Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, Kolkata, India
19 images Created 9 Oct 2020
The Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, the last surviving relic of Portuguese settlers in the city, provides compelling evidence of Calcutta’s cosmopolitan past.
The Portuguese built a chapel for their Augustinian friars. By the mid-18th century there was a substantial Portuguese population, which needed a place of worship. With the financial assistance of a wealthy Portuguese trader and philanthropist called Joseph Barretto, they converted the Augustinian chapel into a church.
The church was consecrated in 1799 and dedicated to Our Blessed Lady of the Rosary. It is in Portuguese Church Street, near Barabazar Market, surrounded by small, colourful, shops and buildings. It is now a cathedral, the last relic in the city of a once large Portuguese presence.
Two lofty, domed towers, with crown-shaped cupolas, and a brightly coloured decorative pediment, dominate the exterior of the building. Go through an arch and you will be in the interior with tall columns and wooden pews on both sides of the aisle.
The white and gold painted altar dominates the scene beautifully illuminated by the circular stained-glass windows. The interior contains striking, vividly painted, and often gory sculptures. The statue of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus occupies pride of place on the massive altarpiece. Fourteen wooden panels in bas relief depict the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
Prints available at www.jonathaninbali.com and www.murnis.com
The Portuguese built a chapel for their Augustinian friars. By the mid-18th century there was a substantial Portuguese population, which needed a place of worship. With the financial assistance of a wealthy Portuguese trader and philanthropist called Joseph Barretto, they converted the Augustinian chapel into a church.
The church was consecrated in 1799 and dedicated to Our Blessed Lady of the Rosary. It is in Portuguese Church Street, near Barabazar Market, surrounded by small, colourful, shops and buildings. It is now a cathedral, the last relic in the city of a once large Portuguese presence.
Two lofty, domed towers, with crown-shaped cupolas, and a brightly coloured decorative pediment, dominate the exterior of the building. Go through an arch and you will be in the interior with tall columns and wooden pews on both sides of the aisle.
The white and gold painted altar dominates the scene beautifully illuminated by the circular stained-glass windows. The interior contains striking, vividly painted, and often gory sculptures. The statue of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus occupies pride of place on the massive altarpiece. Fourteen wooden panels in bas relief depict the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
Prints available at www.jonathaninbali.com and www.murnis.com
