Moti Masjid, Mehrauli, Delhi

“The Urs of Khuld Manzil (Bahadur Shah I) is celebrated on the 23rd day of Muharram-ul-Ihram. His grave is situated beside the grave of Hazrat Qutb-ul-Aqtab (Hazrat Bakhtiyar Kaki). His Begum, Mihr Parwar, with the help of Hayat Khan Nazir, starts the arrangements for the decoration of lamps [at the grave] a month in advance. Chandeliers of all kinds are hung and the artisans from the royal house come and give the lamps the shape of tree which when lighted put to shame both the Cyprus and the boxwood trees. When the place is fully lighted, it dazzles like sunlight and overshadows the moon. The sun realizing its unimportance sets and does not show its face before dawn. The towers of lamps throw lights as high as the sky. The bungalows in every lane shine as bright as the Valley of Tur.

Hand in hand, the lovers roam the streets while the debauched and the drunken, unmindful of the mushatsib (police officers), revel in all kinds of perversities. Groups of winsome lads and novices violate the faith of the believers through their unappreciated acts which are sufficient to shake the very roots of piety. There are beautiful faces as far as the eye can see. All around prevails a world of impiety and immorality in different hues. The whores and lads entice more and more people to this atmosphere of lasciviousness. Nobles can be seen in every nook and corner, while the singers, qawwals, and beggars outnumber even the flies and the mosquitoes. In short, both the nobles and the plebeians quench the thirst of their lust here. But however, it is in one’s welfare and prudence to ignore these immodesties” 

– Dargah Quli Khan, "Muraqqa-i-Dehli"

Pearlesque - Shah Alam Bahadur Shah I's Moti Masjid

Prompted by the requirement to impress upon his subjects, through the patronization of majestic architecture, his assertion of power and rule, but reined in by the depleting financial reserves that were a legacy of the numerous territorial wars initiated by his father in the flanking regions of his empire, the authoritative Mughal Emperor Shah Alam Bahadur Shah I conceived and commissioned in Mehrauli a beautiful little white marble mosque closely modeled on his father’s private mosque within the breathtaking Red Fort palace – both regal mosques were christened “Moti Masjid” (“Pearl Mosque”) due to the shimmering pearlesque marble ornamentation, but the choice of nomenclature significantly helped underline the continuation of the regal lineage and influential spiritual authority. The selection of location was also natural – his predecessors were devotees of the venerable saint Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer (Rajasthan) but Bahadur Shah I couldn’t pay obeisance to the former’s hallowed tomb because of fierce political disturbances in different parts of his vast territory and also because the area between Delhi and Rajasthan was being gradually subjugated and controlled by terrible Jat brigands – the sacred dargah (tomb complex) of Hazrat Chishti’s spiritual successor, Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, was the obvious alternative for regal pilgrimages that were meant to be the means of establishing his political and religious sovereignty (refer Pixelated Memories - Hazrat Bakhtiyar Kaki's Dargah). The private mosque, situated immediately next to one of the entrances of the dargah complex, is seated on a high platform and consists of a single large chamber accessed through three arched entrances (but the staircase for the central entrance is missing). The rectangular chamber is surmounted by three bulbous onion domes which are further outlined by well-defined floral finials – the strikingly flawless curves of the domes and the neat beauty of the finials testimony the unparalleled skill of the craftsmen who chiseled the marble in such striking manner so as to give even this small structure a regal touch.

Domes and towers - View from the terrace of the adjacent Zafar Mahal palace. The three pink-white onion domes are of the mosque while the larger dome surmounted by the golden finial is the tomb of Hazrat Kaki. The massive tower in the background is also part of the dargah complex.

