest churches in Chintadripet area of Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original structure was built in Gothic architecture in 1847 by US missionaries. The church is the oldest church built by US missionaries in Chennai. The church also has the second oldest bell in the city.
Royapettah is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India.