The Church of Love

St. Andrew's Church in Bangalore holds a significant place as a structure that represents both love for a partner and love for shared faith. Commissioned by Col. McGoun in memory of his late wife Mary Elizabeth McGoun, the church was completed in 1866 and consecrated in 1868. St. Andrew's Church has been an integral part of Bangalore's landscape for over a century, witnessing both joy and sorrow within the community.

St. Andrew's Church; Source: Wikimedia Commons, MilaJac, CC BY-SA

Taj Mahal is often considered the most romantic of all the structures built in India, but what if there was a structure built that not only represented one’s love for one’s partner but also represented their love for their shared faith? One such structure is the St. Andrew Church of Bangalore.

The story of St. Andrew's Church began in the late 1800s when the British established the Cantonment area in Bangalore. The British soldiers, who were mostly Anglicans, needed a place of worship, and among these soldiers and their families were Col. McGoun and his wife Mary Elizabeth McGoun

However, as plans for the construction continued, Mrs McGoun passed away in the year 1867, and it was in her memory and in the memory of her love for her faith that her husband, Col. McGoun commissioned the construction of the St. Andrew Church dedicated to her.

The construction of St. Andrew's Church was completed in 1866, and it was consecrated in 1868.

The church was named after St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, as a tribute to the Scottish regiments that had served in India. The church was built in the Gothic style, with beautiful stained glass windows that depicted scenes from the Bible. The church's organ was one of the largest in the country, and its music could be heard for miles around.

However, the biggest attraction of this church is its multi-culture style and design, bringing ideas, crafts, textures and materials from various parts of India and even the world around. Its Gothic style was designed by  R . C Dobbs and Maj. Sankey was realized through Mangalorean tiles and Bengali roofing not to mention its inclusion of various European elements in it ranging from the coloured windows to the many rows of decorative ridge tiles, from the turreted parapets and gables to the iron crested towers- the church merged the known of the local population to the unknowns from the western world through its architecture and style.

The stained glass of the church was, however, a new addition to the structure in 1897,  that was added to the architecture of the church to commemorate the diamond jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria with the Old Testament painted on its base.

Over the years, St. Andrew's Church became a symbol of not only hope and faith but also of love, for the people of Bangalore. The church was always open, and people could come and go as they pleased. Many people would come to the church to sit in silence and pray, while others would come to attend mass or to celebrate weddings and christenings.

St. Andrew's Church is more than just a place of worship; it is a sanctuary for the people of Bangalore. Forming the core vibe of Bangalore, It was a place where people came to find solace in their troubled times, to pray for their loved ones, and to thank God for their blessings. The church had been a part of Bangalore's landscape for over a century, and it had seen its share of joy and sorrow.