The central entrance is set in a larger rectangular embossment projecting from the mosque’s front façade and flanked on either side by a slender pillar that appears to have been neatly severed near the top. Two additional wings, also composed entirely of marble, exist on either side of the mosque and rectangular entrances mark their presence on the exterior, but inside these are in continuation with the prayer chamber and the only feature distinguishing them is that the connecting wall is pierced by rectangular openings instead of the cusped arched openings that connect the rest of the prayer chamber to its segments. The ornamentation, both on the outside and inside, is elegantly minimal – in fact the only embossment seen on the entire exterior surface is in the form of small marble flowers marking the apex of each of the entrance arches. A line of kanguras (battlement-like ornamentation), dexterously sculpted and defined as fine adornment, runs along the roof but appears to be broken in certain places, either by preference or as a result of later damage cannot be judged. The marble interiors of the domes are chiseled to imitate floral medallions encompassing the entire concave surface and supported by numerous ornamental inverted triangular brackets while the floor is uniformly lined with extremely thin black marble strips to generate a pleasingly ornamental pattern of numerous rectangular prayer mat outlines. Two massive and extremely thick columns emerge from the corners of the enclosure at the junction of the mosque compound and the dargah complex and lend a solid, masculine character to the otherwise fine yet dwarfish mosque; one of these colossal columns is anchored to the crumbling rubble walls and has to be perpetually supported by external scaffoldings to prevent it from collapsing. Fixed below a line of elaborately sculpted inverted floral motifs in the walls of the enclosure surrounding the mosque are rusted iron rings that must have once supported the luxurious red awnings with their gold and silver brocades while the emperor was present at the mosque. 

Minimalistic! - Closer view at the decorative and architectural features of the mosque exteriors

Considering the sanctity accorded to the hallowed vicinity of Hazrat Kaki’s dargah, when Bahadur Shah I passed away at the end of his short and tempestuous five-year reign (1707-12 AD), he was buried by his wife Bibi Mihr Parwar in a graceful white marble tomb open to the sky (“muhajjar”) immediately adjacent the mosque. The muhajjar is located within the premises of Zafar Mahal (subject of a later post) on a considerably higher land segment such that its top is just slightly lower than the mosque’s roof – a few steps away from the muhajjar, an arched entrance leading to a short narrow staircase provides access to the mosque enclosure. The construction of the exquisite muhajjar was guided by financial reasons as well as the religious belief that graves should be exposed to rain and dew as a mark of humility towards the creator. Seated on a slight platform, the rectangular tomb is enclosed by marble panels and intricate lattice screens (“jaali”) and adorned with ornamental fluted columns depicted emerging from lotus flowers and culminating into acanthus flower motifs. Also buried adjacent to Bahadur Shah I in the same muhajjar were later Emperors Shah Alam II (ruled AD 1759-1806) and Akbar Shah II (ruled AD 1806-37). The brothers Rafi-ud-Darjat (ruled February-June 1719) and Rafi-ud-Daulah (ruled June-September 1719) were also laid to eternal rest just outside the muhajjar along one of its shorter sides – though their nominal reigns were brief and unheralded, they were accorded the honor on account of their being supported by the powerful nobility.

Regal cemetery - The rectangular enclosure where several members of the Mughal royal family are interred

Bahadur Shah II “Zafar”, the last Mughal Emperor (ruled AD 1837-57) also wished to be buried within the prestigious muhajjar and even earmarked a patch of grassy tract as his final resting place but his desire was never fulfilled since the British East India “trading” Company arrested and exiled him to Myanmar following the 1857 War of Independence/Sepoy Mutiny of which he was the proclaimed leader-instigator. Zafar was left lamenting his situation thus –

“Lagta nahin hai jee mera ujare dayar mein, Kiski bani hai alam-e-na paayedar mein

Bulbul ko paasbaan se na saiyyad se gila, Qismat mein kaid likhi thi fasal-e-bahar mein

Keh do in hassraton se kahin or ja basen, Itni jagah kahan hai dil-e-daghdar mein

Ik shaakh-i-gul pe baith ke bulbul hai shadmaan, Kaante bicha diye hai dil-e-laalazaar mein

Umar-e-daraz maang ke laye the char din, Do aarzu mein kat gye do intezaar me

Din zindagi ke khatam hue sham ho gyi, Faila ke paon soyenge kunj-e-mazaar me 

Kitna hi badnaseeb hai Zafar, dafan ke liye, Do gaz zameen bhi na mili ku-e-yaar mein”

(“I am lonely in the city, barren and dead, But who has prospered in this transitory world?

