St Johns Church Kolkata
Among the very first few building that East India Company built in the Kolkata, after it became the capital of the British India, is the St. John’s Church. Being originally a cathedral, the St. John’s Church was built from 1784 to 1787 in the north-western side of the Raj Bhawan. The Church was constructed in the pattern of St Martin of London, with a sum of Rs. Thirty Thousand, which was accumulated through a lottery from public. After the Old Mission Church & the Armenian, St. John’s Church has the distinction of being the third ancient Church in Kolkata. St. John’s Church was an Anglican Cathedral of Kolkata up to 1847, when it was given into the aegis of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
History
It was the land contributed by the Shova Bazar Raj Family founder, Nabo Kishen Bahadur, on which the St. John’s Church was built. Warren Hastings, the then India’s Governor General, who laid the foundation stone in 1784. These two important events in the history of the Church are recorded on the marble tablet at the Church’s Entrance.
Architecture
St. John’s Church is popularly known as the ‘Pathura Girja’ (Church made of Stone) in Kolkata due to the fact that it is mainly made up of stones and brick. James Agg was the architect of the Church and the usage of stone as building material at that time was quite unique. The stones were brought from the ruins of Gaur and were transported via river Hoogly. It is a recorded fact in Church that ruins of Gaur were deprived of its stones for the construction of Church.
The spire of the Church with a height of more than 170 feet and holds a clock distinguishes it from the other structures. St. John’s Church consists of a huge structure of square shape in the pattern of typical mid 18th century style.
Inside the Church
St. John’s Church has many unique and exceptional portraits of Canterbury’s archbishops on its walls on inside. There is also a altar, but an extraordinary painting of ‘The Last Supper’ by Johann Zoffani is the main and notable feature inside the Church.
A cemetery is also present inside the Church which holds the graveyard of Job Charnock (founder of Calcutta), Julius Imhoff, Admiral Watson and many more.
Compound Of The Church
The compound of St John's Church holds many memorials and tombs because the land was originally a graveyard. However, these structures date back to almost a little back to the date of the building of Church. Moreover, the Church’s compound also serves as the parking space for the offices nearby.
Job Charnock’s Mausoleum
A trader of East India Company by profession, Job Charnock came to India in 1960. He came to village Sutanati (North Calcutta) and was successful in uniting the three villages of Kolikata, Govindpur and Sutanati to form a combined area known as Calcutta. He did this before he died 2 years after he landed in India.
A tomb was raised by Job’s memorial by Charles Ayer, his son in law. The tomb of Berber–Islamic architecture was built of stones shipped from Madras (Chennai). Charnock’s wife is also buried at the same place with some other luminaries as well.
Black Hole of Calcutta Monument
A very controversial incident in the history of Kolkata is the Black Hole of Calcutta. British version of the incident is that Siraj Ud Daulah during taking hold of Calcutta, held prisoners numbering to 146 in a single room of less than 150 square feet of space. Out of 146, barely 23 prisoners survived the night as rest of them died due to congestion. Governor of Bengal, John Holwell, who was supposedly one of the survivors, has recorded this version and got a memorial built. However, R. C. Mujamdar contradicts this version and it is believed that English residents had run away to Madras, prior to seize.
Charlotte Canning, Countess Canning Memorial
Charlotte was Charles Canning’s wife, India’s Viceroy and Governor General. She died in India in 1861, succumbing to Malaria. Her grave is in Barrackpore and her memorial has been built on the northern side of the graveyard of St. John’s Church. A sweet shop has eternalized her name by naming a sweet after ‘Lady Canning’ as ‘LadyKeni’. Her memorial is a very meticulously designed structure and has made her immortal for ever.
Photo Gallery
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