St Stephen's Church
Ooty Travel Packages
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5 Day Coorg and Ooty Holiday
Coorg(2N) → Ooty(2N)
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U Tour Holidays(4.8
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5-Day Mysore, Coorg, Ooty & Coonoor Scenic Tour Adventure
Mysore(1N) → Coorg(1N) → Ooty(1N) → Coonoor(1N)
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Unicorns Tour(4.9
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Mysore Coorg Ooty Hill Station Leisure Tour Package
Mysore(1N) → Coorg(2N) → Ooty(3N)
3-Day Ooty Getaway with Coonoor and Mudumalai Highlights
Ooty(2N)
Mysore & Ooty Delight: 3N/4D Tour From Bangalore
Mysore(1N) → Ooty(2N)
Ooty & Coonoor Delight for 3 Nights
Ooty(3N)
Tags : Church & Cathedral
Timings : 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Time Required : 1-2 hrs
Entry Fee : No entry fee
St Stephen's Church, Ooty Overview
St. Stephen's Church in Ooty is a colonial-era church located on the road to Mysore and is one of the earliest churches in the Nilgiris district. Its pale-yellow building reflects the British architectural style of the period. The church houses a painting of 'The Last Supper.'
The structure dates back to the 19th century and was built by the British government. The date of the commencement of construction was cleverly chosen to coincide with the birthday of King George IV. Various attractions that appeal to visitors and tourists in the church include pretty stained glass windows that depict a myriad of different scenes, such as Mother Mary holding Jesus in her arms; the exquisite wooden architecture and the painting of The Last Supper. The St Stephen's Church continues to attract tourists from all across the nation and is till date one of the prime attractions of Ooty. For all those people who intend to visit Ooty, the 'Queen of Hill Stations', during the holiday season, a visit to this wonderful house of worship is indeed a delight.
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History of St Stephen's Church
The Governor laid the church's foundation on 23 April in 1829. The date was so chosen that it would coincide with the birthday of King George IV. On 5 November 1830, the church was consecrated by John Matthias Turner, the Bishop of Calcutta. The St Stephen's Church was finally opened to the public communion on Easter Sunday- 3 April 1831. Following the independence of the country, the church came under the CSI or the Church of South India.
Architecture of St Stephen's Church
In charge of the architecture and design of the St Stephen's Church was Captain John James Underwood. A total expense of INR 24,000 was incurred to build the church, which is a tremendous amount in the context of those times. The primary beam of the church and all the timber that was required were both taken from Tipu Sultan's palace after the British had successfully defeated him in the Mysore War. The wood was brought all the way down from Seringapatanam and carried through the Sigur Ghat.
Noteworthy attractions of the St Stephen's Church include its superb wooden architecture and the grand painting of the Last Supper on the western wall. Gorgeous stained glass windows that portray various scenes, like the crucifixion of Christ and the image of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms, adorn the eastern wall of the church. An ancient graveyard that is located at the back side of the church is also particularly appealing to the visitors.
This church also has an unusual and interesting feature of four hammer like structures. This structure is tied on some inverted-V shaped wooden planks using wires. When these wires are pulled from the floor, the hammer-like structures produce an amazing and magical musical sound.
It is also intriguing to note that even after all these years, the St Stephen's Church shows no sign of wear and tear and has bravely battled all ravages of time.
St Stephen's Church Timing
Mondays to Saturdays: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Sundays: Every Sunday, there is a service at the church from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