The nightingale complains about neither the guardian nor the hunter,

Fate had decreed imprisonment during the harvest of spring

Tell these longings to go dwell elsewhere, What space is there for them in this besmirched heart?

Sitting on a branch of flowers the nightingale rejoices, It has strewn thorns in the garden of my heart

A long life I besought, received four days, Two passed in desire, two in waiting.

Life comes to an end, dusk approaches, I shall sleep, legs outstretched, in my tomb

How wretched is Zafar! For his burial not even two yards of land were to be had in the land of his beloved.”)

Mosque interiors

As mentioned in the “Muraqqa-e-Dehli”, Bahadur Shah I’s “Urs” (death anniversary of revered Sufi saints – many of the later Emperors were well-versed with Sufi philosophy and accepted spiritual disciples) used to be celebrated with much grandeur and festivities till the advent of British colonial rule. Bahadur Shah II’s Urs is still celebrated in Myanmar, though at a very subdued scale.

Location: Adjacent to Hazrat Kaki's dargah, Mehrauli
Nearest Metro Station: Qutb Minar
Nearest Bus stop: Mehrauli Terminal
How to reach: Walk from the bus terminal to the dargah complex (approx. 10 min away) or take an auto from Qutb Minar/Saket metro stations (charges approx Rs 40). The mosque is located towards the back of the complex but is accessible only from within the adjacent palace Zafar Mahal located besides it.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 20 min
Advisory: Since the dargah complex and the mosque are religious shrines, it is advisable to be properly dressed, especially for women. Both men and women visitors are required to cover their heads with handkerchiefs/skullcaps/dupattas.
Relevant Links -

1. Pixelated Memories - Hazrat Bakhtiyar Kaki's Dargah
2. Pixelated Memories - Red Fort

Suggested reading - 

1. Jhss.org - Article "Imperial architecture in the later Mughal period: Consideration of site" by Savita Kumari

Raj Bhavan, Calcutta

The gubernatorial house of Bengal, Raj Bhavan (“Regal House”), is an essential stop on the itinerary of any heritage enthusiast on a sightseeing tour of the historic British-built BBD Bagh Area (formerly Dalhousie Square) despite being out of bounds for visitors. Strewn with history from the colonial past with Gothic and Victorian edifices, beautiful churches, ancient cemeteries and impressive English buildings complete with exquisitely sculpted Corinthian pillars, ornamental statues, imposing facades and splendid interiors, BBD Bagh is one of the most renowned and endearing heritage zones in the city of Calcutta. As its centerpiece, the skillfully designed and laboriously executed enclave has the residences of the mighty – Raj Bhavan and Writers’ Building (office of the Chief Minister of Bengal, refer – Pixelated Memories - Writers' Building). By the numerous police officers on duty around Raj Bhavan, one is only granted permission to click the lovely cream-yellow facade from the streets afar and from the massive gateway if one happens to be unyieldingly adamant, like yours truly (unlike the superbly visitor-unfriendly Writers’ Building where photography is prohibited even from afar!) and hence one has to rely on old photographs and satellite imagery to achieve an idea of what the Governor’s residence is actually like. The largest and unequivocally the most highly adorned residence of a state head after the President’s House in Delhi (refer Pixelated Memories - Presidential House, New Delhi), the Raj Bhavan sits snugly in a colossal green space measuring 27 acres in the heart of the city and consists of a central domed rectangular core from which emerge four annexes connected to the core by quadrangular curved sections – the dome is not visible from the primary (northern) gateway since the raised triangular facade of the structure supported on six Doric pillars impedes the view from this particular side, however one can observe the giant semi-circular dome from the southern gateway.

The Raj Bhavan. At the bottom of the staircase is a Chinese canon brought by the armed forces following the First Opium War.

