St. Mary's Basilica, Bangalore
| St. Mary's Basilica | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Bangalore, Karnataka |
| Country | India |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.stmarysbasilica.in |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Mary |
| Consecrated | 8 September 1882 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Minor Basilica |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Gothic |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Abp. Bernard Moras |
| Rector | Arulappa Antony Peter |
| Priest(s) | A.S. Anthony Swamy |
| Assistant priest(s) | Deva Dass |
St. Mary's Basilica is located in the Archdiocese of Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is among the oldest churches in Bangalore and the first church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica. It is famous for festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, attracting devotees from the entire region of Bangalore.
St. Mary's Basilica had a humble beginning as a thatched hut in the 17th century, built by Tamil Christian migrants from Gingee. The Shrine was then known as 'Chapel of Kanikkai Madha' and was located in their village where rice was grown. The rice grown in the village had a distinct white colour, and hence the settlement came to known as Bili Akki Palli or colloquially known as ‘‘Blackpally’’ (now known as Shivajinagar). However, according to prominent historian S K Aruni, Blackpally could have been named after John Blakiston (1785-1867), who designed the layout of the Bangalore Cantonment.
Bangalore was not a big city in 1648 when Christianity entered Srirangapattana, the capital city of the then Mysore province. But during Hyder Ali's tenure in 1724-25, Bangalore saw its first Church, Drummers' Chapel, in the Kalasipalya locality. When Tippu Sultan ascended the throne, Christian missionaries had to flee Mysore; thus the history of Christianity in Mysore was murky till 1799. In that year the British seized Srirangapattana from Tipu Sultan. The French MEP priest Jean-Antoine Dubois arrived at Bangalore and began restoring the Catholic religion. He went around Somanahalli, Kamanahalli, Begur, Gunjam, Palahalli, Doranahalli, Garenahalli, Shettyhalli, and beyond, visiting the Catholic families there and ministering to their spiritual needs. He was one of the first to introduce vaccination into India; he also wrote the famous book Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. The Mass vestments worn by Fr. Jean-Antoine Dubois are still preserved in the church at Palahalli near Srirangapattana.
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