CleanupBot II at 18:20, 13 August 2023

2023-08-13T18:20:25Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}

{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = St. Mary Church<br/>Սուրբ Աստվածածին Եկեղեցի
| image = Armenian Church Madras.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = St. Mary Armenian Church, Chennai
| map_type = India
| map_size = 275
| location = [[George Town, Chennai|George Town]], [[Tamil Nadu]] <br/>{{flag icon|India}} [[India]]
| geo = {{coord|13.0891|80.2873|display=inline,title}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]
| rite = [[Armenian rite|Armenian]]
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| architecture_style = [[Armenian church architecture|Armenian]]
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| year_completed = 1712, rebuilt 1772
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'''Saint Mary Church of Chennai''' ([[Armenian language|Armenian]]: {{lang|hy|Սուրբ Աստվածածին Եկեղեցի}}), constructed in 1712 <ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3303979.stm | title=The Last Armenians in Madras | work=BBC News | date=11 December 2003 | first=Charles | last=Haviland | access-date=18 May 2018 }}</ref> and reconstructed in 1772, is one of the oldest churches of the [[Indian subcontinent]], located in [[Chennai]]. It is famous for its [[Bell tower|belfry]] of six. The Church, also called the Armenian Church of Virgin Mary, is located on the Armenian Street in the neighbourhood of [[George Town, Chennai|George Town]].

Trevor Alexander was the caretaker of the Church until 2014;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/armenians/prominent_p8a.html |title=Economic Times of India article: The Last Armenians |access-date=7 August 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326065637/http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/armenians/prominent_p8a.html |archive-date=26 March 2017 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> as on 2019, Jude Johnson, who is a relative of Trevor Alexander, is the care taker.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100308072220/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/chennai%E2%80%99s-armenian-connection-270 Chennai's Armenian connection]</ref>

==The Church==
[[File:Altar Armenian Church Madras.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Altar Armenian Church in Chennai.]]

* Functioning only as a heritage site, the Church is opened for visitors from 9 am till 2:30 pm.
* It is funded by the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]<ref>[http://acjnewsline.asianmedia.org.in/features/groupC/Web%20Page_shreehari.html For Whom The Bell Tolls]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and maintained by The Armenian Church Committee in Calcutta.
* The graves of about 350 Armenians have been laid out throughout the Church.
* The founder, publisher and editor of the world's first Armenian periodical "Azdarar", Reverend Haroutiun Shmavonian, is buried here.
* The Belfry adjacent to the main Church structure houses six large bells which are rung every Sunday at 9:30 am by the caretaker.

The Armenians were a select group of merchants in Madras Presidency. They walked all the way from Armenia, through the Hindukush mountains and came down to Madras. When the British were trading cotton cloth, Armenians dealt with fine silk, expensive spices and gems.

Madras must have housed a small but a thriving Armenian population. Today there are none of them left.{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

==Bells==

The six bells are all of different sizes, varying from 21 to 26 inches, and weigh around 150 kg each, They are believed to be the largest and heaviest bells of Chennai. The bells were cast at different times as noted below:
*One bell, with Armenian inscription dates to 1754. This was recast in 1808 and also bears [[Tamil language|Tamil]] inscription.
*One bell's inscription indicates that it dates to 1778.
*Inscriptions on two bells indicate that they were given to the Church in memory of 19 year Eliazar Shawmier, buried in the Church's garden. Shawmier was the youngest son of a leading Armenian merchant of the city of [[Madras]] (now Chennai) on whose private chapel ground the present Church stands.
*The remaining two bells date to 1837 and were cast by the [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]], then known as ''Mears & Stainbank'', with inscriptions reading "Thomas Mears, Founder, London".

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:BellsArmenianChurchMadras.jpg|Bells of the Armenian Church in Madras
File:BelfryArmenianChurchMadras.jpg|Belfry of the Armenian Church in Madras
File:The Armenian Church of St. Mary, 1905.jpeg|The Armenian Church of St. Mary, c. 1905
</gallery>

==See also==

*[[Armenians in India]]
*[[History of Chennai]]
*[[George Town, Chennai|George Town]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Armenian Church, Chennai}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040103162853/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/02/24/stories/2003022400170300.htm The bells of St. Mary’s]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090420064952/http://www.armenianchurch.in/ Website of the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth, Kolkata Armenian Churches in India website]

{{Armenian Churches}}
{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Places of worship in Chennai}}

[[Category:Armenian diaspora in India]]
[[Category:Armenian Apostolic churches in India]]
[[Category:Churches in Chennai]]
[[Category:18th-century churches in India]]
[[Category:18th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings]]

Armenian Church Chennai - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 18:20, 13 August 2023