Christ Church,

Shimla Shimla, also known as Simla ( the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...

, is the second oldest church in North

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, after St John's Church in

Meerut Meerut (, ISO 15919, ISO: ''Mēraṭh'') is a city in the western region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located in the Meerut district, it is northeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and is ...

. Worship is conducted in

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

and English. Presently, Rev. Sohan lal is the Presbyter-In-Charge (Priest/ father of Christ Church, The Ridge Shimla.

History

Stamp of India - 2018 - Colnect 805703 - The Ridge in Shimla

Simla was all forest when the first Europeans came to these hills in 1820s. There were two or three dilapidated shepherd's huts and a small "Hanuman temple" situated on the Jakhoo Hill. The Europeans sought permission on the Raia of Keonthal, from whose state much of simla was later carved out, to build residences. Captain (later Major) Charles Kennedy was the Political Agent of the British Government posted in these hill states. He built the first house and the estate known as Kennedy House in late 1820s. Later Lord Amherst, the Governor General came to Simla for a summer trip in the year 1827 and stayed in the Kennedy House. By 1830s about sixty houses were raised for the British s and Simla became a health resort for them. Built in the neo-Gothic style in 1857 to serve the largely

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

community in what was formerly called Simla, Christ Church is situated on The Ridge. It stands out as one of the prominent landmarks of Shimla and its silhouette is visible for many kilometres around the vicinity of Shimla city. Christ Church is one of the enduring legacies of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. Christ Church was designed by

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

J. T. Boileau in 1844, and the cornerstone was laid on 9 September 1844 by Bishop Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta. The church was consecrated on 10 January 1857 by Bishop Thomas Daltrey, Bishop of Madras. The estimated cost of construction at that time was 40,000 to 50,000 Rupees. The clock adorning Christ Church was donated by

Dumbleton in 1860. The porch was added in 1873. A British manufactured pipe-organ was installed in 1899 which was extensively renovated in 1932. On September 11, 1918,

Guy Gibson Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson, (12 August 1918 – 19 September 1944) was a distinguished bomber pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was the first Commanding Officer of No. 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam ...

, leader of

Operation Chastise Operation Chastise, commonly known as the Dambusters Raid, was an attack on Nazi Germany, German dams carried out on the night of 16/17 May 1943 by No. 617 Squadron RAF, 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, later called the Dam Busters, using spe ...

, the famous "Dambusters Raid" of 1943, was christened here. Christ Church survived the 20th-century partition and the subsequent political upheavals on the Indian subcontinent. The first Indian Chaplain of Christ Church Shimla was Rev. B.S. Chander (1948 to 1957). Christ Church continues to be well maintained and is in relatively good condition. The clock's original mechanical mechanism has more recently been replaced with an electrical equivalent. However, currently whilst all 4 faces of the clock remain in synchronization, they rarely reflect the correct time.

Architecture

It is designed in the

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style. The church is lit at night to illuminate it. The church contains five fine stained glass windows. One represents the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Patience, and Humility. The chancel window was designed by Lockwood Kipling (father of

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

). The pipe-organ of Christ Church is the largest in the Indian subcontinent; it was installed in September 1899. Among the church's holdings are a great collection of books and ancient scriptures.

References

Tourist attractions in Shimla Church of North India church buildings Churches in Himachal Pradesh Buildings and structures in Shimla Churches completed in 1857 1857 establishments in India {{commonscat, Christ Church (Shimla) British-era buildings in Himachal Pradesh