St. Philomena's Church
Place : Mysore,
Karnataka
Significance : One of the tallest churches in India.
Best Time to Visit : October to March
Timings : 5:00
a.m. to 6:30 p.m. |
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 Built
in neo-Gothic style, St. Philomena's church is a major tourist attraction and
a well known landmark of Mysore. Located about 3 kms from Mysore city on Ashoka
road (Mysore-Bangalore Road), it is one of the tallest churches in India. Presently
known as St. Joseph's Church, it is dedicated to a 3rd century saint, Philomena
from Greece.
Initially a small church stood on the grounds given by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar
III in 1840. He gave the plot to build a church when a need for a Christian
church was felt in 1799 when the capital of Mysore state was moved from
Srirangapatanam to Mysore city and many British officers and soldiers came and
settled here. In 1933, Krishnaraja Wodeyar
IV ( the grandson of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III) laid the foundation
of a new larger church. It was designed by a French architect and was again remodeled
and completed under the Mysore Bishop, Rene Feuga's supervision.
 The
present Gothic structure with its high vaulted ceiling is said to resemble St.
Patrick's Cathedral in New York and Gothic Church Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
Built with light, fawn-coloured stone, the church has two tapering spires with
church bells rising to a height of 175 ft. visible from miles around. In front
of this beautiful church is a small green patch with a tiny garden. The floor
plan of the cathedral is in the shape of a cross. The long part of the cross
is the 'nave', which is the tall and spacious prayer hall with a seating capacity
of 800 people with wooden benches arranged in queues. The two arms of the cross
form the transepts and the fourth part forms the altar.
The white walls of the church is endowed with pointed arches and tined windows.
The stained glass windows, made in France adds to the artistic grandeur of the
church. These beautiful glass-windows depict scenes from the life of Christ -his
Birth, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension.
Below the main marble altar, the church has an underground chamber
enclosing a statue of St. Philomena from France, in a sleeping posture as well
as a relic of the saint obtained from Peter Pisani, Apostolic Delegate of the
East Indies in 1926. The relic is preserved at the centre of a beautiful shield.
There is also a statue of Christ which lies beyond the altar.
The church runs an orphanage in its premises. The Holy Mass is held daily in
Kannada, Tamil and English. Special prayers are held on Sundays and during festivals. The
annual Feast of the church is held on August 11th.
Photography inside the cathedral is strictly prohibited. The church is open everyday
from 5am to 6.30pm.
Mass Timings :
Weekdays : Morning - 5am to 9am; Evening - 6pm to 6.30pm
Sundays : Morning 5am - 6am, 6am - 7am; Evening 6am - 6.30pm
Contact Address :
Tourist Information Center
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
# 49, 2nd Floor, Khanija Bhavan, West Entrance, Race Course Road
Bangalore - 560 001, Karnataka
Ph: 080-2352901 / 2352902 / 2352903,
Fax : 080-2352963
Contact : E-mail
How to get there : Click
here..
Places to Stay : Click here..
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