“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
Worshipping is a way of interaction between the All-Mighty and the sin makers who wish to be better human each passing day. Cathedrals are not just buildings but emotions that need to be understood rather than just serving as the central church of the diocese for people.
A worship building is always about retaining the positive energies stored at the dome of the building making the building a holy place. But, these buildings are more than just holy buildings. They have a history which makes the place even more interesting and mysterious. They are dying to share the challenges that they have faced and are facing while they are being constructed. So, why not give ourselves the opportunity of being all the ears to them.
History
The Medak Cathedral in Telangana is amongst the largest churches in India and has remained the cathedral church of the Diocese of Medak of the church of South India since independence. After being sanctified on 25 December 1924, it was built by Charles Walker Posnett. It is the largest diocese in Asia and is the 2nd largest in the world after the Vatican.
The church development is an architectural gape that ranges in more than 300 acres of area. This cathedral has a width of 100 ft. and a length of 200 ft. It is constructed in the Gothic Revival style and can house about 5,000 people at one time.
The Medak Cathedral was erected under the leadership of Reverend Charles Walker Posnett who had the motto “My best for my Lord” in mind. Rev. Posnett reached Secunderabad in 1895 and nursed the British soldiers at Trimulgherry. Discontented with the army work, he threw himself into villages to find his contentment. In the search for his contentment, Rev.
Charles Walker Posnett stayed in a village named Medak in 1896 and made a bungalow in that village by residing in the dock bungalow.
No railway route to Medak could be uncovered during those days. The tour of 60 miles from Hyderabad had to be completed on horseback and to your surprise, Rev. Posnett could do that in a day. There were barely 200 Christians in the entire Medak area. When he arrived in Medak, small tiled houses were considered places of worship. With the growing Christian population, he felt the need for increasing the church building.
Rev.Posnett soon produced a temperate structure on that very spot fairly enough for the community of Christians in the traditional form of a church.
He commenced the making of the present Cathedral in 1914 on an extensive 1,000 acres of land in the Ghusnabad area. The building work on the cathedral carried for 10 years. The cathedral was sanctified in 1924 by Rev. Posnett venting his thanks to God for diminishing the sufferings of the people.
Architecture
The Medak Church is known for its large pointed stained glass windows that narrate the story of the Bible in a medley of colours which is visible only in sunlight. Fashioned in Italian tiles, the bell tower of Medak Church reaches a height of 175 feet. Being composed of hollow sponge material, the roof of the church is soundproof and has a remarkable style of vaulting.
One window shows the birth view of Jesus, angels, Prophet or Isaiah, Mary, and astrologers while the left side of the church manifests the tinted crucifixion scene. The centre part shows the ascension of Jesus painted in bright colours. Every window is composed of numerous bits of stained glass which is finely set into the massive stone windows.
The most astonishing and breathtaking element the window to the north which offers a canopy to the altar is awesome. The church has a lot of space to accommodate 5000 people at a time in its huge dimension. There are 6 different colours of mosaic tiles that were imported from England and used in the church’s flooring. This glorious white granite structure not only holds for peace but is a great example of Gothic architecture in India and Southeast Asia.
The biggest magnet of the Cathedral is its stained glass windows portraying different scenes from Christ’s life – Rise behind the altar, Origin in the west transept, and Crucifixion in the east transept. This stunning Cathedral is the epitome of flawless craftsmanship and appeals to more than 3 million tourists per annum from across the country.
References
Medak- Church of World’s Second Largest Diocese | places4all. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://places4all.
wordpress.com/2012/05/28/medak-church-of-worlds-second-largest-diocese/
Medak Cathedral, A Divine Place Not To Miss. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://english.sakshi.com/travel/2020/02/02/medak-cathedral-a-divine-place-not-to-miss
Medak Cathedral – Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medak_Cathedral
Medak Cathedral Church | District Medak, Government of Telangana | India. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://medak.telangana.gov.in/tourist-place/medak-cathedral-church/
Pauline Phillips – A church is a hospital for sinners, not… (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/pauline_phillips_381033
Travel: Medak Church, Telangana – Comfortably Numb. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://www.sheilakumar.in/2013/02/travel-medak-church-telangana/