Though there are masonry gates along all four sides of the vast lawns housing the palatial building, only the northern gateway has been envisaged as a grand, though simplistic, structure with an ornamental iron gate complementing the thick marble pillars crowned by decorative marble vases; the rest of the gateways possess cement-finished terracotta/brick sculptures of lions (atop central (largest) arch) and sphinxes (atop the smaller side arches) but simply fail to hold a candle to the northern gateway, probably because the statues are undoubtedly unrealistic or because despite their decorative appearance and much adorned surfaces, they are unremittingly not as grand as the intention behind their conceiving might have been. The present form and composition of the statues was arrived upon after much experimentation that continued for over a decade! Photographs depict how luxuriously regal the structure is from within and since I haven’t been inside (but would love to!) I am sharing photographs from the official website to display the same. On the north side, an enormously long gravel-lined walkway flanked by palm and other trees leads to a wide flight of stairs following which the building’s interiors can be accessed. At the bottom of the staircase rests a beautifully decorated Chinese cannon mounted on a winged dragon and brought to India in the year 1842. A plaque fitted on the cannon's plinth reads "Edward Lord Ellen borough, Governor General of India in Council, erected this trophy of guns taken from the Chinese, in commemoration of the peace dictated under the walls of Nan kin by the Naval and Military forces of England and India under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker and of Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Gough (1842).", thereby commemorating the victory over the Chinese in the highly unethical First Anglo-Chinese Opium War that broke out as a result of the Chinese emperor’s opposition and punishment with regard to the pushing of massive quantities of illegal opiates into his country but was largely motivated by the British frustration at the Chinese trade framework which limited their influence in the region. The seal of Indian sovereignty – the Ashokan lions mounted on their pedestal and underlined by the national quote “Satyamev Jayate” (“Truth alone triumphs”) – can be seen embossed in gold on the northern gateway as well as the triangular pediment of the main structure – these replace the British coat of arms that once made up the insignia defining the Viceregal lodge, as noted by the renowned painters Thomas and William Daniells –

“Contiguous to the Esplanade is the Government House, a superb edifice, approached by four colossal gates emblazoned with the Britannic Arms” 

As witnessed from vintage photographs, the coat of arms belonged to the British government and the East India Co. (these were later removed in favor of the former) and featured on the triangular pediment as well was emblazoned on the front face of each annex. 

The simplistic yet marvelous northern gate. Notice the Indian administrative insignia emblazoned in gold on the gates.

Completed in 1803 after four years of laborious construction work, the grand building, then referred to as “Government House”, was a brainchild of Lord Wellesley, the then Governor-General of the British East India “trading” Company (which incidentally also owned vast territories and commanded a very powerful army). Prior to the construction of this splendid structure, the Governor-General used to reside in a rented country house that stood at this very spot and was owned by Mohammed Reza Khan, the Nawab (revenue collector/”Zamindar”) of Chitpur but was found to be unfit for regal residence by the Governor-General. Embarrassingly, though Lord Wellesley has been credited with gifting one of the most elegant colonial buildings to Calcutta, he was soon charged with misuse of Company funds for construction and furnishing of this extremely expensive structure and was recalled to England in 1805. Considered to be amongst the finest European architectural legacies in the subcontinent, the structure was designed by Captain Charles Wyatt and inspired by the Kedleston Hall of England (the ancestral residence of Lord Curzon, a later Governor-General and occupant of the Government House). It, however, differs from Kedleston Hall in several key aspects – the latter features only two annexes curving along its front instead of the four elegant pavilions curving symmetrically along each corner of the central building as observed in the former; nor does Kedleston Hall boast of a fusion of several architectural influences like spacious verandahs and colonnaded hallways.

