Telangana CM participates in centenary celebrations of Medak Church

Hyderabad, Dec 25 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said that Medak Cathedral Church, which is celebrating its centenary, has national recognition. 

He participated in the centenary celebrations of the church in Medak and conveyed greetings to the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas.

The Chief Minister stated that the government released adequate funds for the development of the church.

Revanth Reddy recalled that he had visited the church as the state Congress chief, sought blessings, and vowed that he would come back as the Chief Minister.

"Today, I am visiting the church to celebrate Christmas and also centenary celebrations of the church along with the devout," he said.

Asserting that the Congress government is for the poor, the Chief Minister said Dalit and tribal Christians will be the biggest beneficiaries of the Indiramma housing scheme. These communities are also benefiting from the 200 units of free power scheme.

Lauding the Christian missionaries, the Chief Minister said they focussed on education and medicine. Inspired by their service, the Congress government introduced fee reimbursement and Rajiv Arogyasri, he said.

The church, which is one of the most visited in South India, was illuminated with colourful lights.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma had participated in the centenary celebrations of the church on December 22.

A large number of Christians from Telangana and neighbouring states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh participated in the celebrations.

Medak Cathedral was built by British missionary Charles Walker Fasnet. During a famine, he initiated the construction of the church under a “food for work” programme to provide employment and prevent starvation deaths.

The church was constructed between 1914 and 1924 and during this period, the workers were compensated with paddy.

Consecrated on December 25, 1924, it is the single-largest diocese in Asia and the second-largest in the world after the Vatican.

Medak Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop in Medak for the Church of South India comprising Wesleyan Methodist, Congregational, and Anglican missionary societies.

The church complex is an architectural marvel spread over more than 300 acres. The is 100 feet wide and 200 long and conforms to the Gothic Revival style. It can accommodate about 5,000 people at a time.

The mosaic tiles were imported from Britain and Italian masons were engaged in laying the decorative flooring. The bell tower is 175 feet high and visible from a few miles.

According to information on the Medak district website, massive pillars built with fine-hewn and well-dressed grey stone support the gallery and the whole edifice. The roof of the church is made sound-proof by means of hollow sponge material and has an impressive style of vaulting.

The biggest attraction of the Cathedral is its stained glass windows depicting different scenes from Christ’s life – Ascension behind the altar, Nativity in the west transept, and Crucifixion in the east transept. This magnificent Cathedral is the quintessence of impeccable craftsmanship and attracts more than 30 lakh tourists every year.