st.andrew's church chennai

1. SANDHIYA MURUGESAN
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
ANNA UNIVERSITY
CHENNAI

3. HISTORY
 ST.ANDREW’S CHURCH WAS BUILT IN THE DAYS OF THE
EAST INDIA COMPANY FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE
SCOTTISH COMMUNITY IN MADRAS.
 DURING THAT PERIOD, MOST OF THE SCOTSMEN HERE
WERE A PART OF MADRAS ARMY.
 THE FOUNDATION WAS LAID BY DOCTOR JOHN ALLEN
IN 1818 AND THE CHURCH WAS COMPLETED AND
COSECRATED IN 1821.

4.  THE PLAN OF THE CHURCH WAS
BORROWED FROM AN EXISTING
STRUCTURE CALLED ST.MARTINS
IN LONDON.
 MAJOR THOMAS FORT DE
HAVILLAND AND COLONEL JAMES
CADWELL WERE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
CHURCH.
 THE CHURCH WAS MAINTAINED BY
THE ECCLESIASTICAL
DEPARTMENT UNTILL 1948.
 LATER ON THE CHURCH
AUTHORITIES TOOK CHARGE OF
THE MAINTAINANCE SINCE 1949.

5. ST.ANDREWS CHURCH IN
1905

6. A VIEW FROM TOP

7. SIGNIFICANCE
 ANDREWS CHURCH IS
ONE OF THE BEST
EXAMPLES OF
GEORGIAN
ARCHITECTURE IN
SOUTH INDIA AND ASIA.

8. IT IS SOMETIMES
CALLED AS THE
‘QUEEN OF
SCOTTISH
CHURCHES IN THE
EAST’.

9. STEN NILSON, IN HIS BOOK, EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE IN
INDIA 1750-1850 WRITES,”ST.ANDREW’S IS UNDOUBTEDLY
THE BEST DESIGNED CHURCH IN CHENNAI”.

13. INTERIOR WOOD WORKS

14. THE PLAQUES ON THE CHURCH WALL
CONTAINS THE STORY OF A SCOTTISH
SOLDIER.

15.  THE BEAUTY AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE
CHURCH IS VERY FAMOUS.
 PEOPLE FROM OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY
CAN EASILY ACCESS THE CHURCH THROUGH
VARIOUS TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
 IT IS SITUATED IN A POPULAR AREA, FEW
METERS FROM THE EGMORE RAILWAY
STATION.
 TRAVELERS AND TOURISTS ARE REGULARLY
VISITS THE CHURCH TO EXPLORE THE
GREATEST ARCHITECTURAL WONDER OF
SOUTH INDIA.

16. ONE CAN REACH THE
CHURCH: BY AIR:
THE CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS
JUST 7 KM FROM THE CITY.
 BY TRAIN:
CHENNAI CENTRAL AND CHENNAI EGMORE
RAILWAY STATIONS IN CHENNAI ARE WELL
CONNECTED BY ALL MAJOR STATIONS IN INDIA.
 BY BUS:
THE CHENNAI BUS TERMINAL CATERS TO
ALL MAJOR STATES IN SOUTH INDIA,
INCLUDING KARNATAKA, KERALA, ANDHRA
PRADESH AND MAHARASHTRA.

17. NEARBY RAILWAY
STATION

18. ARCHITECTURE
THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE CHURCH ARE:
 ANNULAR ARCH
 16 PILLAR
 STAINED GLASS
 SEMICIRCULAR CONGREGATION

19. THE PLAN OF THE CHURCH IS A CIRCLE
ATTACHED WITH RECTANGULAR
COMPARTMENTS IN THE EAST AND
WEST.

20. THE CIRCULAR PART IS CROWNED
BY A DOME COLOURED DEEP BLUE.

21. THE DOME SUPPORTED BY 16
CORINTHIAN CIRCULAR PILLARS.

22. THE STAINED GLASS WINDOW
DEPICTS ST.ANDREWS AND ST.PETER.

23. THE LONG BENCH OF TEAK WERE
CURVED TO FORM A SEMICIRCULAR
CONGREGATION

24. KIRK NURSERY

25. EXPLORING THE UNEXPLORED
 DURING MY VISIT TO THIS CHURCH, I
CAME TO KNOWN THE CHURCH WAS
ACTUALLY IN WORKING CONDITION.
 PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF
CHENNAI DO VISIT CHURCH REGULARLY.
 BUT THERE ARE COMPARITIVELY LESS
FOOTFALL WHEN COMPARED TO INITIAL
YEARS.

26.  THE REASON FOR THAT IS:
DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME THERE
WERE ONLY FEW CHURCHES IN CHENNAI
INCLUDING ST.MARY’S, SANTHOME BASILICA,
ETC.
BUT NOW THERE ARE NEARLY 238 CHURCHES IN
CHENNAI ITSELF
SO PEOPLE HAVE STARTED VISITING CHURCHES
IN THEIR LOCALITY.
ALSO THERE ARE LESS AWARENESS ABOUT
ST.ANDREW CHURCH. NOT MANY PEOPLE DO
KNOW THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ABOUT
THIS CHURCH AND ITS PRESENCE.

27. SUGGESTIONS
 MAKE PUBLIC AWARE ABOUT THIS
STUNNING HISTORIC MONUMENT
THROUGH EVENTS AND MEDIA.
 WE CAN ALSO RECOMMEND SCHOOLS
AND COLLEGES TO TAKE STUDENTS ON A
DAY TRIP TO THESE KIND OF SITES.
 INSISTING ON VISITING THESE KIND OF
HERITAGE ALLOWS US TO LEARN
KNOWEDGE, WHICH IS AN EFFECTIVE
WAY OF LEARNING OUR HISTORY.

28. THANK YOU