churches of udaipur – UdaipurBlog

As we speak of 25th December, let’s for a paragraph indulge ourselves into its origins, myths behind Christmas, St. Nicholas, and Krampus. Christmas, The Christian festival, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, a town in Israel. The date 25th December, according to the Roman calendar also marks The Winter Solstice.

With Christmas came the story of the great St. Nicholas, an early Christian bishop of Greek descent, from the city of Myra. It’s said to believe that St. Nicholas aka, Santa Claus rewards children who have been well-mannered and obedient children. But then also came the myth of Krampus, a half-human with a goat-like head. He is said to scare children who had behaved in an ill-mannered way. Celebrate Christmas with all its glory and mythologies.

Udaipur has always been rich in culture, architecture, spirituality, charm, and beauty. Its mesmerizing architecture never fails to leave its appreciators in amazement. We have talked on several occasions about artistry, but let’s shift our focal point on the Churches of Udaipur, this December.

Shepherd Memorial Church, Church of North India

James Shepherd, arrived in Udaipur in 1877, as a missionary at the request of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. His noble work in Udaipur, his commendable medical skills, and his considerate personality won everyone over. Within eleven months of his arrival, his dispensary had 27,472 visits. He also held preaching meetings two times a week. Impressed with his noble work, Maharana gifted him with a piece of land on which he commenced the construction of his church, now known as the Church of North India. It’s a protestant and an independent church.

The edifice of this church has a whiff of Victorian architecture with the dash of Roman to it. The grey stones of the structure give the age of the church as it is the first church built in Udaipur.

Address: Shepherd Memorial Church, Chetak Cir, City’s Prime Healthcare Area, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral

This catholic church in its olden days received the statue of Our Lady of Fatima from the Bishop of Ajmer, who received it from a German lady who was a devotee of Our lady of Fatima. It remained unopened in Bishop’s home from 1964 to 1967 before the Tridium Management was thrilled to take it.

The church is spacious. It has finely carved pillars all around for the people who love to marvel at the architecture. With a serene ambiance and a calming aura, it has an occupancy of almost 500 devotees.

Address: HMWX+PCQ, Bhopal Pura, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

Rajasthan Pentecostal Church

Late DR. Thomas Matthew established this beautiful church around 1987. He also founded the Pentecostal church. For much time, this church was under the Shepherd Memorial Church, then in 1987, it was built in all its glory in the scenic environs of Rani Road.

The Church is constructed with utmost beauty surrounded by lush gardens. And the interior is commendable with elegance. Its white walls with the gorgeous view of the lake make this church one of the most beautiful churches of Udaipur.

Address: Filadelfia Campus, Rani Rd, opposite Sanjay Park, Malla Talai, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

St. Gregorios Orthodox

The beautiful church of St. Gregorios is an orthodox church as aforementioned. It has an exquisite interior with a high arched ceiling, alluring stained glass, a hint of Victorian in the windows and the whole church is splashed in a shade of white from the inside. It also has Syrian flow in its architecture. The church was established in 1987 and gets its name from St. Gee Varghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala. The space in the church is appropriate for 200 devotees. The patron saint of the church is St. Gregorios and there is a statue of him in the prayer hall too. Visit the church this Christmas and let yourselves experience the spirituality and beauty of the church.

P.B.No.172, Khar Kuan,
New Bhupal Pura, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313 001

Emmanuel Mar Thoma Church

Rather modern in its architecture and interior as it was constructed in 1994, this church has links with Kerala. Marthomites who migrated from Kerala came here and formed the Malayalee Syrian Christian Congregation. The bedrock for this church was earthed by Bombay-Delhi Diocesan Bishop by the name Geeverghese Mar Athanasius.

Address: University Road, North Ayad, Udaipur

These churches will hold a prayer meeting in the morning. A simple and minimalist Christmas. There are many more churches that devotees go to. This Christmas you can add to your Christmas tour. Visiting any of these churches is a mystical experience. It makes devotees feel calm and in the presence of divinity. A few of those are:

1) Bethel Pentecostal Church – House No.1, Road, No.5, Mayank Colony Rd, New Ashok Vihar, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

2) Calvary Covenant Church – 15, Govind Nagar, Rd No 4, Sector 13, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

3) Church of Lord Jesus Christ – 5, New Vardhaman Nagar, Sector – 12, opp. Palodra House, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001

4) Believers Church – RJ SH 9, Madri Asholyan, Rajasthan 313203

Places of worship in Udaipur is something everyone must know. Here we are listing the major churches in Udaipur.

Rajasthan Pentecostal Church

The Rajasthan Pentecostal Church was established by Late Dr. Thomas Matthew, an Apostle of North India. It was in the year 1963 that he started the church; earlier the church was under the Shepherd Memorial, and it was 1987 when it got its own building and management at Rani Road.

Since then, the daily meetings and prayers are conducted at the church, which is Independent for its own practice.

By 2005, there were over one thousand local churches that had been birthed as a result of the work that began in Udaipur by Late Dr. Thomas Matthew. Also, till 2005, Late Dr. Thomas Matthew was pastor of the church. On the 24th November 2005, en route Punjab to preach, he passed away in his sleep, after him Pastor Paul Thomas Mathews took over.

The church has a great architecture, able to accommodate almost 500 devotees at a time.

Rajasthan Pentecostal is of the Protestant churches of the city. The church also helps in the field of education and healthcare. It has educational institutions and hospitals, St. Matthew’s School at Rani Road is one of the institutes.

