How this Mumbai church is connected to Afghanistan

As strife continues in Afghanistan, we focus on Mumbai’s historic connection with the country, the Afghan Church and its stained glass panels that form part of a memorial landmark built to honour the martyrs of the Anglo-Afghan Wars

Back in the early 19th century, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta was keen to build a ‘chapel’ for the East India Company troops stationed in Bombay. As the troops and the population increased, the need was felt for a bigger church. The proposed church was given an impetus owing to the wars or campaigns in Afghanistan and Sindh in the mid-1800s, and was to be a fitting memorial for the Indian and British soldiers who lost their lives.

Swati Chandgadkar

The Afghan Church [consecrated as St John The Evangelist] opened for service in 1858. At the time, Gothic Revival architecture was the prominent style in England, and its influence was seen in the buildings in Bombay. The Afghan Church became the first church to be built in this Neo-Gothic style.

Windows of art

“The Afghan Church is unique in that this religious building is also a commemorative of a military event, and holds army memorabilia. In churches and cathedrals, it is commonplace that, apart from the main Altar Window, most stained glass windows are added as and when donations are made and sometimes they take years to fill the church. In the case of the Afghan Church, all the stained glass windows were a part of the architectural plan and were commissioned to reputed English studios at the time of inception,” shares Swati Chandgadkar, a well-known stained glass conservator. Sir Henry Conybeare (the Engineer whose building plan was selected) had estimated for the West Window and for the Clerestory windows in 1847.

Afghan Church’s Barr Memorial Window Crucifixion with original paintwork (soft and in the Revivalist style) with the Barr Coat-of-Arms (below)

Chandgadkar mentions that stained glass windows are intrinsic to Neo-Gothic architecture, and the Afghan Church subscribes to this definition. “All the significant sections of the church have stained glass windows with themes aligned with their orientation: The Great East Window (geographical West) or the Altar Window is a splendid representative of early English Gothic style and mainly depicts the Gospel Saints in the New Testament, with the figure of Jesus Christ looming large in the centre. 

Afghan Church. Pic/Wiki Commons

Memorials for all

“The West Window or the Op-Altar Window at the main entrance is designed in a 13th century French style, composed of straddling medallions that resemble the stained glass in Chartres Cathedral, France,” she says. The themes are tales from the Old Testament in The Bible.

Afghan Church Barr Memorial Window — Adoration of the Magi — Later addition by students of Sir JJ School of Art. Pics courtesy/Swati Chandgadkar

The window at the Baptistery Font or the Anderson Memorial Window carries themes of Baptism, including Jesus Christ’s; and the beautiful narrow lancet lights at the Lady Chapel corner have stories from Christ’s life starting with Nativity. This is also a Memorial Window — a gift from Colonel Barr in memory of his brother, General David Barr of the Bombay Army Contingent. The window bears the family Coat-of-Arms with the motto, Prasto et Presto. Hence, the name Barr Memorial Window.

“A big reason for building a church of this stature was to add one more jewel in the Crown — to replicate London in Bombay and make the city look familiar to its English residents,” she summarises.

1865
The year in which the church’s tower and steeple (60 metres, 198 feet) was completed.

Indian meets Neo-Gothic

My favourite panel is the Adoration of the Magi panel within the Barr Memorial Window Lady Chapel Window (1864). The lower section of this window was damaged about 70 years later, and the then church chaplain proposed to the dean of Sir JJ School of Art to ‘replicate’ the damaged area. The missing section was designed in the style of the Arts & Crafts Movement that was the prevalent artistic phase in England. The painting was undertaken by students of the Arts school, and instead of simply reconstructing the original paintwork (as conservation demands today), they moved away from the medieval revivalist style of the window. An Indian sensibility is seen in the paintwork in this section that sets it apart from the rest of the Window: The three Magi represent the three Indian communities – Hindu, Muslim and Parsi, and are shown wearing Indian costumes with their respective turbans and chappals. Compared to the delicate, soft palette of the paintwork in the full window, this small panel shows vigour, skill and boldness, but is cohesive with the entire window.

- Swati C

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