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| St. Mary's Madurai, India davidsfrozenmemories.wordpress.com |
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Above image, St Mary's cathedral, Madurai: A fine example of gothic architecture with large arched windows and ribbed vaulted arches that enhance the beauty of the interior, particularly the prayer hall.
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| St. Mary's cathedral Madurai usefultravelarticles.com |
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| St. Mary's maduraiistockphoto.com/ |
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| St. Mary's madurai maduraitourism.co.in |
St. Mary’s Cathedral , also known as the Church of Our Lady of Dolours, is one of the most popular churches not only in Madurai but also in Tamil Nadu. Its architectural grandeur and nicety is so overwhelming, it is a paradise for architects and civil engineers. A visit to Madurai will not be complete if this impressive cathedral is missed. More than 177 years, built with a mix of European , Roman and continental architectural styles, it is on South Veli Street, close to the railway junction - about 2 km.
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More prominent design style is gothic with a series of columns and tall vaulted preciously placed arches with well - decorated stucco molding inside the church that support the curved roof and arched windows and entrances. Spacious aisle in the center and passages on sides allow easy movement of people. The color glass arched windows light the interior during the day. Began as a small Chapel by Fr. Garnier over a piece of land bought in 1840 by Fr. Bertrand SJ, one of the pioneers of Madurai Mission then, to cater to a small community the church was built in 1841 to accommodate more people. Fr. Hibolite sj and Br. Lemothe expanded the church a few times. The expansion included the construction of lofty bell towers.
The present structure was built in 1916 before the establishment of Madurai Diocese in 1938. Earlier on the feast of Our Lady of Seven Dolours in 1912 the foundation was laid. The contraction work on the church got delayed owing to WWI that broke out in Europe and this led to financial constrains. The work was later completed under the direction of Fr. Planchard, sj and Mr. Saverimuthu, the architect. The bells in the bell towers were imported from Europe and installed later. St. Mary's church was up-graded to cathedral in 1969 and it became the seat of the Madurai Roman Catholic Archdiocese.
The two tall bell towers - height 42 meters along with magnificent spines piercing the sky and richly decorated façade not only stand majestically but also dominate the skyline of this part of the city. Obviously, it is a landmark building in this busy street. The church is built with very high ceiling to avoid radiation and heat. Gothic styled big well decorated circular widows allow free flow of fresh air inside the hall.
Christmas is celebrated on a grand scale with midnight mass.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/ringing-in-the-festive-cheer/article30394325.ece
https://maduraitourism.co.in/saint-mary-s-cathedral-madurai
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