SIKH
GURUDHWARA
Near
the Ulsoor Lake stands the elegant and white Sikh Gurudwara.
Opened on 13 April 1946, it is the main Sikh temple in
Bangalore. Having been renovated recently, the temple
looks resplendent with marble floors.
Devotees from all religions and communities are welcome
to the temple.The prayer hall is large and well-ventilated.
It can accommodate about 500 devotees at a time. Special
prayers are offered every Sunday and the temple wears
a colourful look. Nearly a thousand people from all religions
come here to worship. Bhajans and kirtanas are sung in
praise of Guru Nanak and Guru Granth Sahib. After this,
meals (vegetables, dal, chapatis and payasam) are served
to all.
There
is a school, a medical centre and a function hall in the
premises. The temple also provides accommodation (a day's
stay) to the tourists. The Sri Guru Singh Sabha manages
the affairs of the temple, but it is the devotees who
sponsor free medical consultancy and Sunday meals.
JUMMA
MASJID
The
most impressive mosque in Bangalore is Jamia Masjid, situated
near City Market. It dazzles in the sun with its exterior
of pristine white marble from Rajasthan. Rayyaz Asifuddin
from Hyderabad designed it and the foundation stone was
laid by Sir Mirza Ismail (Dewan of Mysore) in 1940. Its
balconies are exquisitely fashioned with jali work.
It
is a five-storeyed structure, which can accommodate up
to 10,000 worshippers. The atmosphere inside the mosque
is cool, serene and airy, with an ablution pool in the
centre. However the oldest mosque in the city is the Jumma
Masjid at Cantonment area, which is a brick and mortar
structure with ornate jali-work and floral motifs in plaster
on the facade. It is located on Old Poor House Road and
was once called the Sangian Jamia Masjid. Granite pillars
adorn the raised prayer hall of the mosque
Tawakkal
Mastan
This
is probably the first dargah to be associated with a Hindu
festival. The dargah honours the Sufi saint, Hazrat Tawakkal
Mastan. Legend has it that that the saint was a mason
from Arabia who was involved in the construction of Haidar's
fort. He had the misfortune of being trampled on by a
crowd during a karaga procession. It is said that he fainted
and was revived by some priests who applied kum-kum on
his wounds, which is what was supposed to have healed
him. He then insisted that the procession stop at the
dargah every time. It is situated in Cottonpet and also
has a marriage hall and a school.
St Patricks
Church
This
is one of the oldest churches in the city (around 150
years old). Located on Brigade road, this church was consecrated
as a cathedral in 1899. Father Chevalier was responsible
for building this church, which boasts of a lovely arched
entrance flanked by twin columns. Twelve pillars symbolising
the twelve apostles add grace to the interiors of the
church. The Church is a prestigious one being an important
place for worship and weddings.
People
who have grown up in Bangalore are aware of St Patrick's
Church on Residency Road, recognizeable by its twin spires.
The services held on a Sunday morning were interesting
not so much for the priests homily but for the swallows
that flew around the interior of the church, quite unmindful
of the congregation seated within.
Infant
Jesus Church at Vivek Nagar
The
Church has a long history of sacrifice and devotion from
the time it was first conceived by Fr Paul Kinatukara
in the sixties. In April 1970, the foundation was laid
by Rev.Dr.Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore,
with absolutely nothing to get started.It was Fr. L. Peter
who set out on a daunting mission to establish the church
on a firm footing. Persisting faith and courage prevailed
and finally the present church was opened in the year
1979, despite gruelling obstacles. The most noticeable
feature of the church is the secular nature of the devotees.
The
Infant Jesus Church was recently rebuilt making it the
biggest church in Karnataka. The newly built Church, a
popular pilgrimage centre at Viveknagar in Bangalore was
on inaugurated by Dr Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore
on June 10, 2005.
Representative
of the Vatican in India Dr Pedro Lopez Quintana dedicated
the new church at a Eucharistic celebration.
In
terms of accommodating the number of people, this is the
largest church in Karnataka. With 312 benches, it can
seat about 3,500 persons inside the worship hall and another
5,000 people in the open podium area.
St.
Mary's Basilica
A
small chapel was the original structure built by Abbe
Dubois, French missionary. This chapel is right opposite
the Russel Market Square. The interior is remarkable,
with stained glass windows and multiple columns with a
rich Corinthian capital supporting the stately arches.
Many devotees dressed in orange, gather here to celebrate
St Mary's Feast in September every year. A papal order
from Pope John Paul VI gave the church the status of a
Basilica in 1973. If you seek the Mother Mary's blessings
then visit the church on Saturday. The present structure
was built in 1875-1882.
St.
Andrew's Kirk
The
only Scottish Kirk in Bangalore, situated on Cubon Road
parallel to MG Road contains stained glass windows depicting
Lord Jesus and his eight apostles. A pipe organ was also
installed here in 1881. The walls are adorned with polished
brass plaques. There is also a plaque of John Cook, the
Principal of Central College in Bangalore in 1915.
Holy
Trinity Church
This
beautiful landmark at the east end of the M.G. Road was
built in 1848-51. It is built in the English Renaissance
style.The church can accommodate 700 people and is regarded
as the largest "military" church in Southern
India.
