St. John's church of Kolkata: One of the oldest churches built by the English company!!

Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal was once the capital of the British Empire as ell and the British had built innumerable buildings of beauty and grandeur for administrative purposes, etc., during their glorious days. The historical St.John's church in the prime part of the city is the oldest English structure.

St. John`s Church, Kolkata kevinstandagephotography.
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During the colonial days St. John’s Church, Kolkata was an important place of worship for the Europeans designed by Lieutenant James Agg, a Bengal Engineer, representing English and Greek architecture characterized by tall columns that support the church complex, impressive portico and eye-catching paintings by Johann Zoffany, floor with a rare hue of blue-gray marble stones, brought from the medieval ruins of Gour, and were shipped down the Hooghly River to the site. It was built using a combination of brick and stone on the model of St.Martin-in-the fields of London.

Thanks to the the Maharaja Nabo Kishen Bahadur, the founder of the Shovabazar Raj Family who donated the land for building the the church. The foundation stone was laid by Warren Hastings, the Governor General of India on 6 April 1784.

St. John`s Church, Kolkata, The Victorian Web

The amazing painting here on the walls brings out the Last Supper, with Indian features, a rare one. There are large windows with colored glasses and they appear beautifully when the sunlight passes through them. This church has simple altar and behind it, there is a semi circular dome. Walls of St. John’s Church adorn the memorials of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, James Pattle, Johann Zoffany's paintings, besides numerous plagues of British people - officers and servants.

Interior of St. John's Church, Kolkataen.wikipedia.org

Located at the NW corner of the Governor House (Raj Bhavan) St. John’s Church was built in 1787 and is the third oldest church in Calcutta (Kolkata), the others are the Armenian and the Old Mission Churches. This Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta functioned till 1847 when it was transferred to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The cost of construction then was Rs.30,000.00.