Munnar: The British-era church at Old Munnar overlooking the valleys is getting a facelift.
The 110-year-old church, presently under the CSI (Church of South India) Church, was constructed in Gothic style. The church is linked to a British cemetery, which was constructed much earlier. The authorities are keen on keeping the church intact and the maintenance work is being undertaken without disturbing the original structure.
The church is likely to be reopened for public after a week after the completion of the work.
According to Suresh B., treasurer of the church, the renovation of the roof is nearing completion. The church will be maintained intact and no portion will be added to or removed from the church constructed as per the Scottish architectural style, he added.
The church authorities have decided to preserve the nearby cemetery as well. It is also a historical landmark in Munnar which attracts tourists, he said.
The construction of the church started in 1910 and was completed in 1911. The church was built using rough-hewn granite and most of the materials were imported from England.
Henry Mansfield Knight, manager of the British tea plantation, built the church to fulfil the wish of his wife to be buried near a church. His wife, Eleanor Isabel May died at an young age, soon after her marriage due to cholera. Her tomb was the first to be built, even before the construction of the church, and it completed 125 years in 2019. According to documents, Eleanor died at the age of 24 on December 23, 1894.
Other Britishers who died in Munnar were also buried on the hill. There are plaques inside the church mentioning the contributions made by the Britishers to Munnar.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/munnars-british-era-church-getting-a-facelift/article34184128.ece