Cathedral Church of Redemption Delhi
Nov 02 2022 Attractions Delhi Delhi
About Church of Redemption Delhi
Situated to the east of Parliament House in New Delhi, the Cathedral Church of the Redemption was built in eight years and was completed in the year 1935. It was designed by architect, Henry Medd. Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy, was so impressed by its high curved arches and subtle domes that it came to be known as ‘Viceroy’s Church’.It’s a small St Paul’s Cathedral standing in its own grounds in a leafy street in New Delhi.
The interior is perfectly English neo-classical, with dark wood panelling and suitably dim religious light. You can tell it was originally built to house the British Raj at prayer. It’s split into three language groups – on normal Sundays there’s an English eucharist at 8.00am, a Tamil one at 9.30, and a Hindi one at 11. The day I was there they were having a confirmation, so all three groups worshipped together at 9.00am.When you give it a quick look, the exterior of the church looks ordinary.
It has simple red sandstone roofing that has a great degree of inclination. But once you enter the structure the magnificent interiors strike you.The church is built in coursed rubble masonry with split red sandstone. The church resembles the miniature (London’s) St Paul’s Cathedral and is inspired from Palladio’s Church of Il Redentore in Venice. Though the place cannot be called beautiful in the conventional sense, it has small recessed openings with tinted glass which soften the hard sunlight giving the interiors an ethereal glow.
The spiritual aura of the church is by a group of angels that look down from the curved roof above the altar.Cathedral Church of New Delhi was built in such a manner that even in the extreme summers it remains cool and serene. The Church has beautifully curved high arches and delicate domes, which won the heart of even Lord Irwin, a Viceroy. Lord Irwin gifted an organ and a silver cross to the church, as gesture of thanks when he survived a near fatal accident in 1929.
The Church, a witness to nearly eight decades of history, is a sanctuary of quiet meditation, prayer and generous giving. The interior of this Anglican Church has small recessed openings that filter the sunlight. It also has a fine organ as well as a striking stained glass window. The cathedral now belongs to the Church of North India.Also known as “Viceroy’s Church”, it is adorned tinted glass windows that lend it a mystical aura. Light streaming through the crescent windows and a group of angels looking down from the curved roof further enhance splendor of the Cathedral of The Sacred Heart.
Tucked away from the bustle of New Delhi, in the quiet Church lane north of Jaipur Column and to the west of Parliament House at North Avenue, stands the Cathedral Church of the Redemption India.As you travel through the city, exploring the seven cities that make Delhi, stop by The Cathedral Church of the Redemption. You can soak in the quiet and relive the dedication of the determined men and women who built this church.The linear plain exteriors of the church are in contrast with the high rounded arches inside.
The spiritual aura of the church is enhanced by the light streaming through its crescent windows and a group of angels that look down from the curved roof above the altar. Regular mass takes place at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption on Sunday mornings. Apart from this, the cathedral also hosts religious concerts on festivals such as Christmas and Easter.Cathedral Church of Redemption in Delhi, a part of the Church of North India (CNI), has a membership of over 600 communicant members from over 550 families.
This extremely simple church was built on a design based by Henry Medd, a British born architect. It took around eight years to build the church, completed in the year 1933. . The style and architecture resembles that of the Free Church in Hampstead Garden Suburb. The church is marked by austere exteriors but magnificent interiors. The outer side of the church is designed with red sandstone roofing.
The striking silver cross you see near the mass pedestal has been donated none other than Lord Irwin himself. He also donated a picture of Mary and infant Jesus, which can be seen in the eastern portion of this church. Lord Irwin is believed to have donated the picture to express his gratitude to God. It is claimed that he did it when he had a very narrow escape from the possible death, when an attempt was made to blow off his salon in the year 1929. The paneling has been done with hard dark wood which lends an earthy feeling.
The linear plain exteriors of the church contrast highly with the high rounded arches inside. Besides regular mass on the Sunday morning, the cathedral hosts religious concerts on festivals such as Christmas and Easter every year. It has a personal choir of itself named the Capital City Minstrels. Catch any of concerts of choral music and carol singing on these religious occasions.
Annual Event and Festivals
Prayers are held in morning and evening every day. The church is attractively decorated during Christian festivals. Various cultural and social programmes are organized round the year. For details contact the local church authority. This very popular place hosts numerous religious gatherings and concerts like Easter and Christmas every year. Coir with the name Capital City Minstrels performs concerts and other musical concerts on the occasion of famous festivals or religious repute in the Delhi Cathedral Church of the Redemption.Prayers are organized in morning and evening every day. The church is beautifully decorated on the Christian festivals. Apart from the main festivals, other cultural and social programs are also organized in the Church throughout the year.
Nearby Tourist Attractions
Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate, Jantar Mantar, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Hanuman Mandir and many more nearest tourist attractions from the Cathedral Church of Redemption Delhi.
Nearby Places to Eat
During your visit to the place a number of eating joints come in the run where you can enjoy a number of delicacies and delicious foods in at the adjacent food chains and restaurants. Wengers, Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Nirula’s, Ruby Tuesday, Sona Rupa, Starbeans and Barista are some of the prominent names where finger licking Indian food are available in relatively low price tag.Here is the list of places which is very nearly from the Cathedral Church of Redemption Delhi Hotel Le Meridien, Imperial Hotel, Hotel Inter-Continental, Parikrama Revolving restaurant, Gaylord, El Rodeo, Bercos, Zen restaurant, Delhi Darbar, Nizam’s Kathi Kebabs and Standard Restaurant. For snacks and fast foods: Bengali Market (sweets and chat), Kake da hotel (Indian food), Wengers, Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, Nirula’s, Ruby Tuesday, Sona Rupa, Starbeans, Barista, Café Coffee Day and innumerable roadside foodstalls.
Nearby Shopping Markets
Cathedral Church of Redemption Delhi is the very near from Connaught place of delhi, which is the very famous area of delhi for shopping.Connaught Place offers everything from jewelry, books, art, leather goods and a wide choice of Indian and international clothes stores. Central Cottage Industries Emporium has Indian handicrafts and curios. Baba Kharak Singh Marg houses the emporia of all the states of India, dedicated to each state’s unique art and craft created by traditional and skilled artisans. Janpath offers clothes, low priced gifts and souvenirs and Palika Bazaar offers a wide range of electronic items.There are many more shopping vanue is vey near from Cathedral Church of Redemption Delhi.
General Fact about Church of Redemption
- Location:On the Church Road, north of Jaipur Column, very near to Connaught Place
- Time to Visit: Open on all days
- Preferred Timings:Sunrise to Sunset
- Day Closed:Open on all days
- Admission Fee: Free and open to all through the day.
- Photography Charges:Nil (permission required)
- Nearest Railway Station:New Delhi Railway Station
- Nearest Metro Station:Central Secretariat
- Nearest International Airport:Indira Gandhi International Airport
- Time required for sightseeing:1 hour
- Famous As :Cathedral Church of Redemption
- Built In : 1927-1935
- Web : http://www.theredemptionchurch.org/
- Email: webmaster@theredemptionchurch.org
Address
The Cathedral Church of the Redemption
1, Church Road, North Avenue
New Delhi- 110001
India
Contact Numbers
Church Office +91-11-2309 4229
Presbyter-in-Charge
Rev. S. Dennis Lall (Off.) +91-11-2309 4229 (Res.)+91-11-2309 2396
Presbyters
Rev.Dr. Christopher Raj (M):+91-9818131479 (Res.)+91-11-2462 0042
Rev. Fr. Ian Weatherall (M):+91-9958397441