East Parade Church

Last updated

East Parade Church
East Parade Church, Bangalore
East Parade Church
12°58′26″N77°36′52″E / 12.9739985°N 77.6145577°E / 12.9739985; 77.6145577
Location Bangalore
Country India
Denomination Church of South India
Tradition Wesleyan
History
Former name(s)Wesleyan Mission Chapel, Bangalore
Consecrated 1865
Architecture
Architectural typeClassical Corinthian
Groundbreaking 6 October 1863
Administration
Diocese Karnataka Central Diocese
Clergy
Bishop(s) Rt. Rev. Dr. Prasana Kumar Samuel

The East Parade Church, consecrated in 1865, is located on Mahatma Gandhi Road, in the Bangalore Cantonment. The church comes under the Karnataka Central Diocese of the Church of South India. Started in the early 19th century as the Wesleyan Mission Chapel by Wesleyan believers of the Madras Army with Tamil and English services, the Church now has services in Tamil and Malayalam. The name East Parade comes from its location on the East of the Parade Grounds of the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) regiment. The present church building was raised in 1865, on the site of the old Wesleyan Mission Chapel, with an inscription dated 6 October 1863 marking the laying of the foundation stone. [1] [2]

Contents

Wesleyan Tamil Mission, Bangalore

Wesleyan Church, East Parade (C H Doveton, 1900) Bangalore. Wesleyan Church. East Parade.jpg
Wesleyan Church, East Parade (C H Doveton, 1900)
Bangalore, South India, 1898, Rough Map by Rev. T E Slater of LMS showing the location of the Wesleyan Mission Chapel Bangalore, South India, 1898 - Copy.jpg
Bangalore, South India, 1898, Rough Map by Rev. T E Slater of LMS showing the location of the Wesleyan Mission Chapel

The Wesleyan Tamil Mission in the Bangalore Cantonment was established in 1821. [5] [6] In November 1821, Elijah Hoole of the Wesleyan Mission applied to the Government of Madras for granting permission for starting a school and preaching place for the native population in the Bangalore Cantonment. The land selected had been previously obtained for the same purpose by a member of the Wesleyan Society who had lived temporarily in the Bangalore Cantonment, and had built a mud building with a thatched roof, which was in ruins in 1821. The permission was granted and a small building measuring 30 ft. length and 13 ft. width was constructed under the supervision of Mr. Mowat. [7]

In the early 19th century, the St. Mark's Church was the official Church of England station church of the East India Company for the officers and men of the Madras Army, stationed in the Bangalore Civil and Military Station. The Wesleyan soldiers of the Madras Army stationed in the Bangalore Civil and Military Station wanted their own church, and managed to secure a property for this purpose. A small school was built on this site and Tamil services began in this building. However, in 1822, the Wesleyan Mission was suspended and missionaries Mowat and Hoole were transferred. In 1826, the mission resumed with Rev. J F England taking charge. By this time, the school room had fallen into repairs, and a stable in the Mission compound had to be used as a church. These services were attended by soldiers and some Europeans of the Cantonment. The terms under which the Maharaja of Mysore transferred the Bangalore Civil and Military Station to the Government of Madras was that it be strictly used for military purposes only. Hence, the Madras Government was reluctant to allow building of new churches in the Cantonment. The only other option was to acquire private properties. Due to the time taken those days for journeying between England and India, the approval from the committee in England took more than a year. [8]

Wesleyan Mission Chapel

William Arthur (an Irishman, after whom the William Arthur Memorial Church at Goobie is named after), provides a description of the Wesleyan Mission Chapel, the predecessor of the present East Parade Church (on the same site), located in the Bangalore Civil and Military Station. The Wesleyan Mission Chapel was built in front of the Wesleyan Mission House, and could accommodate nearly 300 people. Located at the heart of the Cantonment, it was raised for the Tamil and the English congregations. The cost of raising the chapel was met by subscription by local Europeans. A native who have received many honours from Lord William Bentinck, Governor General of India, contributed £100 towards raising the chapel. In front of the chapel was a wide esplanade, with trees lined up as an avenue, about a mile long (South Parade, now Mahatma Gandhi Road). The road right of the chapel (Dickenson Road) led to the Madras Army barracks, accommodating a regiment consists of a European cavalry, an infantry regiment and 2 Sepoys. The road in front of the chapel had an spacious English church on one of its ends (St. Mark's Church). At the beginning of the esplanade was the bungalow of General Mark Cubbon, the British Resident of the Kingdom of Mysore.

