Armenian Church Chennai
Famous Armenian Church in Chennai was built in the year of 1712 and rebuilt in 1772. It is among the ancient churches of the Indian subcontinent. It is well-known for its steeple of six. It is also known as Armenian Church of Virgin Mary andsituatedon the Armenian Street, Parrys in Chennai,South India.
Till 2004, Michael Stephen was the custodian of the Church. The presentcustodian (2010) of the Church is Trevor Alexander.
The Church
Working only as a traditionplace, the Church is unlocked for guests from 9 am till 2:30 pm.
It is finance by the Armenian Apostolic Church and preserved by The Armenian Church Committee in Calcutta.
The momentous of about 350 Armenians shell outall through the Church.
The creator, publisher and supervisor of the world's first Armenian periodical "Azdarar", Preacher Haroutiun Shmavonian, is obscuredat this place.
The Steepleneighboring to the central Church structure abodes six big bells which are ringon each Sunday at 9:30 am through the custodian.
The Armenians were a top quality group of mercantilist in Madras government. They escorted all the way from Armenia, via the Hindukush hills and came off to Madras. While the British were dealing cotton fabric, Armenians treated with excellent silk, luxurious spices and jewels.
Madras should have abided a littlebut blooming Armenian residents. Unhappily, at present there is no one.
Bells
Six moving bells are all of dissimilardimensions, ranging from 21 to 26 inches, and ponder around 150 kg each;they are supposed to be the biggest and weighted bells of Chennai. The bells were shed at diverse times as listed below:
One bell, with Armenian dedicationdates to 1754. This was altered in 1808 and also have Tamil message.
Other bell’s messageshows that it dates to 1778.
Messages on two other bells specify that they were particular to the Church in reminiscence of 19 years Eliazar Shawmier, obscured in the Church’s backyard. Shawmier was the youngest son of a chief Armenian merchant of the Madras (now Chennai) city on whose concealed chapel land the current Church stands.
The lasting two bells date to 1837 and were shed by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, then recognized as Mears & Stainbank, with dedications comprehension "Thomas Mears, Founder, and London".
Photo Gallery
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