Our Lady of Angels Church, Puducherry
Our Lady of Angels Church (also called Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, White Chapel, Kaps Koil) is the fourth oldest church in Puducherry, a Union territory in South India. The original structure was built in Greco Roman architecture by Napolean III in 1855, with the architect being Louis Guerre. It is the only church that offers mass in three languages namely French, Tamil and English.
Our Lady of Angels Church is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services and follows Roman Catholic sect of Christianity. The chapel was controlled by Capuchin priests, Holy Spirit Fathers subsequently and finally during 1887 changed hands to Foreign Mission Fathers from Paris. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in Puducherry and faces the Bay of Bengal.
History
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Architecture
The church that was built by Louis Guerre has Greco Roman architecture and is loosely based on the Notre Dame chapel in Paris and the Basilica at Lourdes. The two towers on either side of the main chapel house the church bells and the clock — which have been preserved since they were first installed. Originally, they used to strike every two hours with the singing of Ave Maria. Unfortunately, the bells are no longer functional. The shrine faces the East facing the sea towards Bay of Bengal.
There was possibly a statue of Our Lady of Angels at the altar with two large angels, where the Holy Cross is now installed. The original chapel was painted white in colour both from the inside and the outside, giving the name White Chapel. A special mixture of paint, egg and limestone were used to paint the walls. The colours of the exterior were changed during 1900s and interiors during the 2000s and now, after the recent renovations, the interiors have also been painted in different colours.
The bells in the temple are believed to have been procured from France. The bell had a complex mechanism with pulleys and ropes connected to a rope all the way downstairs. During 2012, after a renovation of the chapel, the operation of the bell has been suspended on account of vibrational effects causing hindrance to neighboring structure.
Even the garden opposite the church that houses the Joan of Arc statue has a story behind it. Goubert, the former mayor of Pondicherry, donated it to the church on the condition that nothing is ever constructed on the site. The idea was to allow the priest to have an unhindered view of the sea when he is delivering mass.
Our Lady of Angels stands out by virtue of its immensity, accentuated by its two-square bell-towers on the front façade and the polygonal dome above the crossing. This church with a Latin-cross plan stands atop a substructure and occupies a space of 55 by 35 metres. It can be reached through two symmetric staircases, with a dozen stairs each. The front façade is divided into three bays at the lower level, marked by the three openings. The central bay projects slightly forward and is decorated by a triangular pediment above an entablature supported by twin fluted pilasters of the Ionic order. This serves as the main entrance while the two windows to the side are aligned with the aisles of the nave.
Two inscriptions in Latin can be seen on the façade. One is on the lintel above the entrance: Domus Dei (House of God), while the other is on the frieze of the entablature: D.O.M. (Domino Optimo Maximo - To the Lord, the best and greatest) Sub Invocatione Dominae Angelorum (Under the protection of Our Lady of Angels).
The towers have two levels and are crowned by a rooftop terrace with stone handrails and rectangular balusters. Around the edge of the first level are 24 niches, in which the statues of the 12 apostles and 12 urns are to be found in alternation. Each side of the second level (which houses the bells) features a round arched window that is partly covered by an abat-son. The side façades are punctuated by vertical rectangular windows, one in each bay of the nave.
As in the main façade, the overarching entablature is borne by fluted pilasters of the Ionic order. Both the façades of the northern and southern arms of the transept, bear a triangular pediment in the spirit of the main façade. The side entrances through which light enters the transept, may be reached through a stairway with two flights of converging half-pace stairs. The main entrance leads to a narthex that is shielded by a gallery held up by four coupled Corinthian columns. The five bays of the nave and the arms of the transept are covered by a barrel vault whereas the aisles lie under groined vaults patterned with transverse ribs supported by pilasters of Tuscan Doric order.
The crossing of the transept is crowned by a drum dome propped on pendentives. The nave extends past the transept and ends in a semicircular apse. The interior architecture includes huge semicircular arches separated by Corinthian pilasters bearing an entablature that goes all the way round the building. Directly above the pilasters, transverse ribs rise from the entablature and reinforce the barrel vault. The coffers on the vault are deeply moulded and decorated with stylized flowers.
The sidewalls are to receive 14 plaster panels of the Stations of the Cross (painted in 2011). These were created in the Parisian studio of the sculptor Jean-Bernard Duseigneur (1808-1866). The interior of the church is luminous, and presents a contrast between the brightness of the aisles where there is movement and the relative dimness of the nave, suitable for contemplation. The dome located above the high altar, diffuses a soft glow of light through its eight latticework glass windows based on the primary colours of blue, yellow and red. The slightly elevated high altar is made of white marble with grey veins. It was gifted by François Gaudart.
Flanked by two pairs of columns in red marble, a low-relief of the Last Supper is displayed on it in wrought brass. The work however remains anonymous. A grave marker on the ground, in front of the altar, carries two names, that of Hyacinthe de Lalande de Calan, Governor of the French settlements in India, deceased on the 14th June 1850, and that of his daughter Marie Louise de Calan, deceased on the 25th February 1851. Shortly before his death, the Governor must have planned to build the new Church of Our Lady of Angels on which work was begun in 1851.
Renovation Work
From 2009-2012, the church of Our Lady of Angels was under a major renovation Programme led by the Association of Friends of Pondicherry Heritage, that gave the edifice back its lustre. The exterior and the interior of the building were completely repainted. A substantial amount of preliminary work was carried out. The most important of these include: waterproofing work, refitting of the 22 windows, restoration of the 8 dome windows, reparation of the light, sound and electrical system, reworking of the tiling, restoring the 4 columns on the altar, refurbishment of the wooden furniture (unique to Pondicherry) including the caning of the benches and the restitution of the Stations of the Cross.
All this work was executed by firms and artisans from Pondicherry, under the direction of the general contractor Patrick Lafourcade (who died in an accident on the 4th of March 2011), and then under Samuel Victor. The work was financed primarily through individual donations coming from the faithful of the church of Our Lady of Angels, the Association of Friends of Pondicherry Heritage and casual visitors. This was supplemented by grants from the French Ministry of Culture and the VMF Foundation (Fondation des Vieilles Maisons Françaises).
The renovated church was blessed on the 4th March 2012 by the Most Rev. Dr. Antony Anandarayar, Archbishop of Pondicherry. The rehabilitation of the environs of the church and the garden of Joan of Arc, will be carried out in a future renovation Programme.
Worship Practices
The priests in the church were originally only French, but during modern times, Tamil people were also allowed. The chapel was controlled by Capuchin priests, Holy Spirit Fathers subsequently and finally during 1887 changed hands to Foreign Mission Fathers from Paris. The Church got its name, Kaps Kovil from Capuchin Monks, who were the first monks in the church. It is the only church that offers mass in three languages namely French, Tamil and English.
Contact
Our Lady of Angels Church,
Rue Dumas,
White Town, Puducherry – 605 001
Phone: +91 413 233 4262
Connectivity
The Church is located very near to St Joseph’s Hospital Cluny (Thayarma Hospital). The Church is located at about 600 meters from Pondicherry GH Bus Stop, 3 Kms from Puducherry Main Bus Stand, 2 Kms from Puducherry Railway Station, 7 Kms from Puducherry Airport and 150 Kms from Chennai Airport. The Church is situated 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
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