Warm and regal - The Throne Room within the gubernatorial house (Photo courtesy - Rajbhavankolkata.nic.in)

The Neoclassical Raj Bhavan building has since housed numerous Governor-Generals, (following the transfer of governance from East India Co. to the Govt. of Britain in 1858) Viceroys, (following the transfer of British administration to Delhi in 1911) Lieutenant-Governors of the territory of Bengal and (following independence) Governors of the state of Bengal – it was only natural that several changes would have to be made to the structure to accommodate the requirements of these illustrious personalities while also modifying it to keep pace with technological and structural developments – thus somewhere around 1805 the metallic dome was added – it used to be surmounted by a sculpture of a female deity holding a spear and shield but it was removed to avoid lightning strikes – the dome has since been repaired and replaced several times, Lord Curzon had a small electric lift installed within even though the building only possesses three floors with a total of sixty regally furnished and tastefully decorated rooms; he also added the ornamental vases, each of which is over six feet tall (a fact not apparent from the gateways!), marking the roof and modified the color scheme from pale yellow to dazzling white, though at present yellow seems to be back in favor (I must point out that in comparison the new supposedly “gentle and soothing” blue and white color scheme being enforced in the entire city by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) dispensation appears to be a highly garish eyesore, nowhere more apparent than in the elitist, elegant and warm BBD Bagh area). Several more cannons and guns were added as trophies around the main structure as the British established administrative and military control over new territories – Sindh (Pakistan), Mesopotamia (Iran), Punjab (India-Pakistan), Mandalay (Myanmar), Kabul (Afghanistan), Seringapatnam (capital of Tipu Sultan's kingdom at Mysore, from where comes the Governor-General's stunning throne) – I wish public entry to the complex was allowed if only to view these historic artifacts. A lesser proportioned “Garden House” was added in the huge lawns in 1977 when T.N. Singh, the then Governor, expressed unwillingness to stay in the main building citing its massiveness and opulent character. The most prominent of the recent Governors of Bengal, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, a forthright and extremely brilliant writer-columnist whose articles and essays I adore, had several environmental measures taken up in the complex, including solar panels and rain water harvesting systems.

An aerial view depicting the central core topped by the metallic dome, the triangular facade supported by the six Doric pillars and the four annexes (Photo courtesy - Panoramio.com/sandipanoramio)

The richly decorated offices and the lavish residential quarters are accommodated in the four annexes; the complex also maintains, in a corner of its lawns, a small cemetery dedicated to the gubernatorial pets that deceased during the tenure. Besides a “Throne Room” (where once princes and visiting dignitaries were received but today the Governors are administered oath of office), the structure also boasts of several huge and colonnaded banquet halls, visitor rooms and conference chambers, each of which is lined with precious artifacts and magnificent paintings besides rich carpets, comfortable seating arrangement, luxurious chandeliers and expensive wooden furniture thereby completing the lavish royal appearance deserved by the Governor (based on the photographs available on the official Raj Bhavan website, see site link at the end of this post). Of course, one can argue that such extravagant show of splendor and affluence is sick and demoralizing in a poor state such as Bengal where the government makes headway in providing the most basic civic amenities only after receiving millions of rupees worth bailout packages from the central government, but – one, the (nominal) head of the state needs an exclusive, lavish residence in accordance with her/his position, and two, duh, people aren’t after all allowed within the massive structure! (except occasionally, like the recent much written about, open invitation to visitors by then Governor M.K. Narayanan). 

Lavishly luxurious - One of the several drawing rooms (Photo courtesy - Rajbhavankolkata.nic.in)

It is interesting to note that while the British no longer run the country and the Governor is only the titular head of a state with the actual legislative power resting with the Chief Minister, the landmark gubernatorial houses in every state are still referred to as “Raj Bhavan” or “Government House” – definitely a colonial legacy in nomenclature which has been adopted to modern vernacular utilization. The Raj Bhavan at Calcutta has been the site from where some of the foremost personalities of their time legislated over the entire country and several eminent Governors managed affairs of Bengal; it is also the site for the undertaking of several key projects and signing of several important treaties and orders. The majestic structure proved to be a pinnacle of European construction in the magnificent city and has undoubtedly been paid a grand tribute by Lord Curzon (who happened to be a discerning visitor and pro-conservation administrator of several endearing historic structures throughout the subcontinent) through his words – 

“(It is) without doubt the finest Government House occupied by the representative of any Sovereign or Government in the world.” 

