Bandel Church

The Bandel Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in West Bengal, India. It is a relic of the Portuguese settlement in Bandel. Built around 1660, it is dedicated to Nossa Senhora di Rozario, Our Lady of the Rosary.

History

Around the middle of the 16th century, the Portuguese began using Bandel as a port. During or around 1571, they were given permission by Akbar, the Mughal emperor, to build a town in Hooghly. As they began settling around the area, their priests began to baptise the natives - by 1598, Catholics in Hooghly numbered around five thousand, including natives and mixed races.

In 1579, the Portuguese built a port on the banks of the Hooghly, as well as a fort, and enlisted the services of a band of Augustinian Friars, then the largest religious body in Goa. The following year, Captain Pedro Tavares obtained the emperor's full permission to preach the Catholic faith publicly, and erect churches. Thus the Bandel Church was constructed in 1599.

This first church was burnt down during the sacking of Hooghly by the Moors in 1632. A newer church, constructed by Gomez de Soto (also spelt John Comes de Soto), was built over the ruin in 1660. The keystone of the older church can still be seen on the eastern gate of the monastery.

Layout

A ship's mast stands in front of the church; it was presented to the church by the captain of a vessel which had encountered a storm in the Bay of Bengal, and its rescue was attributed to Mary. The church has three altars, several tombstones, an organ, and a shrine to Mary.

Oldest church in India

St. Francis Church, in Kochi, Kerala, built in 1503, is the oldest European church in Indiacite web | url = http://www.holidaysinkerala.org.uk/pilgrim-centers/st-francis-kochi.html | title = St. Francis Church | accessdate = 2008-02-21 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Wonderful Kerala] [Ayub, Akber (ed), "Kerala: Maps & More", "Fort Kochi", 2006 edition 2007 reprint, pp. 20-24, Stark World Publishing, Bangalore, ISBN 81-902505-2-3]

St. Thomas built a small church at Palayur, a town now in Thrissur District, Kerala, around 52 AD. The Palayur church still stands at the same site and is considered the oldest church in India. However, the wooden walls of the old church were destroyed with time. In the 17th century Reverend Fenichi enclosed the original church with a new outer building but the original altar consecrated by St. Thomas still remains at this site. [cite web | url = http://www.pitara.com/discover/5wh/online.asp?story=101 | title = Which is the oldest Church in India? | accessdate = 2008-02-23 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = pitara.com]

External links

* [http://hooghly.nic.in/description.htm Hooghly District Official Website]
* [http://www.indiantemplesportal.com/west-bengal/bandel-church.html Bandel Church - India Temples Portal]
* [http://www.tourtravelworld.com/hot_spots/kolkata/bandel/ Tour Travel World]
* [http://www.wbtourism.com/heritage/hooghly.htm#Hooghly West Bengal Tourism - Heritage of Bengal - Hooghly]

References