Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Puducherry

Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Puducherry

Immaculate Conception Cathedral or Eglise de Notre Dame de la Conception Immaculate Church is the cathedral mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. It is located in the Union territory of Puducherry. It is also known as "Samba Kovil" which is a phonetic corruption of "Saint Paul’s Kovil" where "Kovil" means church. It is a beautiful place of worship established in year 1686. This cathedral, which bears a strong resemblance to a church in France, was built in 1791 on the ruins of the older church.

Dedicated to St. Peters, it is a church of Capuchins and was first served as a small chapel situated outside the government park. In fact, it was the only surviving structure during the British invasion who aimed at mass destruction of buildings and monuments. Mass services in Tamil and English are conducted. It is one of the oldest tourist sites in the city and was visited by Mother Teresa during her visit to Puducherry. The 300 years old church is also the residence of the bishop. 

History

The Jesuit Fathers came to the French colony of Pondicherry as missionaries in 1689. There they bought a very large garden to the west of the French Fort. In the 1692 they, with the financial help of Louis XIV, king of France, erected a church which was demolished by the Dutch in the following year. A second Church was quickly built in 1699 but could not last long.

From 1728 to 1736 a large church was built on the site of the present Cathedral. This third church was razed to the ground by the British in 1761 during the Seven Years' War. Erecting in 1765 provisionally (fourth in serial) a functional kind of irregular shaped shed where the Mission Press (official press depot of the archdiocese) is now, since the year 1770 the Fathers were earnest in building the present cathedral on the foundations of the 3rd Church.

On 20 June 1791 the main work was finished and the Church was consecrated by Bishop Champenois. The Bell tower was built later. The choir loft was added in 1905. The Sanctuary was remodeled in the year 1970. The esplanade in front of the Cathedral was remodeled in 1987, to allow people to take part in liturgical ceremonies and special functions held outside. Now the church which stands for around 300 years is also the place where the bishop house is also situated. 

The Church

The imposing facade presents paired Doric columns below and ionic above. In front of the church is a statue of Our Lady with the infant Jesus in her arms. The interior design consists of eight-barrel vaults and a central dome pierced with eight circular openings. Unlike the other two main French churches, this is the oldest and not Neo gothic, being built in a Portuguese style in the late 18^th century. Like the others, it is beautiful inside and out, and worth visiting to understand the rich Catholic religious heritage the French passed on in Pondicherry.

Mass Timings

Daily:

·        5:15 AM in Tamil

·        6:15 AM in Tamil

·        5:30 PM in Tamil

Sundays:

·        5:00 AM in Tamil

·        6:30 AM in Tamil

·        8:00 AM in Tamil

·        5:15 PM in Tamil

·        6:15 PM in English

Feast

The Fest of this Church i.e., Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary falls on the 8th of December.

Contact

Immaculate Conception Cathedral,

Mission Street,

Puducherry – 605 001

Phone: +91 413 233 2857

Connectivity

The Church is situated in the heart of Puducherry Town. The Church is located at about 200 meters from Pondicherry GH Bus Stop, 600 meters from Aurobindo Ashram Bus Stop, 2 Kms from Puducherry Main Bus Stand, 1.5 Kms from Puducherry Railway Station, 6 Kms from Puducherry Airport and 150 Kms from Chennai Airport. The Church is situated on the Mission Street on Pondicherry Bus Stand to JIPMER (Gorimedu) Bus Route. Tourists can get down at Government Hospital (GH) Stop. The place is located at a walkable distance from this Bus Stop. Taxis and Autos are also available to reach this place from any part of Puducherry. Nearest Railway Station is located at Puducherry. Nearest Airport is located at Puducherry and Chennai.

Location | Photos