1. Immaculate Conception Cathedral:
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. This 300 years old church is also the residence of
the bishop. The Church is situated in the
heart of Puducherry Town.
2. Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
Basilica
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is situated on the south boulevard of Pondicherry is an oriental specimen of Gothic architecture. It contains rare stained-glass panels depicting events
from the life of Christ and saints of the Catholic Church. In recent years
it has become one of the famous pilgrimage spots for Christians. This church
was established in 1908 by the French missionaries and attained the status of
basilica in 2011. The centenary celebrations were celebrated during 2008-2009.
As part of the centenary celebrations, a special postal stamp and postal
envelope were released. This Catholic Church is one of the finest churches of
Pondicherry. This church was built by the French missionaries. The Eglise De
Sacre Coeur De Jesus Pondicherry, as it is referred to in French. The church is
the first basilica in Pondicherry, 6th in Tamil Nadu, 20th
in India and 50th in Asia.
3. Our Lady of Angels Church:
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. 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. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in
Puducherry and faces the Bay
of Bengal.
4. Assumption Church, Nellithope:
Assumption
Church is located at Nellithope near to Puducherry Main Bus Stand in Union
Territory of Puducherry. Assumption Church, being a popular parish across
Pondicherry, is devoted to the blessed Mary of Assumption. This prevalent Roman
Catholic Church is recognized for its assorted unique features with more than
five thousand parishioners in and around Nellithope. This Church has an
impressive collection of statues. The interior of the Church is endowed with
some of the most beautifully crafted altarpieces which includes a Crucifix with
flying angels surrounding it.
5. Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Villianur:
Our Lady
of Lourdes Shrine is a famous Marian
shrine located in Villianur Town in Union
Territory of Puducherry. This
Church has a significant place in the history of the Catholic Church as the
First Church in the World, other than that is in Lourdes – France, to be
dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. The devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes in Asia
in general and in India in particular has its roots in Villianur. As the
existing Church could not accommodate the growing number of pilgrims, a new
Church has been built recently.
6. St. Andrew's Church, Reddiarpalayam:
St.
Andrew's Church is one of the oldest churches in Reddiarpalayam area
of Puducherry, a
Union territory in South
India. The original structure was built
in Gothic architecture in 1745 by Kanakaraya
Mudali, the longest serving dubash of
the French East India Company. During the opening of the Church, Mudali hosted a feast
that included all castes and religions, the first of its kind that is recorded
in the history of South India. It is believed that the Church was destroyed by
the British in 1761 and was later rebuilt in 1830. It is the first Church in
South India to have inscriptions made in Tamil during the times. St. Andrew's 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
initially and then changed hands to Petite Seminaire School Fathers up to 1860.
In modern times, it is under the dominion of Archdiocese of Pondicherry and
Cuddalore. It is one of the most prominent
landmarks in Puducherry.
7. Church of Our Lady of Good Health, Ariyankuppam:
Church
of Our Lady of Good Health is located at Ariyankuppam in Union Territory of Puducherry. This Church is also
called as Ariyankuppam Church. It stands majestically at the corner of a
bustling street in Ariyankuppam. The church has a history that dates as far
back as 1690 which makes it one of the oldest churches in Puducherry. It has
been a very popular pilgrimage amongst the people of Pondicherry for more than
250 years. After the French coming to Pondicherry in 1673, Armenians under the
leadership of Bishop Adda Simon built the Church of Our Lady of Conception in
1690. This church was given to the Jesuits of the Carnatic Mission around 1700
and the church was renamed as the Church of Our Lady of Health. This is the
oldest church still standing in the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Puducherry and Cuddalore.
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