St.

Paul's Cathedral,
Kolkata

 St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral

of the Church of North India - a united church
which is part of the Anglican Communion - in
Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the seat of
the Diocese of Calcutta, and the incumbent
bishop is the Rt. Revd. Ashoke Biswas.
The building itself stands on the "island of
attractions" in Kolkata - beside the Victoria
Memorial, Nandan, Rabindra Sadan theatre
complex, and the Birla Planetarium.

Construction
The building was initiated by Bishop
Daniel Wilson in 1839 and was completed
in 1847, in Gothic Revival style with
stained glass windows and two frescoes
in Florentine Renaissance style. A military
engineer, Major William Nairn Forbes,
designed the cathedral with the
assistance of C. K. Robinson, modelling
the tower and spire upon the Norwich
Cathedral

 . The tower was rebuilt along the

lines of Bell Harry Tower in
Canterbury Cathedral following the
1934 Calcutta earthquake. The
Bishop's House across the street is
also architecturally notable. St. Pauls
was consecrated in 1874

Architecture
The cathedral conforms to the Neo-Gothic or
the Gothic Revival style of architecture that
was greatly patronized by the British during
the days of the colonial era. The main
cathedral hall is large, with beautifully carved
wooden pews and chairs along with the
stained glass window to the west, the intricate
coloured artwork covering the eastern walls,
the two marvellous Florentine frescoes. The
church is 247ft. in length and 81ft. in width
and the tower is 201ft. high.

 The Cathedral is set within huge

grounds with several ancient trees.
There is a small meditation spot on
the grounds, set up recently in
collaboration with distinguished
citizens of Tagore's Shantiniketan.
The interior of the church is a feast
for the eyes, with excellent floral
designs on the walls.

 Beautiful architecture and exquisite

mural painting captivates the
beholder. The life and work of St.
Paul is vividly described in pictures.
Bishop Wilson lies in his eternal
slumber in a coffin inside an
underground chamber. The
commission plate conferred on him
by Queen Victoria is still exhibited
here. The ambience of the church is