Further, according to Arthur, there was also a native cavalry regiment bordering a lake (Ulsoor Lake). The atmosphere was martial, with marching army men. This was the European part of Town in the Bangalore Cantonment. The Tamil population of the Cantonment were around the Alasoor (Ulsoor), Chuli (Shoolay), and the Great Bazaar (Shivajinagar). Most of the Tamil People had migrated to find employment with the Europeans. At that time it was nearly 50 years since Mysore fell into British rule, still Mysoreans were rarely recruited by the Europeans, as they preferred to employ the Tamil people and Muslims. The reason being Mysoreans being far away from the coast had very little interaction with foreigners and were shy of connecting with foreigners and maintained an independent outlook. [6] [9]

Architecture

Foundation stone for the present structure was laid on 6 October 1863, and completed in 1865. The church was described as the Wesleyan Cathedral of Bangalore. The building was capable of accommodating 700 people. There are 8 Greek Ionic order columns in the entrance of the church. There are no columns or pillars inside the building, and hence no obstruction to the altar. The church underwent extensive renovation was re-concentrated on 26 February 2006. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bangalore</span> Account of past events in Bengaluru, India

Bangalore is the capital city of the state of Karnataka. Bangalore, as a city, was founded by Kempe Gowda I, who built a mud fort at the site in 1537. But the earliest evidence for the existence of a place called Bangalore dates back to c. 890.

The Bangalore Cantonment (1806–1881) was a military cantonment of the British Raj based in the Indian city of Bangalore. The cantonment covered an area of 13 square miles (34 km2), extending from the Residency on the west to Binnamangala on the east and from the Tanneries on Tannery Road in the north to AGRAM in the south. By area, it was the largest British military cantonment in South India. The British garrison stationed in the cantonment included three artillery batteries, and regiments of the cavalry, infantry, sappers, miners, mounted infantry, supply and transport corps and the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers. The Bangalore Cantonment was directly under the administration of the British Raj, while Bangalore City itself was under the jurisdiction of the Durbar of the Kingdom of Mysore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulsoor</span> Neighbourhood in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Ulsoor, or Halasuru, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city of Bangalore. It is located in central Bangalore, and begins roughly near the eastern terminus of MG Road. It is renowned for its numerous temples and market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore Fort</span> Mud fort

Bangalore Fort began in 1537 as a mud fort. The builder was Kempe Gowda I, a vassal of the Vijaynagar Empire and the founder of Bangalore. Hyder Ali in 1761 replaced the mud fort with a stone fort and it was further improved by his son Tipu Sultan in the late 18th century. It was damaged during an Anglo-Mysore war in 1791. It still remains a good example of 18th-century military fortification. The army of the British East India Company, led by Lord Cornwallis on 21 March 1791 captured the fort in the siege of Bangalore during the Third Mysore War (1790–1792). At the time the fort was a stronghold for Tipu Sultan. Today, the fort's Delhi gate, on Krishnarajendra Road, and two bastions are the primary remains of the fort. A marble plaque commemorates the spot where the British breached fort's wall, leading to its capture. The old fort area also includes Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, and his armoury. The fort has provided the setting for the treasure hunt in the book Riddle of the Seventh Stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengaluru Pete</span> Neighbourhood in Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India

Bengaluru Pete is the area of Bangalore city which was established by Kempegowda I in 1537 with roads laid out in the cardinal directions, and entrance gates at the end of each road. Kempegowda also termed the Pete he built as his "gandu bhoomi" or "Land of Heroes". Pete forms a well–defined body of markets which were associated with various trades and professions of the populace in the locality markets and given the names of trades pursued in such markets. The well known markets are the Tharagupete–market for grains, the Balepete – for Bangles and musical instruments, the Chikkapete and the Nagarthpete for textile trade, the Ballapurpete and the Ganigarapete market where oil is extracted by people of the Ganiga community, the Tigalarapete–flower market of gardeners, the Cubbonpete – textile manufacture by people of the Devanga community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Goodwill</span> British missionary (1874–1969)

Fred Goodwill (1874–1969) was a British missionary stationed in Bangalore, British India, between 1899 and 1924, serving as the superintendent of the Wesleyan Tamil Mission, Bangalore and Kolar Gold Fields. He is acknowledged for working for the cause of education of native women in the Bangalore Cantonment. The Goodwills Girls School located in Fraser Town, Bangalore Cantonment is named after him. He was a scholar of the Tamil Language, and was also fluent in Canarese (Kannada) and Telagu (Telugu). Fred is acknowledged as an authority on Tamil Shaiva Literature, with authors quoting from his research. As one of the founding members of the Mythic Society, his published papers on the history of the Mysore State form the basis of history of the State, as we know it now.

