St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore
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| St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore | |
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| Founded | 1685 |
| Constructed | 1882 |
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St. Mary's Basilica is a basilica located in Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the oldest church in Bangalore and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica.[1][2] It is famous for the festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, an event that attracts a number of devotees from in and around Bangalore.
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[edit] History
It was in the year 1685, that a small prayer place was constructed at the location where the basilica is currently present.[3] The surrounding area was then known by the name Bili Akki Palli or colloquially, Blackpally.[4] A small chapel with a thatched roof was later built and was called Kaanike Mathe Devalaya (which in English means the Church of Our Lady of Presentation). In the year 1799, when the British seized Srirangapatna from Tipu Sultan, a catholic priest by name Jean Dubois came to Blackpally along with the troops and performed a mass at the chapel.[5] When the Bangalore Cantonment was established, a mass was regularly held by Father Anne Dubois which was attended by both European and Indian Christians. In 1811, Anne Dubois modified and enhanced the chapel and also created a residence for priests. It was subsequently rebuilt and in the end of the 19th century, Rev. L. E. Kleiner constructed the basilica in its current form of a majestic Gothic-style church. This new church was consecrated on September 8, 1882 by Bishop Jean-Yves-Marie Coadou, the vicar apostolic of Mysore, in the presence of 35 priests and 4,000 catholic Christians of Bangalore. The total amount spent on the construction of the church including the pulpit and statues was Rs. 29,659. With time, the church of St. Mary's at Blackpally had become a parish and has overseen the construction of other churches at Bangalore, prominent among them being St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral (1851), St. Joseph's Church (1867) and the Sacred Heart Church, Ashokanagar (1867). The church was elevated to the status of minor basilica in 1973 through an order by Pope Paul VI. It was the sixth church in India to be elevated to this status. The area of Blackpally is no longer known by that name and it is now called as Shivajinagar.
[edit] Architecture
The basilica has been built in Gothic-style with arches, ornamental motifs and stained glass windows. [6] Multiple columns and tall spires of the basilica can be seen from quite a distance. The stained glass windows were removed during World War II and were subsequently restored in 1947.
[edit] St. Mary's Feast
St. Mary's Feast which celebrates the birth of Mother Mary is the most important festival celebrated in the basilica and is attended by thousands of people. Held in the month of September, the festivities go on for 10 days culminating in a grand chariot procession on the last day.[4] The festivities begin with the hoisting of a traditional flag. A Novena is held on the first nine days from August 30 to September 7. On September 8, the day on which Mother Mary was born, is celebrated as a feast. Holy mass is offered in different languages and mass marriages are conducted for the poor and needy. A thanksgiving mass is also organised for couples who have completed 50 years of marriage. Eucharistic celebrations are held on the day of the feast and a decorated chariot with the image of Mother Mary is drawn by devotees along the various streets of Bangalore.
[edit] Mass Times
| Weekdays | Saturday | Sunday |
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06:00 English |
06:00 English |
06:00 English |
 The church |
 Inside the church |
 Altar |
 Front view from the road |
 Pillars inside the church |
 church gate |
[edit] Notes
- ^ K. Chandramouli. Home to all faiths. Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2002-08-29. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Preethi Sharma and Nishi Vishwanathan. Bangalore:An Expat Survival Guide. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Anita Rao Kashi. Blessing faithful, soothing the eye. Online Edition of The Times of India, dated 2005-10-16. Times Internet Limited. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ a b Annual St. Mary's Feast begins. Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2006-08-30. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Basilica set for Mary's feast. Online Edition of The Times of India, dated 2001-08-28. Times Internet Limited. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Anita Rao Kashi. Blessing faithful, soothing the eye. Online Edition of The Times of India, dated 2005-10-16. Times Internet Limited. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
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