Chapra Christ Church

Last updated

Chapra Christ Church, commonly known as Chapra Church, is one of the oldest Christian churches in Nadia district of India. [1] It is located in Chapra in the Indian state of West Bengal. The church was established by the Church Missionary Society in the 1830s, with its building being constructed in 1840. It is overseen by the Diocese of Barrackpore of the Church of North India.

Contents

History

Chapra Christ Church Chapra Christ Church in Nadia district of West Bengal 01.jpg
Chapra Christ Church

In the 19th century, Chapra, Nadia was the center of missionary works for the Meherpur subdivision of the undivided Bengal (now West Bengal, India). [2] In the 1830s, the Church Missionary Society of the Church of England began its work in Chapra. [3] The congregation it established built Chapra Christ Church in 1840; the church opened in 1841. [4] [5]

Chapra Christ Church and the Church Missionary Society started a school for boys in 1850. [3] In 1908, the school had 202 students. [3] It is now operated by the Indian government as Hat Chapra King Edward High School. [6] In 1956, the church became part of the newly established Diocese of Barrackpore of the Church of North India. [7]

Chapra Christ Church has coordinated Chapra's Christmas Christian Fair since 1914. [5] The four-day fair blends traditional Christian and Indian traditions and has some 20,000 participants each year. [5] For example, Christian kirtans are composed and performed for each fair, along with traditional Christian prayers. [5] The event also includes a football tournament, craft and food sales, a stick play, and exhibits of crafts and animals. [5]

References

  1. ↑ The Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India. The Survey. 2002.
  2. ↑ Bhattacharya, Aparna (1981). Religious Movements of Bengal and Their Socio-economic Ideas, 1800-1850. Bhattacharya.
  3. 1 2 3 Nadia District Gazetteer (PDF). p. 218. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2018– via Government of Nadia.
  4. ↑ "History of the Protestant Christian Mission and its Activities". Sessional Papers. 65: 436. 1904 – via Google Books.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 ভট্টাচার্য, বিভূতিসুন্দর (23 December 2016). "বাঙালিয়ানায় ভরপুর চাপড়ার খ্রিস্টীয় মেলা" [Christian fair in Chapra filled with Bengali people]. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  6. ↑ "History". Hat Chapra King Edward High School. Archived from the original on 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  7. ↑ "Diocese of Barrackpore". Church Times. No. 4875. 20 July 1956. p. 1. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 21 February 2019 – via UK Press Online archives.

23°31′32.04″N88°33′04.89″E / 23.5255667°N 88.5513583°E / 23.5255667; 88.5513583

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.