CHAPTER 4
CULTURAL AND INTELLECTUAL
LIFE OF ARMENIANS IN INDIA
Armenian
Churches and Chapels in India
In the early 18th century the Indian subcontinent was in a sharp crisis. There
was a struggle between the Indian indigenous population and Europeans as well
as among the Europeans themselves, mostly between the British and the French.
Eventually bloody wars concluded with the victory of the British. The British
Raj expanded all over the subcontinent.
In this environment the main period of formation and development of the Indo-Armenian
colony commenced. Anglo-Saxon civilisation spiced with Asianness by virtue
of the nature of that environment, and that gave a new feature to the Indo-Armenian
community. Being interested only in their shops, offices and profits, the small
Armenian colonies were trying to be separated as a religious grouping. This
was the reason that first among all in the Armenian settlements churches were
built and priests were appointed. Church was considered as the centre of the
community activities.
Armenians, being mostly a commercial community, had evidently no time for missionary
activities. They never tried to propagate their own belief in India. Armenians
even hesitated to accept into their church those who had spontaneously wanted
to become members of the Armenian Church. In fact it was not a small mission
for a small Armenian Christian community of India to maintain its own national
form of Christian profession. They have done more: they defended it, protected
and supported it with all their moral and material means and made Christianity
respected in the eyes of non-Christians.
The Armenians in India considered it their patriotic duty to build churches
and provide educational facilities for their compatriots in order to preserve
their religion, language, literature and national identity.
The Armenians are strict Christians. Rev Frederick Davis Greene, who for several
years resided in Armenia in the beginning of the 20th century, observed that
by nature the Armenians were deeply religious. It has been the religion of the
heart, not of the head. Its evidence is to be found in a brave and simple record
written with the tears of saints and illuminated with the blood of martyrs.
Wherever the Armenians
go, there is one thing common among them and that is, retaining their religion.
In India, wherever they started building their settlements, simultaneously they
built churches. Now all over India one can find remains of many Armenian churches,
chapels, historical monuments, which are the only proofs of once-flourishing
Armenian colony in India.
In Northern India the eldest edifice of Christian worship is Martyros's Chapel
which was built in 1611. It is situated at the old Armenian cemetery in Agra.
It is noteworthy to mention that the oldest tombstones in this cemetery are
dated back to 1557 and 1560.
As Armenians left their settlements a few people who stayed, could not take
care of the churches which needed renovation from time to time. In 1920 the
warden of Bombay Armenian Church Committee asked the Archaeological Department
to restore the Armenian Church in Surat but they refused to do it unless the
whole property was handed over to them. The warden had no authority to fulfil
this demand. After some time the whole structure of this church fell down.
Now on the territory of India only a few churches and chapels are functioning
which are managed and protected by the Armenian Church Committee of Calcutta.
They are as follows:
1.
The Holy Church of Nazareth, erected in 1707, repaired and embellished in 1734.
This is the biggest Armenian Church in Calcutta where every Sunday morning service
is conducted. It is situated on 2, Armenian Street. Today it stands on its original
state of preservation. The church of Nazareth is recognised to be the oldest
Christian sanctuary in Calcutta. On November 25, 1957 the 250th anniversary
of the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth was celebrated and a special thanksgiving
service was held in the Church. Smt. Padmaja Naidu, Governor of West Bengal
graced this ceremony with her participation. Newspapers The Statesman and Amrita
Bazar Patrika of 25.11.1957 fully covered this event.
The Holy Church of Nazareth, besides being a place of worship, has been and
continues to be an institution of the community, closely associated with the
religious, charitable, educational and historical activities of Armenians in
the East.
2.
The St. Gregory's Chapel, erected in 1906 in Calcutta. Every Friday evening
services are being held here. It is situated on Lower Circular Road. Since its
erection, the chapel has been used for performances of the last rites of the
deceased who are buried in the adjoining Christian cemetery. On several occasions
the Armenian Church Committee allowed other Christian denominations who have
no place of worship to use the chapel.
3.
The Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1867. This Chapel is
situated in Thangra (outskirts of Calcutta). The surrounding grounds serve as
a cemetery for the Armenian community. On March 6, 1967 the 100th anniversary
of the chapel of the Holy Trinity was celebrated.
4.
The Chinsurah Church of John the Baptist, built in 1697. Annually, in January
on St. John's Day Holy Mass is celebrated in this Church by the Armenian community
of Calcutta. St. John's Church in Chinsurah is the second oldest Christian place
of worship in Bengal, which was erected in 1695. (The first oldest is the Roman
Catholic Church in Bandel, which was built in 1599). It is now the only remaining
landmark of the prosperous and highly populated Armenian community of this town.
5.
The Bombay Church of St. Peter, built in 1796. As the Church suffered considerable
damage during 150 years of its existence, the Church Committee decided to build
a new one on the site of the old. The Church was completed in 1957. It is situated
on Medows Street, near the Fort;
6. The Madras Church of the Holy Virgin Mary, erected in 1772, on the Armenian
Street, on the site of the old Armenian cemetery where there was a chapel. Mother
Theresa and her Mother’s House had close links with the Armenian Church of Calcutta.
A few times Mother Theresa visited the Armenian Churches of Calcutta. The Armenian
Church Committee has always helped Mother’s House financially.90
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