St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Basilica is a basilica
located in the Archdiocese of 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. 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
.
entered Srirangapattana the capital city of the then Mysore province in the year 1648. But during Hyder Ali
's tenure in 1724-25, Bangalore saw its first Church, Drummers' Chapel, in the Kalasipalya locality. When Tippu Sultan ascended the throne, Christian missionaries had to flee Mysore; thus the history of Christianity
in Mysore was murky till 1799. In the year 1799, when the British
seized Srirangapattana from Tipu Sultan
, the French MEP priest, Fr. Abbe du Bois, arrived at Bangalore and started restoring the Catholic
religion. He went around Somanahalli, Kamanahalli, Begur, Gunjam, Palahalli, Doranahalli, Garenahalli, Shettyhalli et cetera, visiting the Catholic
populace there and ministering to their spiritual needs. He was one of the first to introduced vaccination in India and wrote the famous book “Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies”. The mass vestments wore by Fr. Du Bois are still preserved in the church at Palahalli near Srirangapattana. He built a Chapel with a thatched roof in 1803 at Bili Akki Palli or colloquially, Blackpally. and offered mass there. That structure was called Kaanike Mathe Devalaya (which in Kannada means the Church of Our Lady of the Presentation). That small prayer house is the location where the basilica currently stands.
When Bangalore Cantonment
was established, a mass was regularly held by Father Abbe du Bois which was attended by both European
and Indian
Catholics. In 1813, Fr. Abbe du Bois, with the help of the British, modified and enhanced the chapel and renamed it the Church of the Purification of Our Lady, Blackpalli. Till recently, the engraving of the year '1813' was seen in the front nave of the old church where the miraculous statue is housed. He also created a residence for priests in the same year.
It was subsequently pulled down in the year 1832 in the communal riots that erupted there. Later it was rebuilt and during the years 1856–1882 it was called by its original name, the Church of our Lady of the Presentation.
Rev. L. E. Kleiner constructed the basilica in its current majestically Gothic form. 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 Catholics of Bangalore
. The total amount spent on the construction of the new church. including the pulpit and the statues, was Rs. 29,659. Over time, the church of St. Mary's at Blackpally had become a parish and has since overseen the construction of other churches in Bangalore, prominent among them, St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral (1851), St. Joseph's Church (1867) and Sacred Heart Church, Ashoknagar (1867). The church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 1973 through an edict issued by Pope Paul VI
. It was the sixth church in India to be elevated to this status. The area of Blackpally is now known as Shivajinagar.
windows. Multiple columns and the 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.
is held on the first nine days from August 29 to September 7. 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.
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
located in the Archdiocese of Bangalore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangalore
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bangalore is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in India. It was erected as the Diocese of Bangalore on February 13, 1940 by Pope Pius XII, and elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on September 19, 1953,...
in the Indian state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. It is the oldest church in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica. 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
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
.
History
Bangalore was not a big city those days when ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
entered Srirangapattana the capital city of the then Mysore province in the year 1648. But during Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
's tenure in 1724-25, Bangalore saw its first Church, Drummers' Chapel, in the Kalasipalya locality. When Tippu Sultan ascended the throne, Christian missionaries had to flee Mysore; thus the history of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Mysore was murky till 1799. In the year 1799, when the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
seized Srirangapattana from Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, the French MEP priest, Fr. Abbe du Bois, arrived at Bangalore and started restoring the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
religion. He went around Somanahalli, Kamanahalli, Begur, Gunjam, Palahalli, Doranahalli, Garenahalli, Shettyhalli et cetera, visiting the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
populace there and ministering to their spiritual needs. He was one of the first to introduced vaccination in India and wrote the famous book “Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies”. The mass vestments wore by Fr. Du Bois are still preserved in the church at Palahalli near Srirangapattana. He built a Chapel with a thatched roof in 1803 at Bili Akki Palli or colloquially, Blackpally. and offered mass there. That structure was called Kaanike Mathe Devalaya (which in Kannada means the Church of Our Lady of the Presentation). That small prayer house is the location where the basilica currently stands.
When Bangalore Cantonment
Bangalore Cantonment
The Bangalore Cantonment was a military cantonment of the British Raj based in the Indian city of Bangalore. The cantonment covered an area of 13 square miles, extending from the Residency on the west to Binnamangala on the east and from the Tanneries in the north to Agram in the south. By area,...
was established, a mass was regularly held by Father Abbe du Bois which was attended by both European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Catholics. In 1813, Fr. Abbe du Bois, with the help of the British, modified and enhanced the chapel and renamed it the Church of the Purification of Our Lady, Blackpalli. Till recently, the engraving of the year '1813' was seen in the front nave of the old church where the miraculous statue is housed. He also created a residence for priests in the same year.
It was subsequently pulled down in the year 1832 in the communal riots that erupted there. Later it was rebuilt and during the years 1856–1882 it was called by its original name, the Church of our Lady of the Presentation.
Rev. L. E. Kleiner constructed the basilica in its current majestically Gothic form. 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 Catholics of Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The total amount spent on the construction of the new church. including the pulpit and the statues, was Rs. 29,659. Over time, the church of St. Mary's at Blackpally had become a parish and has since overseen the construction of other churches in Bangalore, prominent among them, St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral (1851), St. Joseph's Church (1867) and Sacred Heart Church, Ashoknagar (1867). The church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 1973 through an edict issued by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. It was the sixth church in India to be elevated to this status. The area of Blackpally is now known as Shivajinagar.
Architecture
The basilica has been built in the Gothic style with arches, ornamental motifs and stained glassStained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows. Multiple columns and the tall spires of the basilica can be seen from quite a distance. The stained glass windows were removed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and were subsequently restored in 1947.
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. The festivities begin with the hoisting of a traditional flag. A NovenaNovena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
is held on the first nine days from August 29 to September 7. 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.
Mass times
| Weekdays | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
06:00 English 06:45 Tamil 08:30 Mon, Tue & Fri Tamil 08:30 Wed Kannada 08:30 Thu English 11:00 Tamil |
06:00 English 06:45 Tamil 09:00 Kannada 10:00 Tamil (English on First Sat) 11:15 English (Tamil on First Sat) 18:00 Tamil |
06:00 English 07:00 Tamil 08:00 Tamil 09:15 Kannada 11:00 Tamil 18:00 English |