Afghan War Memorial Church to open its doors on March 3 in a freshly restored avatar

An exemplar of Gothic revival architecture, it was first consecrated in 1858 in a humble avatar — it started under a thatched roof for the European officers

Mumbai: There are many questions around the history of the mid-19th century Afghan War Memorial Church in Colaba that still remain unresolved, said conservation architect Kirtida Unwalla. She would know. The conservation planner and educator has been working on the restoration of the 165-year-old structure for the past 28 years in “bits and pieces”.

Afghan War Memorial Church to open its doors on March 3 in a freshly restored avatar

Two years ago, the World Monuments Fund India (WMFI) undertook the restoration of the church with funding support from Citi. Unwalla was made lead conservationist, and together with Swati Chandgadkar — whom she referred to as her “work partner for life” — and a handful of consultants, was finally able to help restore the Anglican church affiliated with the Mumbai Diocese of the Church of North India, one stained glass window pane and column poultice at a time. It will be open for all to see on March 3.

“Even two months ago, this site looked unrecognisable. It’s not hyperbole to say that the restoration of the Church was a real miracle,” said Rashmi Poddar, director, WMFI.

In its newly restored avatar, the church finds itself with a freshly restored gargantuan Burma teak roof (complete with waterproofing and lead filling and new structural parts to support its arched shape), cleaned lime columns, restored mosaic reredos, as well as stained glass windows on all walls to reflect the true glory of gothic revivalist artistes, and even replicas of the standards, or regimental colours, of the troops that were on display in wall-topped vitrines of the vestibule. The original standards, now threadbare, are being restored and will be made available for viewing and research.

Art conservationist Anupam Sah’s team, together with Unwalla and Chandgadkar, Christopher Elisha of the church’s Pastorate Committee, structural engineer Sahnawaz Siddiqui and contractor Mehul Thakkar, among other members of the core team took a group of media persons on February 28 for a walkthrough of the church.

The restoration works were numerous and involved everything from giving the church a new drain system (called a french drain, it allows the water to move through to collection pits and evaporate rather than be blocked in, Unwalla explained) to bringing back the full-circle ringing and Ellacombe chiming (an apparatus that enables one to ring all bells with one move) of the eight bells that were gifted to the church in 1903 by Sir Charles Gayzer of Gartmore to commemorate his wedding.

Quite like its restoration, which took place as Unwalla points out, in intervals between 1998 and 2008, the church itself came up over a period of time.

An exemplar of Gothic revival architecture, it was first consecrated in 1858 in a rather humble avatar — it started under a thatched roof, mainly for the European officers working with the East India Company at the time. Its design plans were prepared by Henry Conybeare, the civil engineer responsible for bringing piped water to Mumbai. Its foundation stone was laid in 1847, but the interior works carried on well into the turn of the century, till 1907. The bell tower served as a beacon for ships coming into the port. At 210ft, it was first installed in 1865. Around the same time, the brother of General David Barr, an officer who served in India, gifted the church a stained glass window pane, replete with the story of the nativity and with intricate details like medallions and grisaille — common to the 13th and 14th century Gothic artists — and it was installed in the section of the church that came to be popularly called the lady’s chapel.

Materials were both locally sourced (the marble on the pulpit and the floor) as well as sent from England through ships (the stained glass works, designed for instance, by William Wailes, one of their most renowned manufacturers). The altar itself was placed on a plinth of a carboniferous limestone imported from Derbyshire and which carried deep within it, fossils of corals and brachiopods.

Quite like the city, the church too came up, in fits and starts — even as the faithful congregated in it religiously.

The primary purpose of the church, as described by A.J. Nix Seamen in his authoritative History of Colaba (1918) was “to establish some permanent memorial to the gallantry and endurance of those of all regiments concerned, the Madras Army as well as the Bombay Army who fell in the First Afghan War, between 1839-42, campaigns which immediately proceeded the building of the Church.”

Names of English soldiers who died in the second Afghan war (1878-1880) are also inscribed on the walls of the chancel as well as the sanctuary of the church. Interestingly, the memorial to the soldiers who died in the third Afghan war (May-August 1919) was built in Kolkata, but it was not built to be a church.

“The Church in itself is an All-India monument, and that a Church was chosen, and not a monument of any other form, was because it was intended to combine the original purpose with an object of the highest spiritual utility. There is therefore a very intimate connection between the Church of Colaba and the First Afghan War,” Seamen, who was the Archdeacon of Bombay, wrote.

“This restoration project sparks renewed interest in conserving India’s cultural heritage. I am confident that the newly restored church will reclaim its status as a vibrant social landmark in Mumbai,” said Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation and WMFI board member.