Armenian Church, Chennai
Coordinates: 13°05′21″N 80°17′14″E / 13.0891°N 80.2873°E
The Armenian Church, (Tamil: ஆர்மேனியன் தேவாலயம்) Chennai, constructed in 1712 and reconstructed in 1772, is one of the oldest churches of the Indian subcontinent. It is famous for its belfry of six. The Church, also called the Armenian Church of Virgin Mary, is located on the Armenian Street, Parrys, George Town, Chennai, South India.
Michael Stephen was the caretaker of the Church until 2004; as of 2010[update] the caretaker of the Church was Trevor Alexander.
The Armenians were a select group of merchants in Madras Presidency. They walked all the way from Armenia, through the Hindukush mountains and came down to Madras. When the British were trading cotton cloth, Armenians dealt with fine silk, expensive spices and gems.
Madras must have housed a small but a thriving Armenian population. Sadly, today there are none of them left.
The six bells are all of different sizes, varying from 21 to 26 inches, and weigh around 150 kg each, They are believed to be the largest and heaviest bells of Chennai. The bells were cast at different times as noted below:
Bells of the Armenian Church in Madras
Belfry of the Armenian Church in Madras
The Armenian Church of St. Mary, c. 1905
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