Flamboyant! (Photo courtesy - Flickr.com/Chiradeep Mukhopadhyay)

Location: BBD Bagh Area (formerly Dalhousie Square)
Nearest Bus stop: Esplanade
Nearest Metro station: Esplanade
How to reach: Buses and metro can be availed from different parts of the city to Esplanade from where one can walk/take a taxi to Raj Bhavan. One can also take a taxi from any part of the city to Raj Bhavan/BBD Bagh.
Entrance fees: Nil, but visitor entry strictly disallowed without prior written permission from the authorities or appointment with the Governor.
Photography/Video charges: Nil from the outside. Again, prohibited within the complex.
Time required for sightseeing: 20 min
Relevant Links – 

1. Pixelated Memories - Presidential House, New Delhi
2. Pixelated Memories - Writers' Building

Suggested Reading –

1. Kolkataonwheelsmagazine.com - Raj Bhawan: A Magical Palace
2. Rajbhavankolkata.nic.in - Official website of Raj Bhavan, Calcutta/Kolkata
3. Telegraphindia.com - Article "Raj Bhavan welcomes with ‘na... na’; Cops know not you are invited" (dated Feb 12, 2013) by Subhajoy Roy
4. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Raj Bhavan resurrects Empire's lost insigni" (dated Masr 10, 2012) by Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey
5. Victorianweb.org - The Raj Bhavan (Government House), Kolkata, India
6. Wikipedia.org - First Opium War (1839-42)
7. Wikipedia.org - Kedleston Hall

St. Andrew's Church, Calcutta

Boasting of an interesting tale behind its construction with simple yet quirky architecture for company, St. Andrew’s Church is perhaps amongst the least known of the heritage structures in Calcutta despite its prominent location in the famed historic area referred to as BBD Bagh (formerly known as “Dalhousie Square” after the then Viceroy, later christened after the three freedom fighters – Binoy, Badal and Dinesh). When the British writ reigned supreme in the country that had been converted into one of the colonies supplying expensive raw materials like spices and silk and providing a fledging market for cheap products like textiles, Calcutta was the capital of administration and BBD Bagh its heart where splendid structures straight out of Victorian England were raised both by the Europeans and the locals. The age was that of mingling of the Orientals and the Europeans, the period golden for the mercantile men, capitalists and plantation owners who decided to take risk and set up businesses offshore to maximize profits, the locals were forced to grow indigo and opium on their fields amid much hardship to supply to the markets in England and China respectively while the British East India “trading” Company was slowly expanding its influence over the subcontinent under competition from French, Dutch and Portuguese companies looking for their place in the spotlight – such were the conditions when the Scottish Minister Reverend James Bryce decided that the city needed an inspiring church for its Scottish population. Since the union of Scotland with England in 1707, Scots formed a large fraction of those coming to the subcontinent to eke out a living in the rapidly-expanding colonial trade and politicized administration of the controlled territories; they worked here as soldiers and mercenaries in service of both the Company and the local kings, doctors and surgeons, jute mill owners and captains, plantation owners and traders, missionaries and industrialists. 

A towering presence in the city and yet forgotten by the people!

The government of the day supplied land for building the hallowed structure and donations were raised by wealthy individuals for commissioning the church; but not only did Reverend Bryce think of building the magnificent church, he also decided that its spire ought to be higher than that of the nearby located St. John’s, an Anglican denomination church (refer Pixelated Memories - St. John's Church) – the latter wish annoyed Bishop Middleton, the first Bishop of Calcutta and the head priest of St. John's, who believed that only the English church has the authority to commission steeples and did not authorize the construction. Cruel words followed from both sides and an irritated Rev. Bryce pledged that not only will the spire of the Scottish church be higher, he will also have a rooster as the finial atop it that will crow on the Church of England’s head and remind them of this debacle – much to the mortification of Bishop Middleton, Rev. Bryce did obtain all the necessary permissions and permits for the construction and height of St. Andrew’s Church (or Kirk, as the Scottish churches are referred to) despite the entire bureaucracy and permits departments controlled by the English – hence the final result, a black rooster fixed on the finial atop the beautiful church. To pacify the enraged Bishop, the then government directed the Public Works Department to not touch the rooster whenever they undertake conservation and repair work at the church, a practice that has since been followed citing the controversial character and history of the rooster. 

