St. John's Church

Location:South of Dalhousie.

Time to Visit:9 A.M. - 8 P.M.

Preferred Timings: Morning between 9 A.M.-11 A.M. and evening after sunset.

Admission Fee: Nil.

How to Reach:Local buses, minibuses and metered taxis are readily available from various parts of the city. One can also avail the charming Kolkata tramcars.

Photography / Video charges:Strictly prohibited.

Nearest Railway Station: Howrah.

Nearest Metro Station: Esplanade.

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Esplanade.

Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Intrnational Airport.

Time required for sightseeing: About 1 hour.

St. John's church is a historic church and has the distinction of being the first British built church in Kolkata. It was built in the year 1787 and needless to say, the church was the primary place of Christian congregation. In the days of yore, the church masses were attended by the crème de la crème of British society in Kolkata.

If we dig deeper into the historical fact sheets of this amazing Kolkata Church, we get to know that St. John's church was the first Anglican Church of India. The Anglican communion is a worldwide body of churches which owes allegiance to the Church of England. All Anglican Churches follow the code of conduct as prescribed by the Church of England. As far as Christian rites are concerned, any rites performed in any one Anglican church has to be given recognition by the other Anglican churches with no questions asked.

The St. John's church has been designed in the pattern of London's famous St.Martin-in-the-Fields church which is regarded by many to be among the most beautiful churches in the world. The harmonious blend of steeple and portico along with columns that are an integral feature of London's St. Martin Church has with the passage of time become the model of colonial church architecture and all these essentially Grecian architectural features are amply reflected in the interiors of Kolkata's St. John's church.

Kolkata being the capital of the erstwhile British East India Company, there was a sizeable British population in Kolkata and to accommodate the large British populace, the then British administration had embraced the Greek school of architecture, which had the essence of spaciousness and grandeur. The St. John's Church was not only a place of worship for Britons but they would often come to this church to celebrate civic power and offer thanksgiving for success in war.

Inside this magnificent church, apart from the altar, you will find several rare portraits of past archbishops of Canterbury. The centerpiece of attraction is however a rare painting of "The Last Supper" by renowned German painter Johann Zoffani. Zoffani attained global recognition as a painter in 18th century England.

There is a cemetery inside the church premises where some famous personalities of the Raj-era lie in eternal slumber. For instance, you will come across the graveyard of Job Charnock, the founder of Kolkata, Admiral Watson and Julius Imhoff to name just a few. By the way, Julius was one of Anna Maria Imhoff's children.

If one goes through the church records one will be amazed to know that apart from burials, many eminent persons of the Raj-era were baptized as well as married at this hallowed church, which still reverberates with its past grandeur.

Special Event / Annual Event

Christmas, Easter and Good Friday.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

BBD Bagh, GPO, Writers Building.