PilgrimstaysThe history of St Philomena’s Cathedral, Mysore can be traced back to the defeat in May 1799, of Tippu Sultan at the hands of the British. Following this event, power was restored to the Wodeyars, and the capital of the kingdom moved to Mysore from Srirangapatnam. As a result, many officers and men of the British Army settled down at Mysore and soon the numbers of Christians were growing. Realising the need for a church for his Christian subjects, the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III granted them a small plot of land on the Mysore-Bangalore road for this purpose. An inscription on the church that came up here read: “In the name of that only God- the universal Lord who creates, protects, and reigns over the universe of Light, the mundane world and the assemblage of all created lives – this church is built 1843 years after the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Enlightenment of the World, as man”. This church was constructed by the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III and completed in 1843. It was to be the predecessor of the iconic Mysore landmark, St Philomena’s Cathedral. It should come as no surprise that one of the largest and most impressive churches in the country should have been erected at Mysore. For it was this kingdom, which was considered the most progressive and modern of the princely states of India. The cathedral has twin spires towering to a height of 175 feet each, and draws inspiration from the Cologne Cathedral of Germany and St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. St Philomena, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, was a young Greek princess who was martyred in the 4th century at Rome. It is said she was tortured and beheaded by the Emperor Diocletion, when she refused to marry him and vowed to give herself to God. In 1926, a relic of the Saint was obtained by Sir T Thumboo Chetty, who was the Huzur Secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore, from Peter Pisani, Apostolic Delegate of the East Indies. The relic was handed over to Fr Cochet, who approached the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, for assistance in raising a new church in honour of St Philomena. The foundation stone of the church was laid on 28 October 1933 by the Maharaja during he said “The new church will be strongly and securely built upon a double foundation- divine compassion and the eager gratitude of men”. It is to the credit of the rulers of Mysore who were enlightened in their approach to their subjects and thus brought everlasting glory to themselves for their tolerance. The relic of the Saint is preserved in a crypt beneath the main altar. St Philomena’s Cathedral, Mysore was further immortalised, when the cult 1977 Bollywood classic ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ was shot on location there.
This church was constructed by the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III and completed in 1843
It should come as no surprise that one of the largest and most impressive churches in the country should have been erected at Mysore
St Philomena, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, was a young Greek princess who was martyred in the 4th century at Rome
In 1926, a relic of the Saint was obtained by Sir T Thumboo Chetty, who was the Huzur Secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore, from Peter Pisani, Apostolic Delegate of the East Indies
The relic was handed over to Fr Cochet, who approached the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, for assistance in raising a new church in honour of St Philomena
The twin towers of St Philomena's Cathedral — rising 54 metres above Mysore — are one of the most dramatic architectural statements in Karnataka. Seen from Ashoka Road, the Cologne-inspired facade with its twin towers and central rose window creates a Gothic skyline in a south Indian city. The building declares the ambition of the Catholic community that built it: not a compromise but a complete Gothic cathedral.
The interior of St Philomena's — a long nave, rib-vaulted ceiling, clustered columns, and a programme of stained glass windows — reproduces the atmosphere of a north European Gothic cathedral in tropical Karnataka. The quality of the stained glass — depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the saints — gives the interior a richness of colour that is particularly effective in the bright Karnataka sunlight.
The cathedral has a crypt chapel beneath the main church — one of the few crypt spaces in an Indian cathedral — which contains a reproduction of the grotto at Lourdes and is a space of more intimate devotion. The crypt, with its cave-like atmosphere, is a contrast to the soaring Gothic of the cathedral above.
The view from the approach to the cathedral — with the Mysore Palace visible, the Chamundi Hills on the horizon, and the green of the city around — is one of the most rewarding urban pilgrimage landscapes in Karnataka. Mysore is one of India's most beautiful cities, and the cathedral sits at its centre.
The devotion to St Philomena — the Roman martyr whose cult was removed from the official calendar in 1961 — continues vigorously at the Mysore cathedral. Popular devotion does not wait for liturgical calendar decisions: the saint who helped people is the saint who is remembered. The cathedral's continued vitality is a testimony to the depth of local Catholic devotion.
The Catholic Church removed St Philomena from the liturgical calendar in 1961 because historical scholarship could not verify her existence. The people of Mysore did not remove her from their hearts. The cathedral still bears her name. The feast is still celebrated. The pilgrims still come. This is the gap between official religion and popular religion — between what the institution validates and what the people know from experience. Sometimes the people are wrong. Sometimes the institution is overly cautious. In this case, the cathedral stands as a witness that the people will continue their devotion until the evidence is conclusive either way.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →The history of St Philomena’s Cathedral, Mysore, can be traced back to the defeat of Tippu Sultan at the hands of the British in May 1799.
Following this event, power was restored to the Wodeyars, and the capital of the kingdom was moved to Mysore from Srirangapatnam. As a result, many officers and men of the British Army settled down at Mysore, and soon the numbers of Christians were growing. Realising the need for a church for his Christian subjects, the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III granted them a small plot of land on the Mysore-Bangalore road for this purpose.
An inscription on the church that came up here read: “In the name of that only God — the universal Lord who creates, protects, and reigns over the universe of Light, the mundane world and the assemblage of all created lives — this church is built 1843 years after the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Enlightenment of the World, as man.” This church was constructed by the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III and completed in 1843. It was to be the predecessor of the iconic Mysore landmark, St Philomena’s Cathedral.
It should come as no surprise that one of the largest and most impressive churches in the country should have been erected at Mysore, for it was this kingdom which was considered the most progressive and modern of the princely states of India. The cathedral has twin spires towering to a height of 175 feet each, and draws inspiration from the Cologne Cathedral of Germany and St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
St Philomena, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, was a young Greek princess who was martyred in the 4th century at Rome. It is said she was tortured and beheaded by the Emperor Diocletian when she refused to marry him and vowed to give herself to God. In 1926, a relic of the saint was obtained by Sir T Thumboo Chetty, the Huzur Secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore, from Peter Pisani, Apostolic Delegate of the East Indies. The relic was handed over to Fr Cochet, who approached the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV for assistance in raising a new church in honour of St Philomena.
The foundation stone of the church was laid on 28 October 1933 by the Maharaja, during which he said: “The new church will be strongly and securely built upon a double foundation — divine compassion and the eager gratitude of men.” It is to the credit of the rulers of Mysore, who were enlightened in their approach to their subjects, and thus brought everlasting glory to themselves for their tolerance. The relic of the saint is preserved in a crypt beneath the main altar.
St Philomena’s Cathedral, Mysore, was further immortalised when the cult 1977 Bollywood classic ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ was shot on location there.
