Bombay: Hidden Beauties: The Church of Saint Thomas

The Bombay Fort had a few gates to get into it, one of these gates lead to the Church of St Thomas and hence the gate was called Churchgate and this is how the Railway station got the name "Churchgate"!!! After the walls of the fort were brought down the gates were gone but the area still continues to have the name! I have lived in Churchgate all of my childhood and I did not for the longest time know this!

The St Thomas Cathedral is one of the most beautiful Churches in Bombay, the wood and their Brass is well polished, the stained glass is the prettiest I have ever seen. Stained glass in most of the Churches in India was imported in parts, probably from Western Europe and assembled here on location. That is why one can see the joints in the glass [check out Jesus's limbs!] and this makes it look really abstract and 'modern' today...

Many Britishers that died in India are laid in the complex building of the Church, Generals, young soldiers, maids all lying in silent, some of their wall marble tablets have beautiful quotes from the Bible, poetry that makes you feel that these people were of great honour. Even though some of them died fighting Indians during the Ist war of Independence which they called the 'Sepoy Mutiny', you feel sad for them because of the beautiful depiction on the marble tablets.

[My friend, Francis who knows so much about the secrets of this city took a few of us on a long awaited tour of the city! Thanks Francis for the lovely insights!]