St. Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church is located in the Cantonment of Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh in north India. The wooden building was completed in 1889 as the Garrison Church. In 1948 it was renamed as the St. Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church. The church is a parish in the Diocese of Delhi, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
History
The church was built by Horace Barnet, a military engineer. It was consecrated as the St. David's Garrison Church on 8 February 1889 by the Bishop of Calcutta Ralph Johnson. The church was dedicated to Queen Victoria in 1897. On 1st April 1948, after Indian independence it was transferred to the Indian Church Trustees, Calcutta. Later, it was transferred to the Malankara Syrian Church and given its current name, St. Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church.
Architecture
The church is notable for its unique, entirely wooden construction, which is a rarity among the prominent colonial-era stone and brick religious buildings in Prayagraj. Designed by British military engineer Horace Barnet, the structure is often regarded as a marvel of British military engineering. It was originally erected as a Garrison Church to accommodate the British soldiers stationed in the Allahabad Cantonment. The building features a single spire, a raised wooden foundation, and an east-west orientation typical of traditional colonial church designs.
Services The parish has several activities for the parishioners. Holy Qurbana Eucharistic liturgy services are conducted in Malayalam every Sunday and on feast days Prayer services held weekly Sunday School Martha Mariam Samajam (women's wing) Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement (MGOCSM) The Orthodox Christian Youth Movement of the East (OCYM) Akhila Malankara Orthodox Shusrushaka Sangham (AMOSS)
See also All Saints Cathedral, Prayagraj St. Joseph's Cathedral, Prayagraj Delhi Orthodox Diocese
References