Bells of Shimla’s Christ Church start ringing after 38 years

SHIMLA: A white-christmas may have given a miss to this ‘Queen of hills' once again but the 160-year old Christ Church– a highly popular Shimla landmark of the Britishers' had something new to offer for the citizens especially local Christian community, and on the Christmas eve.

As prayers began at the Church on Tuesday evening, the metallic worships bell, which had fallen silent in 1980-81, started ringing back after 38 years.

The bells always used to be a mandatory part of the Christmas payers and all special services but the 150-year old system installed at the top of the Church had remained operational.

Thanks to local resident Victor Dean, a retired mechanical engineer, who took pains and worked non-stop during past one month to restore these historic jingle bells.

“I really went nostalgic when the chimes ( bells) started ringing back. As a child, we have fond memories of these bells, and mega pipe organ.today, you can see the excitement all around,” said Brazel Dean, who himself plays 120-year old majestic Pipe Organ at the Church.

The town, which was packed to capacity with tourists for past three days, was also in for an added exuberance in the atmosphere when the devotional tunes of the mid-night bells marked the beginning of the prayers.

“Repairing or rather restoring the bells involved lot of hardwork as we had to erect a new wooden scaffolding, fix number of faults, replace some old parts, chimes and hammers. It still will need few corrections to raise the volume so that entire town can listen the melodious devotional sounds,” said Victory Dean.

The cost of the repairs which was approximately Rs 35,000, he said, is nothing if someone looks at the historic importance of the heritage value of those chimes and system. There is memories of Shimlaities connected with the pre-independence bells.

“I can say that many children, born after 1981 may not have any idea about these bells. Old citizens are visiting the Church, after they heard the bells,” he told the

The Christ Church, built in 1857 and located next to the ironic Shimla Ridge, is most visited and photographed site in the north.

One the oldest churches in the North India, which was built to serve the large Anglican British community, is in itself a finest architectural piece in the Neo-gothic style. A Rs 15-crore restoration plan, prepared by the state's tourism department for Christ Church and Catholic Church, located near Army Training Command (ARTRAC) has failed to take off due to internal politics in the Christian community.

Post. Millennium