The Karnataka Central Diocese is one of the twenty-two dioceses of the Church of South India covering the central part of Karnataka.

Elijah Hoole (1798–1872) was an English orientalist and Wesleyan Methodist missionary.

Hoysala Nagara, commonly known as Murphy Town is a suburb located near Bangalore Cantonment, India. It is one of the oldest planned suburbs of the Cantonment, and was earlier known as Knoxpet, and was later changed to Murphy Town. It is located North of Ulsoor, with Murphy Road running along its periphery, and is also bounded by Old Madras Road and Kensington Road, with part of Kensington Road overlooking Ulsoor Lake Madras Sappers.

Pulakeshi Nagara, commonly known as Fraser Town, is a suburb of Bangalore Cantonment, in Bangalore North-East, spread over 4 sq. km. It was established in 1906 and is named after Stuart Mitford Fraser (1864–1963), who was the tutor and guardian of Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Maharaja of Mysore. Fraser Town was established to de-congest the growing Bangalore Civil and Military Station. The foundation of Fraser Town was laid in August 1910 by Mrs. F J Richards, with a commemorative plaque on the corner of Coles Road and Mosque Road. Fraser Town is a residential and commercial suburb, the prominent roads being Promenade Road, Netaji Road, Madhavraya Mudaliar Road, Haines Road, Spencer Road, Wheeler Road, Mosque Road, etc. The suburb is known for its communal harmony with Hindus, Muslims and Christians living side by side in peace. Before being known as Fraser Town, the suburb was called Mootocherry by the locals. In 1988, the BBMP renamed Fraser Town as Pulakeshinagar, after Pulakeshin II who ruled the Deccan in the 7th century. However, the name has not caught on and continues to be popularly known as Fraser Town.

Sarvagnanagara, commonly known as Cox Town is a suburb located North in the Bangalore Cantonment, named after the last Collector and District Magistrate of the Bangalore Civil and Military Station, Alexander Ranken Cox, Indian Civil Services. It is one of the suburbs which came out of the plan to de-congest thickly populated areas of the Bangalore Cantonment after the bubonic plague. Agricultural fields were converted for this purpose, and town was planned according to modern hygienic standards, with drainage and conservancy conveniences. Cox Town is bound by the Bangalore-Madras Railway line on the North and East, Wheeler Road in the East and the Ulsoor Polo Ground in the South. It consists of posh localities like Heerachand Layout and other localities like Sindhi Colony, Jeevanahalli, Doddigunta, and roads such as Assaye Road, Charles Campbell Road, Wheeler Road, etc. and is adjoining the suburbs of Fraser Town, Clevland Town and Cooke Town, with easy access to the Bangalore East Railway Station, Ulsoor, Lingarajpuram, Shivaji Nagar. Cox Town is a well planned, posh and preferred suburb in the Bangalore Cantonment, created during the British Raj. The residents of Cox Town follow a liberal 'live a let live'attitude, with suburb still retaining much of its green cover, without excessive commercialisation. In 1988, the BBMP renamed Cox Town as Sarvagnanagar, after a 16th-century saint poet. However, the name has not caught on and continues to be popularly known as Cox Town.

St. Paul's Church is located in the corner of Old Poor House Road, and Bowring Hospital Road, next to the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, Bangalore Cantonment, India. St. Paul's has the distinction of being the very first Tamil Anglican Church in the erstwhile Mysore State. St. Paul's celebrated its 175th anniversary in May 2014. Like most old churches of Bangalore, the congregation of St. Paul's is spread all across Bangalore.

St. John's Church is located in St. John's Hill, Cleveland Town, Bangalore Cantonment, India, in between Promenade Road and St. John's Church Road. The church is the fourth oldest Protestant church in the city, with a distinct red edifice and towering steeple, rising out of the leafy surroundings. The church is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist.

Goodwill's Girls School is located at Promenade Road, Fraser Town, Bangalore Cantonment. Formerly known as the Wesleyan Tamil School, the school was renamed after Rev. Fred Goodwill, a British Missionary and Tamil scholar, who served as the manager of the school, in his capacity as superintendent of the Wesleyan Tamil Mission, Bangalore and Kolar Gold Fields.

