Fact File
» Cost - Rs. 5.00 Lakhs
» Timing - 9.00 A.M. To Noon and 3.00 P.M. to 6.00 P.M.
» Timing on Sunday - 7.30 A.M., 8.30 A.M. & 6.00
P.M.
Location
Standing at the southern end of the Maidan and just to the east of
Victoria Memorial is the St. Paul's Cathedral of Kolkata.
About St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral was the first 'Episcopal Cathedral Church' in
an oriental country. Bishop Wilson patronized the construction of
this church which was designed after Indo-Gothic pattern at a cost
of Rs. 5 lakhs. The foundation stone was laid in 1839. Major Forbes
of the Bengal Engineers' Association made the blueprint. It was
completed in 1847. A massive earthquake led to the collapse of this
tower. It was renovated but in another earthquake of 1934, it was
adversely affected again.
St. Paul's Cathedral has many well-preserved memorials, one of
which is a stained glass panel of the west window, designed by Sir
Edward Burne-Jones in 1880 to honour Lord Mayo assassinated in the
Andaman Islands.
Architecture
The main cathedral hall is large, with beautifully carved wooden
pews and chairs along with the stained glass window to the west, the
intricate coloured artwork covering the eastern walls, the two
marvellous Florentine frescoes. The church is 247 ft. in length and
81 ft. in width and the tower is 201 ft. high. The Cathedral is set
within huge grounds with several ancient trees. There is a small
meditation spot on the grounds, set up recently in collaboration
with distinguished citizens of Tagore's Shantiniketan. The interim
of the church is a feast for the eyes, with excellent floral designs
on the walls. Beautiful architecture and exquisite mural painting
captivates the beholder. The life and work of St. Paul is vividly
described in pictures. Bishop Wilson lies in his eternal slumber in
a coffin inside an underground chamber. The commission plate
conferred on him by Queen Victoria is still exhibited here. The
ambience of the church is very soothing and tranquil.
Nearby Attraction
Victory Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Nehru Children's Museum,
Rabindra Sadan, Race Course and Academy of Fine Arts are very close
to St. Paul's Cathedral.
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