‘Humbled’: Delhi LG throws open St James Church to public
The restored church will now become a prominent landmark in the city for tourists, city residents and heritage enthusiasts, the LG said
The historical St James’ Church was a centre of celebration on Sunday after the structure was formally opened following year-long restoration works, which helped save it from crumbling while also retaining its vintage character.
A ceremony held to commemorate the occasion also saw the participation of Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena, who unveiled a plaque and rededicated the church to the people.
The restored church will now become a prominent landmark in the city for tourists, city residents and heritage enthusiasts, the LG said.
“Humbled to have rededicated the historical St James Church in the Capital. This iconic and grand house of faith, renovated and restored by the DDA with the help of INTACH in record time, has stood witness to the 1st war of independence, as indeed our entire struggle against colonialism,” said Saxena.
The 187-year-old church located along the Lothian Road in Kashmere Gate is the oldest church in Delhi and demonstrates classic colonial architecture. A Scottish mercenary fighter, James Skinner, started building the church in 1821. Construction was completed in 1836. It was consecrated 15 years later, and the first service was held in 1836 by Bishop Daniel Wilson.
The church had several conservation and maintenance issues, officials aware of the matter said, which needed to be urgently attended to as there were serious cracks in the structure.
Efforts to put in place conservation plans were initiated in August 2015 by church authorities. They appealed to the LG for funds in 2017 and the financial grant came through in 2019. In 2021, an MoU was signed with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and work was finally initiated in October 2021. After delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and ban on construction to control pollution, the conservation process picked up once again in July 2022.
Conservation was carried out by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach)’s Delhi chapter as the project consultant.
Jennifer Datt, a member of the church who attended the ceremony on Sunday, said the church was in need of conservation and effort had yielded fruits. “The church has been nicely done. It’s back to its original colour and all facades have been spruced up too,” said Datt, who has been associated with the church since 1996.
