Hyderabad: As Hyderabadis and Telanganites celebrate Christmas and gearing up for New Year celebrations, a peep into the past on the historical churches gives a sense of pride.
Goa is often referred as capital of Churches in India, yet Hyderabad has some of the finest churches in the country but few know about them or even visited.
Only a few in the heart of the city have become popular due to constant media coverage, yet many are draped in history and hardly visited, barring locals.
St Mary’s Church in Secunderabad, one in Abids and another in Bolarum where Queen Elizabeth II visited always hogged media coverage over the years, but there are many unknown and ancient churches.
Everyone thinks that it’s the British who established churches in India, Hyderabad, but the fact is some of the oldest churches were constructed by Portuguese and French missionaries.
Do you know that the Church in Jahanuma in the Old City of Hyderabad dates back to 16th Century, and is one of the oldest churches established by Portuguese?
While the original over 400-year-old Our Lady of Sorrows Church structure in Jahanuma has been replaced by a new one, and includes a memorial, in the 17-acre St Marks Boys Town School premises, it has a cherished history.
Late Archbishop Mark Gopu gave this property to the Brothers of St Gabriel in 1955 that began an orphanage followed by a church in the place of the old shrine in 1970. Portuguese Missionaries brought this beautiful statue of Our Lady of Sorrows.
According to historical evidence, the oldest church in Hyderabad was built by the French, Portuguese armies and later by British.
The Church in St Antony’s Girls High School Subhash Road, Mahankali Street, Secunderabad for example.
Then there is little church of St. Thomas in the narrow lanes of Kutbiguda, Badi Chowdi, Sultan Bazaar, which was constructed in 1800 AD. This is the second oldest church in Hyderabad and the first to house a cemetery. It was known as Chaderghat Church.
Flipping through the historical records, the oldest church in Hyderabad was built in Jahanuma for French troops in the 16th century, St Mary’s Church, Secunderabad (1840), St Joseph’s Cathedral, Abids (1875), All Saints Church (1900), St Francis Xavier Church (1903) to name a few.
Portuguese and French troops were Catholics and built their own churches while Protestant churches came up during the British period.
Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows at Jahanuma has a chequered history dating back to 16th and 17th centuries when Nizam had his palace in the Old City.
Catholic officers were Portuguese and the French trained the Nizam’s Army.
It is stated a devoted French missionary priest lived in a cave on the Jahanuma hill, spending time in prayer, penance and fasting and performing miracles.
Nizam promises land
When Hyderabad was reeling under severe drought, then Nizam came to know about this priest, called him and asked him to pray for rains. The priest agreed on a condition that Nizam would provide a piece of land to build the Church for Our Lady of Sorrows if the mission is fulfilled. The Nizam agreed.
Priest undertook a fast and prayed and there was heavy rain. The Nizam was pleased and as promised gave the missionary a piece of land, where the first church in Hyderabad Dominion was constructed.
Most of the residents of Secunderabad, where British had their Cantonment given by Nizam, have seen Church of St John.
The Baptist Church was constructed in 1818 and the place was then called Lancer Lines. Built in the Indo-European style in the shape of a crucifix, the Church served the spiritual needs of British troops who were stationed there.
“O Lord open Thou our lips / And our mouth shall show forth Thy praise” — lines from Bible is engraved on the steps.
The pipe organ became an integral part of the church to enhance liturgical worship. Similarly, few other churches like All Saints Church, St George’s too have pipe organs.
Popular St Joseph’s cathedral with its baroque architecture has five bells in an open tower which were installed in 1892.
The clock on the tower of St Joseph’s Cathedral is a century old and was gifted by the Nizam.
The All-Saints Church located opposite Military Hospital, Trimulgherry, was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Fredrick Gell, the then Bishop of Madras Diocese of the Church of England, in 1860 AD.
Having Gothic architecture in all its grandeur and beauty, the majesty of the structure is brought out in its stately columns, splendid arches, massive buttresses and majestic spires, capped with a serrated bell tower.
Medak Cathedral
About 80 km from Hyderabad is the famed Medak Cathedral, the seat of the Church of South India. It’s well known for its architectural splendour and majestic stained glass that was obtained from Italy, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus. It is one of the most visited Churches in Telangana State.
Christians have contributed a lot for the development of the State and country, established schools, hospitals and missionaries to help the poor and needy all over the country including Hyderabad.
