Cathedral-Immaculate Conception of Mother Mary-From pondycathedral.org (Puducherry)

India / Pondicherry / Puducherry / Mission Street
 cathedral, church, catholicism, Roman Catholic church, historic landmark
This is also called as Parent church for Catholic diocese for Pondicherry and Cuddalore.It is also called as "Samba Kovil”, which is a phonetic corruption of “Saint Paul’s Kovil”.
The Jesuit Fathers came in 1689 and they bought very large garden to the West of the French Fort but it was demolished by the Dutch .A Second Church was quickly built in 1699 but could not last long.From 1728 to 1736 a large beautiful Church was built on the very site the present Cathedral stands now. It was third by serial. This Church was razed to the ground by the British in 1761. Erecting in 1765 provisionally (fourth in serial) a functional kind of irregular shaped shed where the Mission Press in now, since the year 1770 the Fathers were earnest in building the present CATHEDRAL on the foundations of the 3rd Church.On 20th June 1791 the Main work was finished and the Church was consecrated by Bishop Champenois.The Bell tower was built later. The choir loft was added in 1905. The Sanctuary was remodeled in the year 1970. the esplanade in front of the Cathedral has been remodeled in 1987, to allow people to take part in liturgical ceremonies and special functions held outside.
The Festival of this Church i.e., immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary falls on the 8th of December.Now The church which stands for around 300 years is also the place where the bishop house is also situated. Mass services in Tamil and English are conducted and adds as one of the oldest tourist site in Pondicherry.This Church was also visited by Mother Theresa
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception_Cathedral,_Pondicherry
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Coordinates:   11°55'59"N   79°49'48"E

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This article was last modified 8 years ago