Gkp’s 200-year-old church a masterpiece of British Architecture
GORAKHPUR: The bright yellow building of the 200-year-old Christ Church, close to the busy Collectorate, in the heart of Gorakhpur city, is a masterpiece of British Architecture. Due to its strong construction, it has rarely seen renovations since its inception in 1820 by then commissioner RM Bird.
While the hall with a seating capacity of 200 people, looks majestic with thick, 22-foot-high pillars standing on each side, 15-foot-high wooden doors on each side, the pews, and pictures of Jesus Christ including a rare Belgium-made glass painting showing Christ carrying children in his arms, adds to the beauty of the Church. The central cylindrical shaped dome with a large cross atop it and a portico attracts visitors. Also, there used to be a big British-era mechanical clock fitted on the front of the dome, which later became dysfunctional and was later replaced with a portrait of Jesus Christ. The two-acre campus with greenery all around and flowering plants makes the Church campus vibrant. The marble plaque inside the Church has an illustration of RM Bird who established it between 1820 and 1830 and Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta and metropolitan of India, who consecrated it on March 1, 1841. The plaque describes the theme of the church as ‘The rich and poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all.’
“The Nawab of Oudh transferred this region to the East India Company in the 18 Century. The British built this church for their military officers and after independence it was opened to common people,” said Rev DR Lal, priest in-charge at the Church. The church is being run by the Church of North India (CNI). The Church is currently witnessing a week-long Christmas celebration programme under the supervision treasurer Dr SK Lawrance and secretary Amar Joy Singh.