Built over 1815-18 by the construction company Messrs Burns, Currie and Co. and dedicated to St. Andrew, the imposing church with its glistening white facade and tall Doric pillars is a striking sight to behold in the perennially congested and traffic-ridden BBD Bagh area – it is another matter that the handsome church square is so engulfed by fast moving vehicles that photographing the structure in its entirety becomes quite a feat (though my minimalist point and shoot camera had difficulty reading the brilliant white paint of the church building too against a deep blue sky interspersed with fluffy clouds) – but one can admire the church building, standing in all its majesty at the head of the broad road in vintage photographs. 

The magnificence of the massive church is only apparent here - poles apart from the congested, overcrowded and crumbling Calcutta of today (Photo courtesy - Oldindianphotos.in)

The urge to witness the black weather cock topping the conical spire lured me to St. Andrew’s but except for its interesting history and antiquity, the church doesn’t have much to show for; moreover as is the case with most churches, photography here too is restricted by the permission of the Vicar and since he wasn’t in the day I visited, I was allowed to only see the church interiors from the entrance and that too after much pleading with the person in-charge. I was able to sneak in just a single click and as is apparent, there isn’t much to see within the church too except for its simplistic white structure framed by tall ionic pillars and topped by low hanging lamps dangling from the blue-green ceiling; I’d let the photo say a thousand words since I cannot conceive enough thoughts to describe the structure. Interestingly, the church is the only one in India that is fully air conditioned, the air conditioners being visible in the photograph I clicked; also visible are the numerous stone tablets that adorn the walls and commemorate the Scotsmen who passed away while in India and were buried in the Scottish cemetery which falls under the aegis of this church. I wasn’t able to closely inspect and photograph these memorials since the caretaker had allowed me only to have a look at the prayer hall and return – newspaper articles suggest that as part of the conservation of Scottish heritage worldwide, the Scottish government has commissioned and funded a project under which both the church and the cemetery will be restored to their original pristine condition. 

Call me irreverent, but I had expected a more dazzling interior to match the passionate history 

Inspired by St. Martin-in-the-Fields of London, the Victorian architecture of the church building consists of a large square structure seated on a high plinth with a massive triangular facade supported on tall Doric pillars forming an elegant portico in the front and a high spire surmounting the building. The large black clock with orange dials was fitted on the spire in 1835. At the bottom of the plinth on which the church structure stands are two plaques – a simple wooden board that lists visiting hours & mass timings and an ornate iron one installed by Kolkata Municipal Corporation that provides a short history and photographs of the church. The interiors are dark and dimly-lit and the hour at which I visited the prayer hall was empty, in fact there was no one in the entire church except the caretaker. 

The wife of the then Governor-General of India, Lord Warren Hastings, laid the foundation stone of the church on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30), 1815 and since its conception it solely holds the responsibility for archiving of records (baptism, marriage & burial details), files and correspondence to the numerous Scottish churches existing in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Gulf nations as well as the maintenance of Calcutta’s Scottish Cemetery (opened soon after the church). While the church was under construction, another building close to its present location was used as a makeshift church for temporary basis. Besides the Scottish population of the city, the church also provided solace in the times of need to the local Bengali converts to Christianity as well members of other churches. Locally referred to as “Laat Sahib ka Girja” (“Church of the Governor”, I couldn’t fathom the reason for this odd vernacular christening), the beautiful building is hemmed in by some very important structures that can claim an essential architectural and cultural connection to Calcutta’s life and history, besides Writer’s Building and St. John’s Church, there is Tipu Sultan Mosque, Sacred Heart Church and a street leads straight to the historic but obscure “Quan Ti”, clubs-cum-shrines belonging to the Chinese community of the city (see links in the post footer). 

