Sacred Heart Cathedral New Delhi

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is found in the busy area of Connaught Place and is established on a sprawling 14 acres towards the south of Bhai Vir Singh Marg Road. Inside the premises of the church, one can also find the St. Columbia’s School and the Convents of Jesus and Mary School. This church comes under the management of Latin Rite and is visited by Christians who belong to the Roman Catholic sect. It is one of the most historic churches of New Delhi.

History

The initiative to build the church was taken by Father Luke who belonged to the St. Francis of Assisi founded Franciscan first order. The idea was put to practice during 1929 when the then Archbishop of Agra, Rev. Dr. E. Vanni laid the foundation stone for the church. Construction work started the very next year. The Altar of the Church is remarkable and it is made of pure white marble. This was donated to the church by Sir Anthony de Mello. The furniture, bell and other vestments were donated to the church by the Archbishop of Agra. The British were ruling those days and hence all finances of the church were taken up by the British colonial officers.

Location

This church is located in close vicinity, that is, just about 0.5km away from the main Connaught Place. One can find this adjacent to the Gol Dak Khana at the intersection point of Baba Karak Singh Marg and Ashoka Road.

• Famously known as – The most important Catholic Church in Delhi
• Visiting time – Open all through the week
• Good times to visit – Prayers services during morning and evening
• Admission – Free of charge and open to all people

Architecture

This church heavily borrows from the Italian style of architecture. The Sacred Heart Cathedral’s design was the brain child of the British architect, Henry Medd. On both the sides of the porch at the entrance of the church, turrets with arcades in the shape of circles are set up tall over the roof. The canopy is ably supported by intricately carved white pillars. The floors of the church are stone polished, arches are broad and the roof that is set up at a towering height is curved in design.

Events

The prayers that are conducted during morning and evening every day are attended by lots of people. Special prayers are conducted during Easter and Christmas. The Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Vigil Service during Christmas Eve are some of the major events of the church.

Nearby Attractions

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib New Delhi

This is the largest Gurudwara of Delhi. Situated right at the center of the Connaught Place, this Gurudwara can be sited just in front of the church.

Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib Delhi

Built during 1783, this is one of the most historic Gurudwaras in Delhi. This was constructed under the supervision of Bhagel Singh. This place is quite sacred as the tenth Sikh Guru; Guru Tegh Bahadur was cremated here.

Laksmi Narayan Temple Delhi

This temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi and considered to be very sacred by the Hindus. Lord Vishnu and His consort, Lakshmi are found in this temple. This temple gets over crowded during the festivals of Diwali and Janmashtami.

Hotels near Sacred Heart Cathedral

• The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa:
• Radison Blue
• Le Meridian Hotel
• Shangri La
• The Royal Plaza
• The Corus
• The White Klove
• Hotel Prince Polonia

How to Reach

Since Connaught Place is an iconic landmark of Delhi, there is no difficulty in reaching this church. There are lots of buses, auto rickshaws, metro trains and taxis that operate between all major parts of Delhi and Connaught place. This church is situated at a walkable distance from Connaught Place.

• Charges for photography – NIL (prior permission mandatory)
• Closest Railway station – Railway Station of New Delhi
• Closest Metro Station – Central Secretariat
• Closest Metro Station that is functional – Central Secretariat
• Closest International Airport – Indira Gandhi International Airport
• Maximum time required to take a look around the church  - one hour

Mass Timings