Colaba’s Cathedral of the Holy Name is more than a historic or a religious landmark; it’s an oasis of calm in the middle of buzzing Bombay
This picture has been used for representational purpose
A little over a month ago, among the many firsts that this lockdown led us to experience, this was added to the list. I ‘watched’ a deferred live telecast of midnight mass from the Cathedral of the Holy Name on Christmas Eve that was streamed via the parish’s YouTube channel. It was a fly-on-the-wall view, and I sorely missed out on the real experience, like lakhs of others, who partook in service from their homes. Yet, as I heard the Word of God across the miles in a corner of my suburban Bombay 1BHK, being part of a mass from the stunning interiors of this historic cathedral made amends somewhat for this heritage nut. It was hard to not snatch glances of its Gothic grandeur each time the camera panned around. That the main celebrant was His Eminence, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, made it even more special. The beautiful, solemn service will rank right up there as one of my most memorable.
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The seat of the Archdiocese of Mumbai, the cathedral is one of the most striking churches of the city and it holds an important place among the Roman Catholic community in Bombay. The foundation stone was laid in 1902 and soon enough, it came to be called Wodehouse Church as it stands on Wodehouse Road, named after Sir Philip Wodehouse who was Governor of Bombay from 1872-77. The road [like most of the city’s older roads] was renamed Nathalal Parekh Marg. The imposing cathedral was designed by WA Chambers, a noted architect.
In fact, a few days after that Christmas Eve service, as I sat poring over notes while researching for an article, my fixation with timelines resulted in an interesting discovery. It was in January 1905 that the cathedral was opened for community worship. Yours truly did a mental jig, and hence decided to share it with all of you, my dear readers.
The façade of the building is surmounted by two lofty towers, flanked on either side by the residence of the Archbishop and the Fort Convent School. An Italian Jesuit Brother, Antonio Mocheini, rendered the paintings within the church at the turn of the last century. Some more digging revealed that the vaulted high ceilings and nearly 40-m-high walls of the Colaba landmark posed many challenges to the gifted artist as he worked his magic and left a legacy of frescoes on a frosted gold background that highlighted several themes from the Old Testament. I also learnt that the padre was heavily inspired by his far more hailed Italian counterpart from the 16th century – Michelangelo. Over the years, restorers and conservationists have marvelled at how hard he would have worked in record time since he completed this canvas of his in a year, according to records.
While I am yet to visit the cathedral post lockdown, I recalled the many times when I had stepped in, in the past; on every occasion, a sea of tranquility would envelop the surroundings — whether it was during service or at any other time of the day, really. As I sat in one of the pews, the odd car would whizz past, the persistent chirping from the foliage would blend in, and the faint sound of human voices in the distance never troubled. It was baffling, really. Because, despite being located in the heart of a buzzing part of Bombay, it always felt like an oasis of calm. The wandering mind, of course, could never stop imagining what it must have been like to attend Sunday morning service here, over a century years ago. Would a row of horse carriages be lined up outside? Did all the women flaunt their resplendent hats crafted by England’s finest milliners, and the men, dressed in bespoke Savile Row suits? Was there a pipe organ to bring the house down with its high notes? Was the congregation segregated in pre-Independent India or were all equal in this house of worship? The vignettes and frames made for an indulgent sepia-tinted rewind; of course, woven from speculation and a fantastical imagination!
Still, it is a space that should be on your map the next time you’re in those parts and are in the mood to explore, whether it is to gaze at Brother Mocheini’s mastery on the ceilings or for its stately grandeur that celebrates Gothic architecture or simply, to snatch a few moments of calm, far away from the madding crowd. It almost seems as if that title of Thomas Hardy’s classic written work could also befittingly lend itself to define this city landmark.
mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
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