History
Small and simple St. Thomas' Cathedral, is one of the oldest
English buildings in Mumbai. Mumbai city's first Anglican Church, it
is situated in the heart of the commercial fort area, in Mumbai. The
foundation stone was laid by Gerald Aungier( then governor) in 1672.
After his death, the work on project was stopped and the building
lay abandoned for forty year until new life was infused into the
project in the second decade of the eighteenth century by
enthusistic Richard Cobbe, a chaplain to the East India Company. The
construction was completed and the chuch was opened to the public on
the Chris Ãtmas Day in 1718.
Architecture
The building is a nice blend of Classical & Gothic style of
architure. Church's tall steeple is the cynosure of many eyes.
Though the bulding has undergone subsequent changes but most of
these are additions with no or less subtractions. In this way the
original form of the building has been preserved.
Interior
The whitewashed and polished brass-and-wood interior is the main
forte of the Church. It has some exquisite art adoration. A marble
plaque at the front entrance reads: "Let all who enter this
church remember Richard Cobbe, chaplain to the Honorable East India
Company 1715 to 1719, this church had risen to 15 feet when the
building ceased and the site lay desolate for 33 years. It was
consecrated in 1816 and became a cathedral in 1837.
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