St.Andrews Church (The Kirk) 1821
Chennai (Madras),
State of Tamil Nadu,
India
I dedicate this page for the Church I belong since almost two decades now.
Am sure that every member of our Church would agree that who so ever is a member of this Church, rejoices with the fullest participation of the Soul, Spirit and Body, worshiping and uplifting the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, holding it as close as possible to our heart, this second home of ours.
Oh what a privilege it is to be a part of a Church which was founded way back in 18th Century.
Should we not take a tour back to the days when this happened almost about 183 years ago?
MADRAS:
Madras Presidency, also known as Madras Province and known officially as Presidency of Fort St. George, was a province of British India.
At its greatest extent, Madras Presidency included much of southern India, including the present-day Indian State of Tamil Nadu, the Malabar region of North Kerala, Lakshadweep Islands, the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, Brahmapur and Ganjam districts of Orissa and the Tulu Nadu region as well as Bellary district of Karnataka.
The presidency had its capital at Madras (now known as Chennai).
The Presidency had its origins in the Agency of Fort St George established by the British East India Company soon after the purchase of the village of Madraspatnam in 1639.
The foundation for this vibrant city was laid way back in July/August 1639, by Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, two traders of East India Company.
Chennai-patnam was the predominantly Indian town adjacent to the town around the Fort, which went by the name of Madras-patnam.
The origin of the Name of Madras is contested in various spheres with various imaginations.
Some attribute the name Madras to the small church built by the Portuguese dedicated to the Mother of God - "Mãe de deus" whereas others relate this name to one of the local village chieftain Maddarasu.
Records available at Fort St.George shows that This Jesuit Church "Mãe de deus" has been in existence from before 1606.
The Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary describes "MADRAS" as a large silk or cotton kerchief usually of bright colors that is often worn as a turban.
Whatever was the name then, it is now called as CHENNAI.
LOOKING BACK AT THE MILESTONE OF VARIOUS CHURCH BUILT IN CHENNAI
ST.MARY'S CHURCH
Though breaking of the bread was celebrated in a small temporary chapel way back during 1647, only the Lady's Day of 1678 saw the laying of the foundation of St. Mary's Church.
The governor of Fort St.George, Streynsham Master, got The Church designed by his Master Gunner Edward Fowle. Coincidently in those days gunners were also engineers.
It took two years to complete this only marvelous Anglican Church south of Suez and was duly consecrated on the Lady's Day on the 28th October, 1680.
It remains to this day much the same, except for the spire and the tower subsequently added in the place of the old ones.
It has full of mementos of men who have helped to make Madras history; its narrow yard is literally paved with tomb-stones of various ages and containing inscriptions in several languages.
The Church records and registers date from the consecration in 1680 and form a complete record of the Church with the exception of three years 1746-49, during which period Madras was in possession of the French.
The first marriage entry is that of Elihu Yale, after whom the Yale University of America is named, to Catherine Himmers on November 4th, 1680.
Another noteworthy marriage entry is that of the famous Robert Clive with Margaret Maskelyne, on February 18th, 1753.
ST.GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL (ST.GEORGE’S CHURCH)
On 16th January 1816, Bishop Reginald Heber (1783- 1826) consecrated the new St. George`s Church in Madras.
Thomas de Havilland (1775-1866) erected the church using a plan drawn by Captain James Caldwell (1770-1863) of the Madras Engineers.
Captain James Caldwell drew his inspiration from James Gibbs` plans for St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London.
Though it has a mixture of Classical and Gothic design, the exterior polished finishing was made with the traditional Indian Chunam.
In 1833, ST.GEORGE’S CHURCH became ST.GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL.
Within the extensive period of 1818 to 1820, architectural developments of Madras under British rule witnessed an upsurge of colonial constructions.
ST.ANDREWS CHURCH (THE KIRK)
Thomas de Havilland also erected St. Andrews Church of the Scottish Kirk in Madras.
Although it bears some of the characteristics of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, it varies in its curvilinear plan with a diameter of eight-one and a half feet and its massive Ionic columns.
The Church of Scotland is known by its Scottish name, “THE KIRK” and remains as a Presbyterian church from its inception.
This effort of dedicated Scottish Christians belonging to the Church of Scotland, which formed a part of the British Army, founded this new landmark in the erstwhile State and Capital city of Madras (now Tamil Nadu, Chennai)
This Georgian / neoclassical architecture is beautifully nestled in the midst of varieties of dense flora.
Roads and railway run all around its perimeter, thus making the entire Church yard look like an Island surrounded by heavy traffic.
But yet stands majestically this 188 year old master piece of a Church with its steeple soaring 166 ft into the sky.
One could easily imagine, how during those days, the uninterrupted panoramic grandeur of this Master Piece, when viewed either from St. Mary’s Church located inside Fort St. George or from the top of the Old Light house located inside the Madras High Court Complex, could have been.
This Wikimedia link can fuel your imagination.
http://maps.google.co.in/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=wikimapia&sll=13.084076,80.276155&sspn=0.018978,0.027595&ie=UTF8&radius=0.93&filter=0&rq=1&ev=zi&hq=wikimapia&hnear=&ll=13.084076,80.276155&spn=0.018978,0.027595&z=15
This mega Church was entrusted to Major Thomas Fort de Havilland who mastered himself in the field of architecture through well exposed challenging experience across Europe, Asia and Africa.
