Mumbai: A popular song from the 1978 Bollywood film Don that describes the sights and sounds of Mumbai jests how ‘Bambai nagariya’ has a “Church-gate” but the church itself is missing.

A little research proves that the shrine does indeed exist. St Thomas Cathedral in Fort, which gives Churchgate its name, is the oldest British building in the western Indian city.

This is Point Zero, where the pin falls in ‘Bombay’, from where distance in the city was measured in milestones.

Inaugurated on Christmas Day 1718, St Thomas is set to celebrate its 300th anniversary on December 25 this year. This is the main Anglican house of worship in the city where the bishop conducts Christmas service.

St Thomas Cathedral is intricately interlinked with the history of Bombay. The ‘church’ in Churchgate comes from the cathedral being visible from the station.

The Cathedral Tower once served as a lighthouse for sailors at sea. Inside the Cathedral are memorials to scores of young soldiers who died in the First World War.

As the countdown begins to the big day, several events are lined up to herald the tricentenary.

On April 21 morning, parish priest Rev. Avinash Rangayya and Dr Kamal Jadhav, who is a member of the celebration committee, led 25 visitors including several Parsi heritage enthusiasts on a tour of the church.

Jadhav said, “We climbed a ladder right up to the belfry which is three to four storey high. All the participants were overwhelmed at the breathtaking view from the top. You can see the Arabian Sea as well as various landmarks around South Mumbai.”

Over the decades the beautiful church has been restored by various conservation experts, interestingly all women

Brinda Somaya undertook the initial phase of waterproofing the roof among other tasks along with Sandhya Sawant who has since passed away. Somaya’s new book includes a chapter on this monument which she has admired since her student days.

Swati Chandgadkar, who restored the magnificent stained glass, remains a regular visitor at midnight Christmas service.

Sheetal Gandhi has worked on the monument piecemeal since a decade and is now cleaning and beautifying it for the anniversary.

Gandhi said, “It is heartwarming how the caretakers of St Thomas have always been particular about maintenance and beautification although funds are scarce and sporadic. We are whitewashing the tower, fixing external lights so that visitors can enjoy the beauty of the stained glass even after sunset, and restoring the flying buttresses at the back. Some old marble and stone plaques are being repaired or replaced.”

Three hundred years on, the surrounding landscape has morphed from green to grey. Yet Point Zero remains an oasis of calm amid the commercial district of South Mumbai.

Scores of office goers from Fort and Churchgate come to sit silently and contemplate. Jadhav said, “Our prayer box is filled with requests each week. These chits are placed at the altar where the priest blesses them.”

(source: Times of India)