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Christ Church Shimla
Christ Church ; St. Michael's Cathedral :
Built in 1846-1857, Christ Church is the second oldest church of Northern India. The Church overlooks the ridge and is one of the landmarks of Shimla. The clocks on Christ Church were added later but none of them are functional now. The Church's exquisite beauty comes with the stained glasses that are fitted on its windows . You can discreetly have a look inside the church, or attend English-language  services every Sunday during the tourist season . The town's other important churches are St. Michael's Cathedral and Roman Catholic Cathedral, which is just off the Mall 

Christ Church and St. Michael's Cathedral. The Christ’s Church is an attractive remnant of the Raj. It is a typical Anglican church with bewitching spires, Gothic arches and buttresses. Dedicated to St. Barnabas and St. Francis, the church has some fine stained glass windows with delicately carved borders, a sundial and lovely brass memorials. The grey stone church set amongst verdant green makes a very pretty picture.

The most prominent building on the Mall is the yellow Christ Church, reputed to be the second oldest church in northern India. The silhoutte of this can be seen on the skyline for miles around. It was designed by Colonel JT Boileau in 1844, but consecrated only after 1857. The clock was donated by Colonel Dumbleton in 1860, and the porch added in 1873. In Shimla’s 75 years of reigning as summer capital, a long line of officials and other notables of the Raj came to the church for their Sunday prayers. The seasonal influx would be so great at times that space would pose a big problem. and once it so happened that a vicar was even prompted to preach a sermon against the space taken up by women’s crinolines. Lo and behold, next Sunday, the chastened ladies turned up in riding outfits! Now, of course, the congregations have dwindled and there is no lack of space. More than half a century has slipped by since the last Viceroy of India has prayed here, but nothing much seems to have changed in Christ Church. It still has those lovely stained glass windows for which it is so famed. Check out the one that represents the virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Patience and Humility. But around the chancel window used to be a beautiful fresco designed by Rudyard Kipling’s father, Lockwood Kipling, who was the principal of Mayo School of Art in Lahore. Sadly, nothing of it remains today. Note the interesting brasses and plaques.

Historical Importance
Christ Church on the ridge, add their own touches of background atmosphere. At the cross road, where one arm reaches to the ridge and another to the post office is the famous scandal point and the apocryphal tale goes that a former Maharaja of Patiala carried off the British commander in chief's daughter from this spot. The story is as unlikely as any, and the truth of the place name probably stems from the fact that earlier - as now - it was the place where people gathered for both conversation and gossip.

The southern slopes immediately below this row of shops are regarded to be one of the most densely populated hill slopes anywhere in the world. Over a hundred years ago, the celebrated writer Rudyard Kipling described this stretch in Kim as, "The crowded rabbit-warren that climbs up from the valley to the town hall at an angle of forty five. A man who knows his way there can defy all the police of India's summer capital. So cunningly does veranda communicate with veranda, alley way with alley way, and bolt hole with bolt hole" The description holds true even today.


 
 
 
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