PilgrimstaysThe roots of St Mark’s Cathedral, Bangalore are strongly military, considering that it was established to cater to British troops stationed at the Cantonment of Bangalore. Soon after the fall of Tippu Sultan in the Battle of Srirangapatna in 1799, the British decided to make Bangalore their headquarters in South India. The salubrious climate that Bangalore provided in that era would no doubt have greatly influenced the decision. Whatever the cause may be, it had the effect of making Europeans descend on the garden city in droves and soon the need for a decent chapel was felt. And so it came to pass that the highest spot of land approximately midway between the Fort and Cantonment barracks was chosen to house the proposed chapel. Work on what was to later become St Mark’s Cathedral commenced in 1808 and was completed in 1811. The formal consecration was held in 1816 at the hands of the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta. Designed primarily to serve as a garrison church it had a relatively small seating capacity of 400 at the time of its opening. It may come as surprise to read what was said about the edifice in its opening years. The Reverend Frank Penny, eminent church historian described it in his book ‘The church in Madras’ , as “…one of the ugliest buildings ever erected, looking for all purposes like a Bryant and May’s matchbox”. The church has been rebuilt many times in the two hundred odd years of its existence, the most memorable instance occurring soon after the 1923 fire which gutted a substantial portion of the Cathedral. Located right in the heart of the most fashionable district of Bangalore, St Mark’s Cathedral is today one of the most prominent landmarks in the area. The majestic bearing with which it carries itself has been compared to the well known St Paul’s Cathedral of London after which it is modelled. Possessing an amalgam of architectural styles mainly on account of successive enhancements at different times in its history, this beautiful colonial-era cathedral has an imposing dome, semi-circular chancel and roman arches. The ornate entrance is inlaid with intricate carvings on the wood work. Both the pulpit and the baptismal font are made from Italian marble of Genoese origin. Beautiful stained glass work based on various biblical themes is on display inside the cathedral. Being birthed as a garrison chapel, it is quite natural that St Mark’s Cathedral, Bangalore has military written all over its stately walls, and quite literally at that. The cathedral has numerous plaques dedicated to British officers and men who lost their lives to a variety of causes in addition to war. In 1907 the 77th Moplah Rifles, an infantry Regiment raised in 1777, was disbanded after an honourable existence of 130 years. A brass plaque to record and commemorate the event was placed by the officers of the Regiment on the west wall of the Cathedral. A memorial plaque is also placed in memory of Lt Col Sir Walter Scott, nephew of the celebrated writer Sir Walter Scott. After Independence, the Anglican Cathedral became a part of the Church of South India. Today it serves as the main Cathedral of the Karnataka Central Diocese of the CSI. Visitors to the Cathedral will be pleasantly uplifted in this oasis of calm, located right in the heart of a bustling megapolis.
The roots of St Mark’s Cathedral, Bangalore are strongly military, considering that it was established to cater to British troops stationed at the Cantonment of Bangalore
Work on what was to later become St Mark’s Cathedral commenced in 1808 and was completed in 1811
The Reverend Frank Penny, eminent church historian described it in his book ‘The church in Madras’ , as “…one of the ugliest buildings ever erected, looking for all purposes like a Bryant and May’s matchbox”
The church has been rebuilt many times in the two hundred odd years of its existence, the most memorable instance occurring soon after the 1923 fire which gutted a substantial portion of the Cathedral
The cathedral has numerous plaques dedicated to British officers and men who lost their lives to a variety of causes in addition to war
The portico, columns, and tower of St Mark's Cathedral — visible from MG Road and set in its tree-lined compound — are among the most recognisable images of colonial Bangalore. The building is both a place of worship and a monument to the British cantonment culture that made Bangalore what it became. The compound, with its mature trees and the sound of the city outside, is a quiet enclosure.
Like all colonial garrison churches, St Mark's is a museum of the British military and administrative presence in south India. The memorial tablets to officers, chaplains, and their families — died of fever, died in battle, died far from home — constitute a detailed social history of the British occupation of the Deccan.
