St. Stephen's Church, Udhagamandalam. | |
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![]() St. Stephen's Church, Ooty | |
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11°24′53″N76°42′07″E / 11.414687°N 76.702056°E | |
Location | Ooty, Tamil Nadu |
Country | India |
Denomination | Church of South India |
Website | www |
History | |
Founded | 25 January 1830 |
Founder(s) | John Matthias Turner |
Consecrated | 5 Dec 1830 |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | John James Underwood |
Administration | |
Diocese | Coimbatore |
St. Stephen's Church is located on the road to Mysore in Ooty, [1] in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district. [2] [3]
The church dates back to the 19th century. Stephen Rumbold Lushington, the then Governor of Madras, who keenly felt the need for a church in Ooty exclusively for the British, laid the foundation for the church on 23 April 1829, to coincide with the birthday of King George IV. St. Stephen's Church was consecrated by John Matthias Turner, Bishop of Calcutta, on 5 November 1830. It was opened to the public communion on Easter Sunday 3 April 1831. It came under the Church of South India in 1947. [3] The architect in charge was John James Underwood, Captain, Madras Regiment. [4]
The massive main beam and other timber used in the church were taken from Tipu Sultan's palace on the island of Srirangapatna. The material was transported up the Sigur ghat. The architect was Captain J.J. Underwood and the construction cost about Rs 24,000 at the time. The foundation stone was laid in April 1829. A painting depicting the Last Supper is displayed on the wall on the western side, which is situated above panelled doors. The church also features stained glass windows depicting, among other scenes, the crucifixion of Christ and Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms. Instead of the usual bell in the tower, 4 hammer-like structures are tied on inverted-V shaped wooden planks using wires, which when pulled from the floor, produce a musical sound. The church also has a pulpit with a flight of steps to the left of the chancel, a pew with a chancel in a raised position and a vestry.
Ooty, officially known as Udhagamandalam ; abbreviated as Udhagai), is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 86 km (53 mi) north west of Coimbatore and is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district. Located in the Nilgiri Hills, it is known as the "Queen of Hill Stations" and is a popular tourist destination.
The Nilgiris district is one of the 38 districts in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri is the name given to a range of mountains spread across the borders among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The Nilgiri Hills are part of a larger mountain chain known as the Western Ghats. Their highest point is the mountain of Doddabetta, height 2,637 m. The district is contained mainly within the Nilgiri Mountains range. The administrative headquarters is located at Ooty. The district is bounded by Coimbatore to the south, Erode to the east, and Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka and Wayanad district of Kerala to the north. As it is located at the junction of three states, namely, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, significant Malayali and Kannadiga populations reside in the district. Nilgiris district is known for natural mines of Gold, which is also seen in the other parts of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve extended in the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Kerala too.
Kotagiri is a hill station and a taluk in The Nilgiris District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiri hills has been the traditional home of the "kota" tribes. The name ‘Kota-giri’ itself means ‘mountains of the kotas’.Kotagiri was known in the past as “Kota-Keri” or “Kota-gherry” the street of Kotas”. The town has developed around numerous knolls and valleys. It is one of the largest hill station in the Nilgiri Mountains. Located at an average elevation of 1,950 m (6,400 ft), Kotagiri is quietly tucked away in the Nilgiris and used to be one of the summer resort of Madras Presidency. The town was discovered in the year 1819 by John Sullivan when he came to a village called Dhimbatty to the North of Kotagiri. Situated at an elevation of about 6,400 feet, Kotagiri enjoys the third coldest climate next to Ooty and Kodaikanal in South India.
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John Sullivan was the founder of the British settlement at Ootacamund.
Captain Stephen Ponsonby Peacocke was a British officer of the Bombay Army and an artist notable for his 17 paintings of historic landscape views in the Nilgiri Hills in South India. Tinted lithographs were made of these views and published in imperial folio in London by the lithographer Paul Gauci in 1847. Peacocke's lithographs reflect the romantic escape to a temperate hilly area that all British people in the plains yearned for in those days. His career culminated as a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 1866 until his death in 1872.
The Coimbatore Diocese is one of the 24 dioceses of the Anglican Church of South India (CSI).
Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of India located on south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. The state is straddled by Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats to the west and north and the waters of Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea on the other two sides. It is the home of the Tamil people, who speak Tamil language, one of the oldest surviving languages. The capital and largest city is Chennai which is known as the "Gateway to South India". As of 2021, the state is the most visited and has received the most number of tourists amongst all states of India.
Southwick is a suburb in Ooty town. It is located on the NH 67 road from Ooty to Coonoor at about 3 km from the bus stand in Ooty. The suburb falls within the Ooty municipality in Tamil Nadu, India. It has derived its name from the Southwick Bungalow in the suburb.
Green fields is a suburb in Ooty town in the Tamil Nadu state of India. It constitutes ward no. 9 of the Ooty constituency of Tamil Nadu.
Ooty lake is an artificial lake near Ooty in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India. It covers an area of 26 hectares. The boathouse on the lake is a major tourist attraction.
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The Kamaraj Sagar Dam is in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located at a distance of 10 km from the Ooty bus stand. It is a picnic spot and a film shooting spot on the slopes of the Wenlock Downs. The dam's storage capacity is 26.6 million cubic meters(MCM) or 0.94 tmc ft.
Charring cross is a junction in National Highway 67 (India) intersecting the commercial road and the Ooty-Coonoor road in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. It is considered to be one of the most important and beautiful places in Ooty. The important landmark in charring cross is the Gandhi Statue.
Valley View is a tourist spot in Ooty, India. It is located on the Ooty Coonoor road at a distance of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Ooty bus stand and constitutes ward number 5 of the Nilgiris Lok Sabha constituency. It has views over the Ketti valley, and is an important tourist centre in Ooty. Ketti valley is sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Southern India. The valley extends from the Mysore plateau to the Coimbatore plains and is one of the largest valleys in the world.
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