Every time I decide to travel, even if the destination was same, I do some research for any new
places to see because I think only if there’s a search for something a travel
would be interesting. And old is
something always fascinate me and top my list of places to see, more than anything
newly constructed. If you’re a follower of my blog, would know Kodaikanal is a
beautiful place where I had yearly vacation in last several years and have
covered overall places, but still my search of places haven’t end or doesn’t seem
to. And one such place I visited in recent times was the century old TELC
Jubilee Church.
Kodaikanal has
many historic places esp. churches that are more than 100 years old, built during
British regime and TELC (Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church) is a cute little
church with unique architecture that really made me wonder have I seen anything
similar in construction. It has a cylindrical bell tower to capture our
attendance at glance and constructed in granite stones, the church still looks
amazing in its original structure and features. As it located on a small hill
mound, one need to climb the rock stairs to reach the door front, opening a
small wooden gate at the entrance what resisted me further going up close to
church.
We visited the church
in evening after going through another historical church (which I would write
about later) and the weather was pleasant with mild sunshine as we went in
search of the church. It took us sometime to find the church as many unknown about
it when enquired at the locality and Google maps did wrong locating as well; the
church hide away like a treasure in a patch of woods cover above the upper lake
road in Pambarpuram area of Kodaikanal. My parents, grandma and bro went up to
the church, to capture some photos on my behalf and they were invited by
someone in charge, took them around and explained about the church.
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| Dad, mom and grandma posed in front of church |
The church was
founded in 1906, by the Germans and the Swedes who
emigrated over a century ago in Pambarpuram area of Kodaikanal and
the church practiced worship in four languages: German, Swedish, English and
Tamil, from the following year. In 1919, the Tamil congregation of different
German, Danish, and Swedish Lutheran missions joined together to form the Tamil
Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC). And following the independence of India, in
1947, the Germans and the Swedes agreed to the self-administer of the church by
Tamil people and later on to till date the worship is conducted in Tamil by designated
priest.
What I think
special about the church was its architecture of German and Sweden, though I
have any idea of its architectural style, its unchanged look of ancient beholds.
The church still holds the sacred objects leftover by the Germans and the bell
outside the church is also a German established in year 1923, and the name of
the church is engraved on the bell in Tamil. The sound of bell is heard up to 2
km in radius. I find the entire atmosphere of the church is quiet and being evening,
the birds’ noise was pleasant as natural prayers. TELC Jubilee Church is a different aspect of
Kodaikanal, from the regular tourist places, but I hope the future won’t be the
same.