The formation of the Church of South India in 1947 — uniting Anglicans, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians — was the most significant Protestant ecumenical achievement of the 20th century in Asia. St Mark's became a CSI cathedral in 1947 and has maintained the Anglican liturgical tradition within the broader ecumenical framework ever since.
Cubbon Park — 300 acres of formal gardens, mature trees, and walking paths in the heart of Bangalore — was laid out by the British in 1870 and is the green lung of central Bangalore. The cathedral, the park, the High Court, and the Vidhana Soudha constitute the colonial and post-colonial civic landscape of central Bangalore. Walking from the cathedral through the park connects these histories.
The Sunday congregation at St Mark's reflects Bangalore's cosmopolitan character — professionals, academics, students, and long-standing Bangalore families, many of them from the Anglo-Indian community that formed around the cantonment culture. The CSI liturgy, combining Anglican and Protestant traditions, is conducted in English.
St Mark's Cathedral was built for British soldiers and administrators who were very far from home, in a tropical city that killed a significant proportion of them with fever, dysentery, and warfare. They built the church first — before the barracks were finished — because the church was the point of the community. The CSI that inherited the building in 1947 represents a different kind of priority: unity over denominational pride. The year of Indian independence was also the year the denominations stopped competing and became one church. That timing was not accidental.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →The roots of St Mark’s Cathedral, Bangalore, are strongly military, considering that it was established to cater to British troops stationed at the Cantonment of Bangalore.
Soon after the fall of Tippu Sultan in the Battle of Srirangapatna in 1799, the British decided to make Bangalore their headquarters in South India. The salubrious climate that Bangalore provided in that era would no doubt have greatly influenced the decision. Whatever the cause, it had the effect of making Europeans descend on the garden city in droves, and soon the need for a decent chapel was felt. And so it came to pass that the highest spot of land, approximately midway between the Fort and Cantonment barracks, was chosen to house the proposed chapel.
Work on what was to later become St Mark’s Cathedral commenced in 1808 and was completed in 1811. The formal consecration was held in 1816 at the hands of the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta. Designed primarily to serve as a garrison church, it had a relatively small seating capacity of 400 at the time of its opening.
It may come as a surprise to read what was said about the edifice in its opening years. The Reverend Frank Penny, the eminent church historian, described it in his book The Church in Madras as “…one of the ugliest buildings ever erected, looking for all purposes like a Bryant and May’s matchbox”. The church has been rebuilt many times in the two hundred-odd years of its existence, the most memorable instance occurring soon after the 1923 fire which gutted a substantial portion of the cathedral.
Located right in the heart of the most fashionable district of Bangalore, St Mark’s Cathedral is today one of the most prominent landmarks in the area. The majestic bearing with which it carries itself has been compared to the well-known St Paul’s Cathedral of London, after which it is modelled. Possessing an amalgam of architectural styles, mainly on account of successive enhancements at different times in its history, this beautiful colonial-era cathedral has an imposing dome, a semi-circular chancel and Roman arches. The ornate entrance is inlaid with intricate carvings on the woodwork. Both the pulpit and the baptismal font are made from Italian marble of Genoese origin. Beautiful stained glass work based on various biblical themes is on display inside the cathedral.
Being birthed as a garrison chapel, it is quite natural that St Mark’s Cathedral has military written all over its stately walls, and quite literally at that. The cathedral has numerous plaques dedicated to British officers and men who lost their lives to a variety of causes, in addition to war. In 1907 the 77th Moplah Rifles, an infantry regiment raised in 1777, was disbanded after an honourable existence of 130 years. A brass plaque to record and commemorate the event was placed by the officers of the regiment on the west wall of the cathedral. A memorial plaque is also placed in memory of Lt Col Sir Walter Scott, nephew of the celebrated writer Sir Walter Scott.
After Independence, the Anglican cathedral became a part of the Church of South India. Today it serves as the main cathedral of the Karnataka Central Diocese of the CSI. Visitors to the cathedral will be pleasantly uplifted in this oasis of calm, located right in the heart of a bustling megapolis.