The Rajasthan Pentecostal Church is affiliated to Filadelfia Fellowship Church of India (Regd.), a national fellowship of 1600 affiliated churches.

Address: Opposite Sanjay Park, Rani Rd, Malla Talai, Udaipur

Shepherd Memorial Church

The Shepherd Memorial Church is carved in the Scottish architecture and is the oldest church in Udaipur. The first worship was offered in this Church after sanctification on 05 July 1891.

It was built by the Scottish Missionary and a Medical Doctor from Aberdeen, Scotland, Rev. Dr. James Shepherd (02 Feb 1847 — 29 Mar 1926) who with the great help of the then State Executive Engineer Mr. Campbell Thompson constructed the church. The church is named after Dr. James Shepherd. It is said that the land for the construction of the church was given to Dr. Shepherd by the Maharana of Udaipur.

Campbell Thompson also constructed lake Fateh Sagas Dam, Railway Line to Chittorgarh, Victoria Memorial Hall (Saraswati Library in Gulab Bagh).

The church is located near Chetak Circle, also known as Church of North India. Shepherd Memorial is a protestant and an independent church and nearly 300 people can pray together in the church. In its earlier days prayers were conducted by Dr. James Shepherd after whom the clergy has changed 18 times and now prayers are being conducted by Rev. Jitendra Nath since 2016.

Address: Shepherd Memorial Church, Church of North India, Chetak Circle, Udaipur

Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral

As per a source, there is a story behind the establishment of this church. A devotee of Our Lady in Germany sent a statue of Our Lady of Fatima to India and remained in Ajmer unopened from 1964 to 1967 in the Bishop’s House.

Bishop of Ajmer helped the Tridium management of Udaipur in fulfillment of their want of a life-size statue of Lady Fatima, where the statue was never opened from its cover. The Tridium Management welcomed to take it.

It is said that Late Rev. Fr. Avito Coutinho expressed amazement seeing the statue which arrived from Ajmer. He was spellbound by the beauty of the statue and immediately decided to take it for their worship. It was kept in a cover till it found a decent place for worshipping, which later on came to be the church where it is now.

In its initial days the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was kept in a newly constructed block in St. Paul’s school campus then it was shifted permanently in the Our Lady Fatima Church.

The church has a huge hall for prayers in which 500 devotees can pray. Also, it is the largest church in Udaipur and has beautiful interiors.

There are many institutions which come under the management of the church, as follows:

Mary’s Sr. Sec. School
Teresa’s Sr. Sec. School
Paul’s Sr. Sec. School, Udaipur
Teresa’s Sr. Sec. School
Asha Dham
Missionaries of Charity
Maitri Sadan
Teresa Hospital
Prerna Press

Address: Opposite St. Paul’s Sr. Sec. School, Bhopalpura, Udaipur

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

The church at St. Gregorios celebrates its Foundation Day in January 1987. It was created as a parish of Malankara Orthodox Church but the Church was named after St. Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala who is the Patron Saint of the Church building.

A statue of the Patron Saint of is also erected inside the prayer hall, of the Church. It is an orthodox church, and the infrastructure is similar to the churches in Syria.

Churches of Udaipur — Source: Udaipurtimes

Malankara Syrian Christians’ history dates back to their origin when St. Thomas, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, came to India in 52 A.D. A major section of the parent body of St. Thomas Christians constitutes the Orthodox Church under the Catholicos of the East with headquarters at Devalokam, Kottayam. Today, the Church is running a number of Schools, Charitable Institutions like Old Age Homes, Orphanages, Hospitals, etc. all over the country.

The Church can occupy as much as 200 devotees at a time. The Diocese of Delhi Malankara Orthodox Church was the governing body of the church, which later on got acquired by the newly established Diocese of Ahmedabad.

Address: St.Gregorios Orthodox Church, P.B.No.172, Khar Kuan, New Bhupalpura, Udaipur

Emmanuel Mar Thoma Church, Udaipur

The Mar Thoma Christians migrated from Kerala to Udaipur, after which they felt a necessity of having a place to worship. Thus, they formed “Malayalee Syrian Christian Congregation” which accommodated Mar Thoma and Orthodox Christians. Rev. K. V. Varkey, of Mar Thoma Church Valsad, Gujarat was the first Mar Thoma vicar who visited Udaipur and conducted Holy Communion on 4th September 1966 at the Shepherd Memorial CNI church, Udaipur.

The desire of the Martomites was fulfilled on 6^th March 1993, and Rev. Geeverghese Mar Athanasius, Bombay-Delhi Diocesan Bishop laid the foundation stone of Emmanuel Mar Thoma Church Udaipur & the dedication ceremony by Rt. Rev. Dr. Issac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa on 27th August 1994.

Later, the members felt the need to have a separate room for the guests who visited the parish. The construction of the guest room was completed in the year 1998.

Address: Emmanuel Mar Thoma Syrian Church 61, Sukhadia Nagar, University Road, North Ayad, Udaipur

About the series: ‘Places of Worship in Udaipur’

Motive behind carrying out the series

The series carries a sole motive of making the people of the city aware of the places of worship. The series has already covered prominent Temples of the city and the second segment is ‘Churches of Udaipur’.

This information is collected from valid sources to form an article.

Feel free to contribute to this article, by sharing data of any church we have missed. 🙂

Photos By: Siddharth Nagar & Fouzia Mirza