The church and one of the wings of the beautiful Writer's Building (Photo courtesy - Panoramio.com)

In reality, I had planned to visit St. Andrew’s much late in the day after finishing a tour of some of the more prominent structures that I mentioned above, but somehow I got lost in the jumble of Calcutta’s streets (despite, as always, having a handmade map displaying all the places I had to go as well as the routes and the time required for each) and turned up at this part of the city early in the morning even though I must have stopped a score times to click structures that caught my eye, street life and the trams. Needless to say, as Calcutta goes, the traffic even so early was a nightmare and the area was choked with pedestrians as well as vehicles; the entire area, on account of housing the office of the Chief Minister and the residence of the Governor, is very heavily guarded by police and paramilitary personnel and photography does invite a few unwarranted cautious stares. The sun, already high in the sky and scorching in its temerity, made the church’s flawless white dazzle brilliantly and as mentioned before, I had much difficulty clicking it with my simple camera – would suggest a very early visit if an uncrowded, serene click is the requirement. The church, with its painted exteriors and well-maintained grounds stand out in sharp contrast to the buildings of BBD Bagh, most of which have been accustomed to urban decay, collapse and a reoccupation by small shops, shanties (consider the street joining Tipu Sultan mosque to Sacred Heart Church) and vegetation (consider the fig tree emanating from the corner tower of Standard Assurance Corp. building). 

Noticed the rooster yet?

Hope the conservation project being spearheaded by the Scottish government doesn’t get entangled in India’s cumbersome bureaucratic hurdles but is fully supported by the governments of India and Bengal and the church is preserved for the benefit of the generations to come who too, like us, might be amazed by the age of colonialism and the spirit of the seafarers and merchants who reached out to distant foreign shores in search of business as well as adventure! 

A note about the significance of St. Andrew for the Scottish people - A fisherman by profession, St. Andrew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and is considered the patron saint of Scotland among several other countries. According to one legend, the mortal remains of St. Andrew were preserved in Greece and a monk named St. Regulus had a dream invoking him to set sail and take the remains to the "end of the (known) world" for protection and build a shrine wherever he was shipwrecked - it is said that the said shrine was built in Scotland (though there is confusion regarding when Regulus lived - Scottish documents state 8th century but historical records peg the date at 7th century AD). Another legend says that during a battle in which they were vastly outnumbered, the Scottish king Oengus II prayed to St. Andrew that if he won the battle he will declare St. Andrew the patron saint of Scotland. The morning of the battle, the clouds formed an 'X' shape in the sky ('X' being the symbol of St. Andrew since he was crucified on an X-shaped crucifix) and the Scots were victorious. Since then the Scottish flag (and consequently the Union Flag) bears a white 'X' against a blue background.

Location: Next to Writer's Building, BBD Bagh
Nearest Bus terminus/Metro station: Esplanade
How to reach: Buses and metro are available from different parts of the city for Esplanade. Walk or take a taxi from there.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am - 2 pm
Service: 9.30 am on Sundays; 9.30 pm on New Year’s Day, Christmas & Easter’s
Entrance Fees: Nil
Photography/Video Charges: Nil, but restricted by permission of Vicar
Time required for sightseeing: 30 min

Relevant Posts -

1. Pixelated Memories - Nam Soon Chinese Club
2. Pixelated Memories - Sacred Heart Church
3. Pixelated Memories - Sea Ip Chinese Club
4. Pixelated Memories - St. John's Church complex
5. Pixelated Memories - Tipu Sultan Mosque
6. Pixelated Memories - Writers' Building

Suggested Reading -

1. Telegraphindia.com - Article "Scottish cemetery tapestry on world tour" (dated April 22, 2014) by Sebanti Sarkar
2. Wikipedia.org - Andrew the Apostle