Churches are holy shrines of not only Christian community but of all communities. During the British rule in India there were many Churches constructed in the different parts of India where ever British government had it full dominance. In 1661, King Charles II of England received ‘Bombay’ as port of the dowry and he married Princess Catherine de Braganza of Portugal. In 1668 it was handed over to the East India Company. East India Company shortly moved their main holdings from Surat to Bombay. George Oxenden was the first governor of Bombay. As the result of this most of the areas in
Maharashtra had been under the dominance of British rule.
It was during their control that numbers of churches were built in the state of Maharashtra. Given below is the brief description of major Churches in Maharashtra:
The Afghan Church: The Afghan Church,one of the oldest church in Mumbai is located in the Navy Nagar in Colaba area of South Mumbai.The church was established in 1847 AD by British and consecrated 11 years later as a memorial to those who fell in the First Afghan War of 1838.The church is also known as St John The Baptist Memorial, the Evangelist.The building was constructed using locally available buff coloured basalt and a limestone stones. And inside it is known for its wide gothic arches and beautiful stained glass windows.
Cathedral Church of St. Thomas: St. Thomas' Cathedral, the city's first Anglican Church is situated in Veer Nariman Road in Fort area. The foundation stone was laid in 1672 during the governorship of Gerald Aungier, and was opened to the general public on Christmas Day in 1718. The church was however subjected to a number of additions in the later stage. Though simple in structure, the interior of the church has some exquisite art adorations. The church has an imposing bell tower and buttresses and some 19th century stained glass. The inside of the cathedral looks remarkable with its splendid marble.
Mount Marry Church: Mount Marry is Mumbai’s most beautiful Roman Catholic Church and is located in the suburb of Bandra. The church is widely visited by most of the visitors who come during the month of September. During this time, the church celebrates the birth day of Mother Marry. This festival of the Virgin Mother continues for a week, popularly known as “Bandra Feast” where People of all faiths gather at the place to get grace from the divine Mother. The Marathi people refer Mother Marry as “Math Mauli” and believe that if prayers are made faithfully, she fulfills their wishes.
Christ Church Pune: It is considered as one of the most popular church of Maharashtra having the membership of nearly 2000 members. This church was constituted by a missionary from Scotland in 1831. In the early days the prayers took place in the residence of missionary but with the increasing number of followers the place became insufficient to accommodate the large number of people. Thus in 1895 the foundation stone of the present church was laid down.
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary: Located in Goa, it is the first church of Goa which was built in the year 1514. In 1619 it was reconstructed and after Panjim became the capital of the city the bell of the church of Our Lady of Grace in old Goa was shifted to this church in 1841.