The Rice Memorial Church is located in the busy Avenue Road, Bangalore Pete. It is named after Rev. Benjamin Holt Rice, a missionary of the London Missionary Society (LMS), a Canarese scholar and a pioneer of education in the Bangalore Pete region. The Rice Memorial Church stands on a busy street in the midst of temple, dargahs, book shops and heavy traffic, with its colonial British structure appearing to be out of place in the traditional Bangalore market district. The church stands on the site of the London Mission Canarese Chapel built by Rev. Rice, which itself was built on the site of the first Canarese chapel built by William Campbell in 1834. The church is a stone building in the European Classical style, with Tuscan columns, pediments and keystone arch windows. The church building has been demolished and raised at least 3 times, with the current structure consecrated in 1917.

The Hudson Memorial Church is located in the Bangalore Pete, Hudson Circle, surrounded by the Office of the Bangalore Corporation, Ulsoor Gate Police Station, Cubbon Park and Kanteerava Stadium. The church was established in 1904, and is a Kannada CSI church of the Bangalore Diocese. The church has around 4000 registered members and is named after Rev. Josiah Hudson, a missionary, Canarese scholar and educationist who started many Canarese schools in the Bangalore Petah region. The church was earlier known as the Wesleyan Mission Canarese Chapel, and was located in Ganikara Street, Nagarathpet, and moved the current location at Hudson Circle and renamed as Hudson Memorial Church in 1904. The church attracts people of all faiths, who visit the church to seek blessing, especially in Thursdays and Sundays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hodson</span>

Thomas Hodson was a Wesleyan Missionary, who served in India, in the Wesleyan Canarese Mission, at the Bangalore Petah and Gubbi. He helped in running the first Wesleyan Mission Canarese school in the erstwhile Mysore State. Hodson was a linguist and a Kannada scholar, and was also fluent in Tamil and Bengali. He helped in establishing the Wesleyan Canarese Chapel at Nagarthpete in the Bangalore Petah. In 1864, Hodson wrote An Elementary Grammar of the Kannada, or Canarese Language, a treatise on the grammar of the Kannada language.

The United Mission School is located on Mission Road, Bangalore and is managed by the Church of South India. The school offers English medium education and is affiliated to the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board. The school has classes from Year 1 to Year 10. In 1993, the United Mission Degree College was established on the same campus, offering Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Business Management courses, affiliated to the Bangalore University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Arthur Memorial Church, Gubbi</span> Church in Gubbi, India

The William Arthur Memorial Church is located on the Bangalore-Honavar Road at Gubbi Town, about 80 km from Bangalore. The church is painted brick red and built in the Gothic style, being completed in 1904. The church is named after William Arthur, an Irish Wesleyan missionary and Canarese scholar, who served in Gubbi. The present structure replacing the old Gobbee Chapel, built by Thomas Hodson. The church is managed by the Church of South India and comes under the Karnataka Central Diocese

John Garrett was a Wesleyan missionary, who served in India, in the Wesleyan Canarese Mission, at the Bangalore Petah. Garrett was a linguist and a scholar of several languages such as Canarese (Kannada), Sanskrit, Tamil, Persian, German and Latin. Garrett is credited with establishing a printing press, the Wesleyan Mission Press, at Bangalore Petah at around 1841. Garett is also credited with founding the Central High School in 1858, and serving as its first principal, which is now the Central College. Garett also held many designated posts in the Department of Public Instruction, under the Mysore State. His most significant contribution to Kannada literature is said to be the very first translation of the Bhagawat Gita into Kannada in 1846.

References

  1. ↑ Prasad, Soumya (24 December 2014). "12 Historical Churches In Bangalore That Are Perfect For Christmas Mass". Polka Cafe. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 "History: About the East Parade Church". East Parade Church. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Doveton, C H (1900). Picturesque Bangalore. Bombay: The Times Press. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Slater, T E (September 1898). "Our Missionary Districts: Bangalore". The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society (81): 214–216. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Iyer, L Krishna Anantha (1935). The Mysore Tribes and Castles: Volume III. Mittal Publications. p. 63. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 Pani, Narendar; Radhakrishna, Sindhu; Bhat, Kishor G (1 August 2008). Bengaluru, Bangalore, Bengaluru: Imaginations and Their Times. SAGE Publications India. p. 82. ISBN   9788132105435 . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Hoole, Elijah (1844). Madras, Mysore, and the South of India: or, A personal narrative of a mission to those countries, from 1820 to 1828 (PDF) (Second ed.). London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. pp. 166–167. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Findlay, George Gillanders; Holdsworth, William West (1921). The history of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society: Volume 5. London: The Epworth Press. pp.  202–203. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Arthur, William (1850). A Mission To The Mysore With Scenes And Facts Illustrative Of India, Its People And Its Religion. London: Partridge and Oakey. pp.  141–145. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
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.