St. Andrew's Church ( ta, புனித அந்திரேயா கோவில்) in

Egmore Egmore is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Situated on the northern banks of the Coovum River, Egmore is an important residential area as well as a commercial and transportation hub. The Egmore Railway Station was the main terminus of the Ma ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

was built to serve the Scottish community in Chennai. Building started 6 April 1818 and the church was consecrated in 1821. It is one of the oldest churches in Madras. Its design was modelled on

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

and along with St. George's Church, Dublin, it is considered one of the finest stylistic "daughter" churches to the famous

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

structure.

Architecture

The church shows prominent features of

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...

, it is inspired by

in London. It was designed and executed by Major Thomas de Havilland and Colonel James Caldwell of the Madras Engineers. The body of the church is a circle, with rectangular compartments to the east and west. The circular part 24.5 m in diameter, is crowned by a shallow masonry dome colored a deep blue. This is painted with golden stars and supported by 16 fluted pillars with Corinthian capitals.

Dome

An architectural marvel, the dome has a framework of brick supported by an annular arch and is filled in by pottery cones. Its blue interior is formed by crushed sea shells mixed with

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mine ...

Stained Glass

The stained-glass windows above the main altar, in warm, rich colors, are among the glories of the church.

Pipe Organ

Dominating the altar is the pipe organ in dull green and burnished gold. Built in New Yorkshire, England, this instrument was installed in 1883.

Tradition

St. Andrew's Church (The Kirk) is of the Scottish

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

tradition and continues to belong to it. Its form of worship and system of governance continue to be truly

. However, it is free to follow and does include other orders of service used by any other Church with which it is doctrinally like-minded.

Gallery

File:St.Andrew church, kirk, chennai.jpg, A view from the top File:St. Andrew's Church 1905.jpeg, St. Andrew's Church, c. 1905 File:St. Andrew's Church, Madras (MacLeod, p.120, 1871) - Copy.jpg, St. Andrew's Church, Madras (MacLeod, p. 120, 1871) File:Interiors of St. Andrew's Church, Madras (MacLeod, p.120, 1871) - Copy.jpg, Interiors of St. Andrew's Church, Madras (MacLeod, p. 120, 1871)

References

External links

The official site of the church

on Madrasi.info Churches in Chennai Presbyterian churches in India Palladian architecture Churches completed in 1821 Heritage sites in Chennai Church buildings with domes 19th-century churches in India 19th-century Presbyterian churches Neoclassical church buildings in India {{Chennai-geo-stub