Srinagar: One of the oldest churches in Srinagar city’s Dalgate area, which had closed and remained abandoned much before the early 1990s, is being renovated and restored to its old glory ahead of Christmas this December. Church bells will soon toll at the 125-year-old St. Luke’s church where worshippers will once again gather for mass prayers after more than three decades.
Foundation stone of St. Luke’s Church
Situated at the foothills of the Shankaracharya hillock, close to the Chest Disease Hospital, the church was built by two eminent doctors – Ernest and Arthurnew – and dedicated by the bishop of Lahore on December 12, 1896. The foundation stone engraved by Dr Earnest and Dr Arthurnew is still inside the church wall. “To The Glory of God”, it reads, “As A Witness To Kashmir” dedicated by “The Bishop of Lahore.”
British journalist and author Brigid Keenan in her book Travels in Kashmir: A Popular History of Its People, Places and Crafts, which was first published by the Oxford University Press in 1989, writes that in 1869, there were great celebrations in missionary circles when Bishop Matthew of Lahore came to consecrate the three Anglican churches that had been built in Kashmir – two in Srinagar and one little one in Gulmarg for summer visitors.
“At All Saint’s where the Anglo Indians (as British in India were known at that time) worshiped, and where the British resident read the lesson early Sunday, the Service was sung in English and Miss Petrie wrote that ‘many said it was like a home church service’,” Keenan writes.
St. Luke’s Church. Photo: Majid Maqbool.
“She herself preferred the simple Urdu service in St. Luke’s, the tiny church which the missionaries had built for themselves and their few converts in the grounds of the hospital. Miss Petrie, a talented amateur painter, had raised the money to buy an organ for the church by selling her pictures. St Luke’s is still there, unused now, and dilapidated. Its little brick spire will help the visitors locate it in the crowded enclosure of what is now the T.B. hospital,” Keenan further writes about the St. Luke’s church in her book.
Until 1986, the church was attended by the Valley’s minuscule Christian worshippers who would also hold annual mass prayers that attracted worshippers from across the Valley and outside. After the church was closed in the mid 1980s, and in the subsequent years as the conflict escalated, members of the Christian community would conduct their prayers in the secured church in the Church Lane at Srinagar’s Sonwar area.
Restoring lost glory
The renovation of the church began in April last year and is part of the restoration of historic buildings and conservation of old shrines of all faiths under the J&K Tourism Department’s ‘Smart City Mission’. The estimated cost of the renovation is about Rs 70 lakh. The renovation is nearing completion and the church is likely to be reopened for prayers around Christmas.
Reverend Vino Kaul, associate priest of All Saints Church, Srinagar said that when the Chest Disease Hospital was handed over to the government by the Britishers in 1960, the church remained there. Kaul said a local priest lived in the premises of the church where he would lead daily morning prayers.
“The church remained open till 1986-87 and every morning prayers would be held in the church,” the reverend said, adding that till 1986 a British priest was also available for the visiting worshippers at the church.
“Then after conflict erupted in the 1990s leading to the closure of the church. But the building remained there and people living in the vicinity were helpful and they would inform us if any miscreant tried to break into the church,” reverend Kaul added.
In 2016, the local Christian community and priests approached the state administration to seek its renovation, so that it could be reopened while maintaining its old design. The church renovation was brought under the Smart City project and funds were transferred to the tourism department which subsequently started the renovation from last year in coordination with the members of the Christian community.
“The restoration of this church will go a long way in strengthening inter-community bonds. We didn’t face any problems with the local Muslim community all these years. People living closer to the church are also happy that it will reopen. The old structure of the church has a heritage value which is being maintained during its renovation,” the priest said, adding that not many people, including many well-informed government officials, knew about the existence of such a church in the city.
“It is admirable how all the Kashmiri masons and carpenters diligently worked hard all these months to replicate the old roof design and Khatamband ceiling work. It was a very difficult job, and we appreciate their hard work and we will always pray for them,” the reverend said. “And all of these workers involved in the renovation belong to the Muslim community.”
The supervisor of the church renovation Mohammad Afzal Reshi said that they had used the same material for the uplift as was used in the original structure in the past. The ceiling of the stone and brick masonry structure was redone with the traditional Khatamband woodwork and flooring with “Devar” stones.
Renovation at St. Luke’s Church, Srinagar. Photo: Majid Maqbool.
The supervisor said that when they had begun the renovation last year, the structure was in dilapidated condition. “We started with site clearance as trees and grass had grown closer to the entrance. Then we worked on the exterior renovation first including completely renovating the rooftop,” he said, adding that they had tried to maintain the previous colour combination and diligently done the interior woodwork based on its original design.
“We didn’t change the design and architecture of the church, but worked on restoring its glory and renovated damaged parts. To restore the old traditional Khatamband ceiling alone, it took about two months for carpenters,” said Reshi.
A tourism department official said that about 12 masons and an equal number of carpenters had worked for months on the renovation.
Imtiyaz Hussain Dar, the site engineer of the project, said that since the church is in the close vicinity of the COVID-19 designated Chest Diseases hospital, the renovation slowed down for some months last year it resumed as the COVID-19 lockdown was eased.
Dar said the church was in a dilapidated condition when they first started with renovation. The entrance and immediate surroundings of the building had a thick growth of trees and grass which had blocked the church entrance and windows.
“The roof was totally damaged and it had become a home of pigeons,” the engineer said. “We had to build a new roof based on the old design and the carpenters and masons worked on the roof and tower for weeks.”
“After the renovation is complete and the church is reopened, it will emerge as a beautiful heritage site to attract religious tourists to the city,” he said.
Presently more than 20 people including masons and carpenters are at work every day to complete the renovation. Window glasses, lighting, flooring, doors and church benches will be installed in the coming weeks.
A worker engaged in interior work of the church said some 20 to 30 workers like him had been continuously working for the past three months to complete the interior work on time.
“It will be good to see this church reopen for its worshippers again,” said a mason working on the boundary wall of the church. “We are working hard to meet the deadline, so that it opens soon.”
Bashir Ahmad Bhat, deputy director of the maintenance and public works at the tourism department, said that they had worked closely with the members of the Christian community and experts from archeology and heritage so that the renovation work was carried out without changing the original design and interiors of the church. He said that people want to see such old heritage structures restored and maintained for posterity.
“In the coming weeks, when the renovation is complete, this oldest church will be reopened after decades of closure,” Bhat said. “It will look as if a flower has bloomed there.”
Majid Maqbool is a journalist and editor based in Srinagar, Kashmir