St. Andrew’s Kirk, though modeled after St.Martin–in-the-fields, London, from the outward looks, the dome and the circular design differ miles apart from that of St.Martin.
One is merely awe struck at the grandeur of this design which surely doesn’t lean onto British architecture.
The St. Mary’s Church, in Fort St. George was built by Major Thomas Fort de Havilland and was consecrated in 1680. This Church is termed as the “Oldest Anglican Church East of Suez.
In 1801 de Havilland was sent to Egypt to perform survey work in Cairo and the Suez.
The Dome of the Rock is a famous Islamic shrine in Jerusalem and it was built between 687 and 691.
It is not a mosque, it is a shrine. The Jews call it the Temple Mount. The diameter of the outer dome is 21 meters, the inner dome 20 meters.
The original 1st century outer dome was copper. It was changed to lead in the 9th century, to anodized aluminum in 1964 and in 1994 the gilded copper / brass dome was covered with 60 kilograms of 24k gold.
Israel is just a stone throw away from Egypt and it is quite possible, that having been deputed to Egypt / Suez, Thomas Fort de Havilland would have visited the ‘THE DOME OF THE ROCK’ and would have studied the methodology of construction.
Any engineer in the field of architecture would have done this as and when such an opportunity arises to better his intelligence and to widen his knowledge to master his profession.
On his arrival from Egypt, John Malcolm, the historian – administrator and Resident of Mysore, wanted to give a surprise gift to his bride and therefore entrusted the task of adding a Great Banquet hall without Pillars, to the existing Royal Mysore Residency, to Thomas Fort de Havilland.
When confronted by intellectuals who argued and ridiculed him, against the possibility of building an arch of that great span with country bricks.
They further commented that he will not be able to build even a stable arch of that span with the locally available bricks.
Thomas Havilland challenged those who opposed his thinking by building an arch in his garden with a span of 100 ft with the same country bricks and silenced them. That model of an arch stood as late as 1930 as a testimony for his practicality.
Armed with such multifaceted global exposure in the field of Survey and construction, Thomas Havilland took up the task of building this great Church ST.ANDREW'S KIRK with a Dome on top to form the Crème d la crème of this great master piece of architecture.
In order to ascertain that his task of building this Dome can be made possible, Thomas Havilland, before going in for the great finale of constructing this marvelous Dome, built a replica with mere brick masonry work in his garden abutting the Mount Road.
Having done this, he was pretty sure of the design and found that it was very much feasible.
There are many who try to probe whether he has any preliminary pre-qualification to become an Engineer.
Whether he has done his graduation in Engineering or not, he once again proved to be a genius, by building a Church with a rare combination of Curvilinear exterior to allow a circular interior, having sixteen fluted Corinthian columns, which hoists the circular dome in its place, with a Steeple soaring into the Sky majestically, firmly standing upon a foundation of 150 wells.
The ambiance of the artistic painting on the interior surface of this magnificent Dome gathered momentum and reached the Crescendo, when once that artist lowered his hand for the final time after that final touch, revealing the splendor of the Scottish imagination of the constellation as seen in the Scottish Blue Sky, with Golden Stars adoring it, giving an aura like the Lapis Lazuli, a blue gem Stone with embedded grains of pyrites, which gives an appearance like the blue sky studded with sparkling golden stars.
During the ancient times Lapis Lazuli was known as Sapphirus, which is still the name for the blue corundum variety of Sapphire.
Lapis Lazuli (Sapphire) is one of the 12 stones that adored on Aaron’s "Breast plate of Judgment" as detailed in the Bible.
The Lapis Lazuli mines in Afghanistan are more than 6000 years old and the mining continue till this date as this is considered as the best among those mined elsewhere.
These stones were not alone adored by the Pharaohs but also by the Kings of UR, the place from where Abraham was called by God Almighty.
During the ancient times the powder of Lapis Lazuli was mixed with oil and used as paint. Many such paintings have retained its luster down through ages.
How else can the realistic brilliance of this art inside the dome of ST.ANDREW’S KIRK sustain varied temperatures down through centuries, if it had not been painted with Lapis Lazuli?
We stand by the words of Jesus Christ who taught us to “LOVE ONE ANOTHER THE WAY YOU LOVE YOUR OWN SELVES”
We welcome everyone in that Spirit of Love, to come and worship with us and rejoice in the presence of the Holy Spirit and be born again.
We thank the Almighty who called us by our names even before we were formed in our mother’s womb to be a part of this WONDER OF A CHURCH, where there is healing for your heart and soul.
We welcome you to join us for the worship during any of the following timing.
Morning: 7.00 am
Morning: 9.00 am (Main Service)
Evening: 6.00 pm
Morning: 7.00 am Morning: 9.00 am (Main Service) Evening: 6.00 pm
ST.ANDREW’S KIRK
#37, Poonamallee High Road,
Egmore, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu - India
PIN – 600 008.
Phone #91-044-2561 2608
Location Land Mark :
Egmore Railway Station / Daily Thanthi
For all further details visit our website http://standrewskirk.org/
JESUS BLESS YOU