Archbishop of Hyderabad
Archbishop of Hyderabad His Eminence Cardinal Poola Anthony writes “These early missionaries to Hyderabad (Golconda, Bhagyanagar) were the seed of Christ’s love sown in this land. It is up to us now to help that seed germinate, grow and bear abundant fruit. History never ends.”
On the rise of Christianity in the diocese of Hyderabad, he says Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498 and in 1510 Albuquerque conquered Goa.
The Christian presence came to the western shores of India with this conquest. Even though Hyderabad was only 800 km away, to the West no missionary came to Hyderabad at that time.
The story of Hyderabad
Hyderabad was founded by Qutb Shahi sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 CE
In 1769, Nizam Ali Khan Asif Jah II shifted the capital to Hyderabad. The troops were also shifted to the new capital. Among the troops were Christians belonging to the Padroado allegiance. They came along with their priests as chaplains and settled around Jahanuma and Secunderabad.
The Residency building (now Koti) was started in 1798. Together with this building close by St. Thomas Church was built in 1801.
In 1979 this Church was demolished by Rev. Fr. M. Dhanaraj (Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Cathedral) and a modern Church was erected.
Nizam Ali Khan died in 1803 and was succeeded by Nawab Mir Akbar Ali Khan, Sikander Jah in the same year. Asaf Jahi III died in 1829 to be succeeded by Mir Farqunda Ali Khan commonly known as Nasir-ud-Dowlah or Asaf Jah IV.
During his reign, Berar was ceded to the British, the Telegraph system came to Hyderabad in 1856.
During this period more and more Christians immigrated to Hyderabad. They came in with the British troops as support personnel. They were mainly Tamil speaking.
Among the British troops themselves there was a large contingent of Irish troops who were devout Catholics. They were stationed in two areas one in Bolarum, north of Hyderabad and the other south of Hyderabad, known as Cantonment.
These soldiers and their Christian support personnel were Catholics under Propaganda, whereas the soldiers in the Nizam’s armies came under the control of Padroado.
On 11-05-1851 Hyderabad was erected as a Vicariate, with Msgr. Daniel Murphy being its first Vicar Apostolic.
Mahboob Ali Khan at the age of two and half years succeeded his father as Asaf Jah VI. The British influence grew stronger as the whole of India came under the British Crown by 1856.
The Christian population grew not because of direct evangelization but because of immigration. Large number of British families came to Hyderabad seeking their fortunes as British influence grew. Anglo Indians from various parts of India were attracted to the Postal, Telegraph and Railway departments.
The Goans were attracted to the Nizam’s Army and many came in also as traders from the West Coast.
By 1886 the Padorado question was settled and Msgr. Peter Caprotti PIME became the first Catholic Bishop of Hyderabad which had now become a diocese spread over a vast area extending from Aurangabad in the north to Anantapur in the south, Gulbarga in the east to Kammamet in the west.
The Christian Community in the Twin Cities consisted mainly of foreigners – Goans who were traders and soldiers in the Nizam’s army, Tamils and Anglo-Indians hailing from many cities because of the Railways and Post and Telegraphs. There were not many Telugus converts in the Twin Cities.
Real missionary work was being done in the villages and interior towns.
The Christian Community began growing in the Twin Cities. Already St. Francis Xavier Church, Bolarum (1876), Holy Family Church, Trimulgherry (1880) St. Mary’s Church, Secunderabad (1854), St. Joseph’s Gunfoundry (1820) were existing parishes.
A new parish began in 1929 at Sacred Heart Church, South Lallaguda, also called Little London due to presence of large number of Anglo Indians, to take care of those in the Railways. Fr. Stephanati was appointed the first Parish Priest.
Ten years later in 1939 St. Philomena Church, Bhoiguda was built and Fr. B. Marianna was its first Parish Priest. Missionary Priests, Fr. P. Fernando and Fr. Roch entered the Diocese. In 1941 Fr. Roch built Our Lady of Health Church, Khairatabad.
The Second World War had begun in 1939 and continued till 1945. British India and the Nizam supported the war.
All the Europeans who were against the British and their allies were imprisoned in the Cantonment jails. Italy was on the side of the Germans and so all the movements of the Italian priests in Hyderabad were closely watched and monitored.
India was granted Independence on 15th August 1947 and became a Republic in 1950.
However, the story was different in Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII who refused to join the Indian Union later surrendered to Indian Army following Operation Polo and Operation Caterpillar.
Archbishop Joseph Mark Gopu was the First Archbishop of Hyderabad (1953 to 1971), who had the twin tasks of consolidating and expanding the work done by the foreign missionaries in Hyderabad.
The history is still in the making.
