Re: Afghan church

[Harshal Chhaya <>]

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I compiled this from various online sources. Thanks to Rohit,
I now know a lot more about this interesting historical building
in Mumbai.

Regards,
- 'shal




The Afghan Church

Located in Colaba, work on the church of St. John the Evangelist was 
begun in 1847. The designs were prepared by Henry Coney Beare, the City 
Engineer. Mr. Henry Coney Beare was the same person who laid down the 
great scheme for the construction of the Vihar Lake and distribution 
of water supply by iron pipes to nearly all parts of Bombay City.

The church is now known as the Afghan Church, after the First Afghan War 
of 1838. It was consecrated in 1858 and work on the steeple was concluded 
in 1865. 

This church was built as a memorial to the gallantry of those regiments
that fought in the first and second Afghan wars. It also commemorates
different Indian regiments, including the Bombay Army, the Madras Army, and
Ranjit Singh's army from Lahore.

The land for the building of the church was provided by the government 
on a condition that its steeple could be seen as a landmark at sea to 
guide ships navigating the Bombay Harbour. 

At the entrance, there is a big black board which reveals that it is 
an Anglican church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. It was built 
as a memorial to the gallant Indian and British soldiers who laid 
down their lives in the Afghan War between 1835 to 1843. 

This was the first church of the famous Victorian architect, William
Butterfield. Most of the important embellishments, such as the stained
glass windows and the encaustic flooring are of the finest quality and were
imported from England. 

The most exquisite portion of the church is the Great West window. This was
designed by Wailles. It is the finest stained glass window to date in the
city, superior to both the Rajabai Tower and the Victoria Terminus. The
significance of the bell tower are the peals of eight bells that remain
unrivalled in western India.

Over the years the building has deteriorated and the structure needs
strengthening. Areas such as the roof, which have weakened due to moisture
and the rampant plant growth on the roof / walls have contributed to its
deterioration.

The moment you look at the church, it gives you an impression of awesome
beauty with a majestic style of Gothic architecture. The church consists of
the nave and aisles, fluted columns with Doric style capitals, a tower and
a spire. The walls are made of rubble faced with coarse Kurla Stone (buff
coloured basalt).  The piers, arches, coignes (vantage places) and
dressings are of Porbunder Stone, very similar to the Caen Stone (cream
coloured soft stone from Caen in Normandy) of the English churches; the
roof is built of varnished teakwood with hammer beam style ribbing. The
floor of the chancel is made of encaustic tiles (in-laid with coloured
clay) imported from England. It has a beautiful altar, tall pinnacles, 21
lancet windows with exquisite stained glass fixed in the triangular apexes,
on either side of the nave. The remaining portions of the nave windows were
fitted earlier with venetians instead of glass, but recently during the
years 1932 to 1937 quarried coloured glass windows have gradually taken the
place of venetians. In the clerestory, there are 30 lancet windows glazed
with coloured quarries. At the west end of each aisle are triplet windows,
one in the south aisle behind the organ is filled with plain glass but the
one in the north aisle behind the side altar is a memorial window. The
'great west window', which consists of stained glass with five lights, has
an intricate tracery design above and is one of Wailes's best works. The
'great east window' is a large triplet lancet window filled with stained
glass of a beautiful design. The baptistery window, which has beautiful
stained glass with triple lights, is situated at the East End of the south
aisle. The inscription underneath reads: "To the memory of Philip Anderson,
Pastor of Colaba, Bombay." A general memorial consists of series of white
marble tablets bearing the names of 158 of its officers. 

As soon as you enter the Afghan Church, there is a plaque, which reads as
follows: 

Plaque No. 1 "The Church of St. John the Evangelist at Colaba was built in
1857 in memory of the Officers, non commissioned Officers and private
soldiers, too many to be so recorded, who fell, mindful of their duty, by
sickness or by the sword in the campaign in Sind and Afghanistan - AD 1838
to AD 1843". 

The colours of old 24th Regiment are preserved in the building. These
colours were presented to the 24th Regiment, Bombay Infantry by F. M. Lord
Napier of Maghdale and carried through the Afghanistan campaign from 1879
to 1880 and were deposited in this chamber on 24th April 1892. These
colours are represented by a pair of silken flags in the form of a cross
"Banner of Infantry". For their safe preservation these three colours were
recased by George Lloyd, GCIE, DSO, Governor of Bombay 1923. 

Plaque No. 2 This reads as "To the glory of God and sacred to the memory of
Capt. W. B. Palinge, 113th infantry killed in action before Kut-El-Amarah
Mesopotomia on 5th May 1916 and 2nd Lieutant F. T. Sepping - Right I. A. R.
O. of 113th infantry died of wounds whilst serving in I. E. F. A., France
on 21st July, 1915. Deeply regretted by their brother officers. XII Bombay
Native Infantry - Egypt, Kirkee, Bari Boo Ali, Central India, Afghanistan
1879 - 80. 

Plaque No. 3 "Prayer desk had been demolished during alteration in the
church. The original stone is framed and erected by the officers of
Gloucestershire Regiment and later stationed at Colaba 1909 - 1910." 

Plaque No. 4 "Major Sir Pierre Louis Napolean Cavagnan Political Officer
with the British Troops Afghanistan and Envoy to the Court of Kabul. He
fled with the members of his escort whilst gallantly defending the
Residency at Kabul against overwhelming numbers on 3rd September, 1879. 

Plaque No. 5 "Henry Francis Brooke - Late Adjutant General of Bombay Army
who was appointed to the Secondary Infantary Brigade at Candahar (Kandhar)
in March 1880 and fell during the sorte against Deh Khoje on the 16th of
August 1880 while nobly endeavouring to save the life of a wounded comrade
Capt. C. M. Cruickshank." 

The names of the officers are inscribed on the tablets on the walls of the
chancel (east end of the church reserved for clergy and choir). Special
memorials to officers, who died during the last Afghan War, were erected in
1882. The 19th Regiment (NI) in memory of three of their officers has
decorated the wall behind the altar with mosaic tiles. The friends of
twelve officers of various corps have erected a reredos (ornamental screen
covering wall at the back of altar). The altar was given in the memory of
two officers and the marble pavement in the memory of those who had
brethren in the Guild of the Holy Standard. The general memorial of all the
officers, non-commissioned and the men of the Bombay Army was erected over
the principle entrance in 1883. 


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