19th Century Kashmir church restored to glory set to reopen for public on Christmas

Till some months ago, a small church in the congested Dalgate locality of Srinagar was in ruins. Trees and shrubbery encircled the structure, making it nearly inaccessible. The St Lukes Church, which is 125 years old, is now being restored to its original glory and will be throw open to worshippers next week on Christmas. The church is situated in the tourist hub and is only half a kilometer away from the famous Dal Lake and the Buchwara market, frequented by locals and foreign tourists. The Dalgate area, where the heritage church is situated, is a perfect example of religious harmony. The Shankaracharya hill houses a famous temple and in the Sonwar area is the shrine of revered Sufi Saint Syed Yaqoob. The church has remained shut for more than 30 years. Worshippers stopped coming to the church a few years before militancy erupted in Kashmir in the 1990s. Imtiyaz Kutay, whose home is located just opposite the church, said: “The church has remained shut since militancy started in Kashmir. Before militancy, Christians use to pray at the church. I remember going inside the church when I was a school student in the 1960s.” [caption id=“attachment_10214651” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The church has remained shut for more than 30 years. Worshippers stopped coming to the church a few years before militancy erupted in Kashmir in the 1990s. Image procured by author[/caption] Kutay said the government was doing a good job by preserving heritage structures. “All heritage structures irrespective of religion should be preserved like they do in the West.” Noor Mohammad, a local whose shop is situated metres away from the church, said: “It is good the church is being restored to its past glory. It would keep the market abuzz when foreign tourists visit the church. The church should remain open so that people of the Christian faith can visit.” The government has taken up the restoration work of the Protestant church under the Smart City Project, said a tourism department official. An official supervising the work, who did not wish to be named, said the heritage structure was being funded under the Smart City Project and the work executed by the tourism department. As one passes through the church porch, the floor is covered in dust and construction material. Workers are busy putting finishing touches on the structure. They hope to have it ready before Christmas. [caption id=“attachment_10214661” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The government has taken up the restoration work of the Protestant church under the Smart City Project, said a tourism department official. Image procured by author[/caption] “The church was in bad condition. Its roof had caved in. The scaffolding work took us almost a month. The renovation work is in its final stages now,” said Mohammad Yousuf, one of the masons. Farooq Ahmed, the Lambardar of Buchwara, Gagribal and Dalgate areas, said his ancestors worked as masons during the construction of the church way back in 1896. “We have not changed any designs. We have only restored what was in a state of decay,” Farooq, who is head mason, said. Contractor Mohammad Saleem said, “We had started work on it last year, but had to be stopped because of the pandemic lockdown. The walls had been painted green. We had to remove that paint with machines. The tin roof, which was 125 years old, had to be removed.” The old intricate wood work, called ‘khatamband’ in Kashmiri, on the pointed arches of the church had to be removed and a new one fixed. “The khatamband that has been used on the church is called ‘mouj’. It isn’t made anymore, so we had to get it on order. The decayed beams had to be repaired,” Saleem said. [caption id=“attachment_10214671” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The church, which shares its compound with Government Chest Diseases Hospital, earlier known as Kashmir Mission Hospital, was erected by the Neve brothers in 1896. Image procured by author[/caption] The original structure of the church has been left intact, he added. Only the buckling floor, ceiling and roof have been replaced. Remnants of the olden days such as the stained glass installed more than a century ago can still be seen in the windows and embossed brick tiles, a rarity, line the walls near the altar. The altar made with stone is almost complete and the walls have a new coat of ‘chuna surkhi’, a mix of lime and burnt brick-dust. The buckling wood floor is being removed to install a new one. The church, which shares its compound with Government Chest Diseases Hospital, earlier known as Kashmir Mission Hospital, was erected by the Neve brothers – Dr Arthur and Ernest Neve – Christian medical missionaries, on 12 September, 1896. Dr Arthur served in Kashmir as a medical missionary for more than 30 years and especially helped treat the cholera epidemic and tuberculosis. He is known for his pioneering work in the field of medical sciences in Kashmir and also for alleviating the miseries of many. [caption id=“attachment_10214701” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] 
Farooq Ahmed, the Lambardar of Buchwara, Gagribal and Dalgate areas, said his ancestors worked as masons during the construction of the church way back in 1896. Image procured by author[/caption] A plaque on the wall facing the altar of the church reads: ‘To the Glory of God and As a Witness to Kashmir’. It was dedicated by The Bishop of Lahore. The St Lukes Church is part of the Church of North India and Diocese of Amritsar. Four churches in Kashmir come under the Diocese of Amristar: St Lukes Church in Dalgate, All Saints Churchin Sonwar, St Mary’s Church in Gulmarg and St John’s Church in Pahalgam. “Around Rs 60 lakh has been allotted by the government for the renovation of the church.  The workers have to replace the floor now. We also have to erect the bell, altar and the benches,” said priest in-charge Reverend Eric. Associate priest Rev Vino Koul said the St Lukes Church was constructed in 1896 for the locals, while the All Saints Church in the nearby Sonwar area was used by the British, including the then Viceroy. “People stopped going to the St Lukes Church around 1987. Since the past three years, we have been visiting the church and we wanted to renovate it. We approached senior officials and urged them to take up the renovation work of the church,” said Rev Koul. He said: “It was difficult to renovate the steeple. We are lucky we didn’t have any injury. They have done the repair work nicely.” Reverend Koul said as the church was being opened to people after a long time, they have planned a congregation. “The Bishop will visit when we throw open the church again. Even if the church is not complete on Christmas, we will hold a small carol service of 15-20 students on Christmas.”