St. Mary's Church, Pune

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Sight Address : St. Mary’s Church is situated at 1-A, Sholapur Road, Pune, India. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

St. Mary’s Church, Pune is located in the gaon of Ghorpuri in Pune, Maharashtra state, India. It is the oldest church in the Deccan region and thus is known as the “mother church of the Deccan”. The church was built to meet the spiritual needs of the British soldiers stationed in and around Pune. The church was built by Lieutenant Nash of the East India Company’s Engineers. The foundations of the building were laid by Bishop Reginald Heber, the Bishop of Calcutta, in 1825. He described the church to be a large building but in bad architectural taste.[citation needed] A 1,500-member congregation worships there every Sunday, and the church currently is under the jurisdiction of the Church of North India.

St. Mary’s Church

HistoryEdit

St. Mary’s Church, which is considered as one of the oldest protestant churches in the city, was consecrated by Bishop Heber. In the year 1825, the church was constructed to serve as a place of worship for the officers and soldiers of the British, along with their families. Apart from Gothic style of architecture, the church also displays a blend of British and Indian architectural styles. Under the floors of the church, mortal remains of Sir Robert Grant, the renowned writer of religious lyrics and an erstwhile Governor of Mumbai is placed. Using pipe organs that are about 130 years old, the church is worshiped every day. Before 1982, the church was adorned with a steeple, which was later replaced by shorter concrete one. In the memory of Lieutenant Trotter, stained glass was fitted at the altar and near the baptistery, in 1874. Apart from this stained glass that was fabricated in London, the church also contains some rare regimental flags. A memorial plaque in memory of Colonel William Morris, one of the survivors of the Battle of Balaclava, is housed in the interior of the church. Often referred to as Mother Church of Deccan, it is the oldest church to have been established in the Pune region. Many memorials of the British soldiers, who served in various wars and battles, were housed in the edifice, owing to its being a garrison church. Remains of Sir Edward West, the Chief Justice of Supreme Court at Bombay, are also housed in the church. Colours of the 25th Bombay Infantry are laid to rest beside the memorials and plaques.

Must SeeEdit

Attraction

Visiting TimeEdit

N.A.

Closed OnEdit

N.A.

Best Season to VisitEdit

October to March.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning , Afternoon , Evening .

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

30 minutes to 1 hour

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Thousand Oaks ; 2417, East Street, Camp, Pune, Maharashtra 411001 ; Ph/M – 020 2634 3194 ; Food Serve – N.A.

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxis are easily available from railway station, airport, and different point of city to reach these destination. Contact no. for taxi of Mumbai – Pune 020-26135784 and Pune-Mumbai 020-26145365.

Bus : Pune has three bus stands: Pune train station stand for Mumbai, Goa, Belgaum, Kolhapur,Mahabaleshwar and Lonavla; Shivaji Nagar bus stand for Aurangabad, hmedabad and Nasik; and Swargate bus stand for Sinhagad, Benga-luru and Mangalore. Deluxe buses shuttle from the train-station bus stand to Dadar (Mumbai)every hour (Rs.260, four hours). Pune Station (Asiad) : 020-26122591 ; Pune Station (S.T. Stand) : 020-2616218 ; Shivaji Nagar Guest House (VIP) : 020-25536104 ; Shivaji Nagar Stand : 020-25536970 ; Swargate Depot : 020-24442968 ; Swargate Stand : 020-24441591/020-24449980.

Train : Pune railway station is the main railway head of Pune. It is located on HH Prince Aga Khan Rd, Sangamvadi. Good rail networks connect Pune with all other rail junctions in India. The Pune Suburban Railway connects Pune to Lonavala, a small town en-route to Mumbai. There is only one line with seventeen stations, Here The Pune Suburban Railway connects Pune to Lonavala, a small town en-route to Mumbai. There is only one line with seventeen stations; a second monorail line is under consideration by the government. Here is a list of all the stations, east to west. Pune City ; Shivaji Nagar ; Khadki Dapodi (CME Museum); Kasarwadi (Air Vents & Glass Factory); Pimpri (Pimpri Plant, TATA Plant); Chinchwad (Bride Industries Ltd)Akurdi (Force Motors Plant, Bajaj Tempo); Dehu Rd (Army AOC & ASC 512 Base repair Depots); Begdewadi (Loco Sheds); Ghorawadi; Talegaon (Muhammad Ali Rd, CRPF); Wadgaon (PWD bungalow); Kanhe; Kamshet; Malwali. Arr./Dep. (Recorded) : 133 ; Enquiry : 020-26126575 ; General : 139 ; Reservation : 132.

Air : Pune airport is located about 10 km away from the heart of the city, in the Lohagaon area. Taxi charge from airport to city is only Rs 200. Regular, direct flights are available from Pune to many cities in India. The cities Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai are all air connected to Pune. International travelers can get connecting flight from Mumbai International Airport. Air India – Airport 1800-227-722/020-26683210/020-26683211

Others : Auto-rickshaws : There is also a huge army of three wheeled rickshaws. There are some prepaid rickshaw stands at Shivajinagar, Swargate Bus Depot and Lohegaon Airport. From here autorickshaw is easily available to reach these sight.

Things to CarryEdit

Carry light cotton clothing, sunscreem, sun glasses, plenty of water and camera.

Safety / WarningEdit

While traveling from Pune to Mumbai beware of touts who induce you into cheaper travel. Rather take the Asiad buses from the regular stand at the Pune station or the crowded luxury buses which are safer options.
The auto rickshaw drivers can overcharge so ask them for meter readings and follow the rules of the meter while making payments.
The city is heavily polluted in crowded junctions so avoid traveling in rush hours.
Do not trust strangers while traveling and avoid traveling out late at night in lonely areas, though Pune is relatively a safe city, and the crime rate is low.