Wednesday, December 25, 2013

St. Paul's Church (Roman Catholic), Lucknow Cantonment, Lucknow

St. Paul's Church is located in the Lucknow cantonment area close the Dilkusha Post office and the protestant All Saints Garrison Church. St. Paul's compound in Dilkusha also houses a School and a seminary.

The front porch and the main entrance door to the church

The front porch

Following details can be found about the beginning of St. Paul’s Church in the book ‘Bishop Hartmann’ by Fr. Fulgentius O.F.M.Cap.

“In 1860 the Cantonment Church (i.e. St. Paul's) and the Chapel in the Civil Lines (i.e. St. Joseph's) in Lucknow were still under construction. For the rest there was no sign of life and activity...
His Lordship (i.e. Bishop Hartmann) has left us in the form of a very brief journal... It must be noted at this time of the year the day temp. Ranged from 43°C to 45°C...
May 10th 1862 – Arrival in Lucknow. The following day I blessed the two chapels which were hardly completed, viz, St. Paul's in cantonment and St. Joseph's in the city...
June 1st – Sunday:... Due to my disease I had to interrupt my Masses both in the cantonment and in the city.

The Cantonment church at Dilkusha (Lucknow) was built by Government.”

As per Wikipedia 'The college was established in 1957 and is affiliated to the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi'.

Around the Church - 1

Around the Church - 2 (view from the parking area)

Around the Church - 3 (view from the parking area)

Around the Church - 4

Around the Church - 5 (View from the Grotto)

The porch and the entrance to the Church

Around the Church - 6 (view from the parking area) with the statue of the Patron Saint - St. Paul in the midst. The School building can be seen on the left

Statue of the Patron Saint - St. Paul at the back of the Church i.e. behind the High Altar

The Grotto

The inscription stone on the Grotto

The nave and the pews

The pews and the stations of the Cross on the Church wall - 1

The pews and the stations of the Cross on the Church wall - 2

The confessional by the entrance door - there is another one of the other side of the door

The beautiful church ceiling - 1

The beautiful church ceiling - 2

Saturday, December 7, 2013

1857 mutiny memorial at Bargawan Village

It is located off Lucknow – Kanpur road in the village of Bargawan close to the new Picaddily hotel. It appears as monument/site number 302 on the Archaeological Survey of India’s ‘List of centrally protected monuments/sites under the jurisdiction of Lucknow circle, Lucknow’ as ‘Cemetery at mile 6 (Lucknow-Cawnpore Road)’ on the ASI list.


Even though it is listed as a cemetery, it currently only has a memorial to the officers and men of 5th Fusiliers who fell during the 1857-58 occupation of the Alambagh Camp under Sir J. Outram. As per eminent Lucknow historian and an authority on the Indian Mutiny 1857 Mr. Satish Bhatnagar (Retd. IAS) there could be a mass grave (knowing the situation they were in) at Bargawan for the men listed on the memorial,  however it cannot be validated. Neither do we know if they were buried individually, nor their location.

We read about thee officers' role in the defense of Alambagh in the book: Christian Tombs and Monuments in the United Provinces by E. A. H. BLUNT I.C.S. Year: 1911. It reads: "Sufficient justice has seldom been done to Outram's defense of the Alam Bagh between the 2nd relief and the capture of Lucknow. His position extended from the Alam Bagh to Ram Bagh and thence across to Jalalabad on one side and also east, a circuit of about 11 miles. He was to keep the rebels at Lucknow in check, and had some 4,000 men to do it with: whilst of rebels there were about 120,000. He was attacked in force six times, and successfully repulsed all attacks. The 5th Fusiliers was one of his regiments and did good service. The village of Bargawan was included in his lines and the 6th FusiLers were posted close to it."

The sign board at the compound gate

An Archaeological Survey of India protected monument

View from the compound gate - the iron grill and the cemented platform is a recent addition as part of the restoration work

The Memorial - 1

The Memorial - 2

The Memorial - 3

The inscription on the memorial

Inscription on the memorial reads:
This column is erected by the officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of the 5th Fusiliers, to their under mentioned comrades who fell during the occupation of the Alam Bagh Camp under Sir J. Outram, K.C.B., 1857-58: Lieutenant J. Brown ; Armour- Sergeant H. Whitnorth; Sergeant W. Walters; Private W. Anderson ; Private W. Baldry ; Private T. Hill ; Private D McEvoy; Private H. Wright; Private I. Baker; Private L. Martin; Private W. Chamberlain ; Private J. Cleary ; Private T. Kelly; Private T. Mara; Private T Marsh; Private J. Monaghan; Private W. Connolly; Private D. Donnolly ; Private R. Preston; Private I. Doughty ; Private W. Pottle ; Private W. Moran ; Private W. Messenger.