St. Peter's Church, Royapuram
| St. Peter's Church | |
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Front view of the church
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 St. Peter's Church
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| 13°06′30″N 80°17′44″E / 13.10833°N 80.29556°ECoordinates: 13°06′30″N 80°17′44″E / 13.10833°N 80.29556°E | |
| Location | Royapuram, Chennai |
| Country | India |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | imetechs |
| History | |
| Founded | 1825 |
| Founder(s) | Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars |
| Dedication | 1829 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Gothic architecture |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore |
St. Peter's Church is one of the oldest churches in Royapuram area of Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original structure was built in Gothic architecture in 1829 by Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars, a gang of boatmen who were serving the East India Company.
St. Peter's Church is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services and follows Roman Catholic sect of Christianity. The chapel was controlled by Vicar Apostolic initially and then split into two churches namely St. Peters and St. Antony's based on the two divisions of Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars, with the former supporting Irish Mission and the latter supporting Goanees. In modern times, it is under the dominion of Archdiocese of Madras. It is one of the most prominent landmarks of Royapuram.
The church is built in Gothic architecture. The altar houses conventional Catholic images and a prayer halls for the devotees. The plaques of St. Peter, St. Anthony, Jesus Christ, Chindadri Matha are housed in glass chambers in standing posture on the walls facing the devotees, while the image of Child Jesus is located in an open chamber around the sanctum. There is a school and a set of shops located in the compound around the Church.
Royapuram is believed to have attained its name from St. Peter's Church. In Tamill, Peter indicates Royappar and puram is used to denote place of residence. Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars were a group of boatmen, who helped the naval ships reach the dock. They settled in Fort St. George in Madras Presidency around 1710. Around 1730, they were moved to Chepauk, by which time the community grew as a prosperous one as boat owners, boatmen and fishermen in the region. During the war in 1746, when the French captured Fort St. George, the community fled with the British to Fort St. David at Cuddalore. The community moved back along with the British and were aiding the British in all the vessels that landed. They were thus favoured by the British East India Company. During 1829, Lord Edward Clive asked them to move out of Fort St. George and allocated 720 grounds of land at a place, which would go on to be called Royapuram. The started building a church in 1825 and consecrated it in 1829 with contributions from the Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars and Secretary of Marine Board. The administration of fund lead to litigation with the High Court.
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