Friday, May 25, 2012

Church Notices February 1, 1886

Most of the time, the Church notices in the Civil and Military Gazette are relatively modest in Lahore -- only two or three churches are listed as having services. For some reason, on February 1, 1886, the Church notices for the coming Sunday services are  quite extensive. 

People who know the history of Lahore know that the "Pro-Cathedral" named here is actually the tomb of Anarkali, consecrated as St. James church, and used by the British for services between 1851 and 1887, when the new Cathedral was built. A Pro-Cathedral is defined as a temporary cathedral. Thus British Anglicans, including the Kiplings, routinely worshipped at a "Church" that was originally built by the Mughals as a tomb for a slave woman, dancer, and mistress of Prince Saleem (Jahangir). (One also sees some Catholic churches and a Methodist church listed below.)

A brief sketch of the history of the Cathedral at Lahore is here.


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