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The Times of India (TOI)
September 25, 2011 Sunday
For whom the bells toll
by Rohit Panikker
What we call Chennai today has a past that has been collectively
enriched by a diverse group of people - the English, Jews, Portuguese
and the Armenians, among others.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, there existed a
flourishing colony of Armenians, which was well-established in local
and overseas trade. But all that remains of the Armenian connection to
the city are a white edifice in a street named after them, a bridge to
their credit and few other noteworthy legacies including a current
population of three.
Now here's some interesting trivia. Ever been to the Armenian Church
on Armenian Street opposite the High Court? Also called the Armenian
Church of Virgin Mary, it is one of the oldest churches in the Indian
subcontinent (built in 1712). The bells at the belfry tower (usually
referred to as the belfry six) of the church have an international
pedigree. They were all cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which is
also where the Liberty Bell that was rung during the proclamation of
American independence in 1776; the bells at Westminster Abbey; as well
as those of the UK Parliament's Big Ben were cast.
These bells were cast in Whitechapel, England, by wealthy Armenian
merchants to Madras and donated to the church; and they have been used
to announce the commencement of prayers every Sunday since 1772 (the
year the church was rebuilt after being demolished during the French
siege of Madras in 1746). Still making the call, the chimes serve as a
poignant reminder of a once-prominent diaspora of people in this city.
September 25, 2011 Sunday
For whom the bells toll
by Rohit Panikker
What we call Chennai today has a past that has been collectively
enriched by a diverse group of people - the English, Jews, Portuguese
and the Armenians, among others.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, there existed a
flourishing colony of Armenians, which was well-established in local
and overseas trade. But all that remains of the Armenian connection to
the city are a white edifice in a street named after them, a bridge to
their credit and few other noteworthy legacies including a current
population of three.
Now here's some interesting trivia. Ever been to the Armenian Church
on Armenian Street opposite the High Court? Also called the Armenian
Church of Virgin Mary, it is one of the oldest churches in the Indian
subcontinent (built in 1712). The bells at the belfry tower (usually
referred to as the belfry six) of the church have an international
pedigree. They were all cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which is
also where the Liberty Bell that was rung during the proclamation of
American independence in 1776; the bells at Westminster Abbey; as well
as those of the UK Parliament's Big Ben were cast.
These bells were cast in Whitechapel, England, by wealthy Armenian
merchants to Madras and donated to the church; and they have been used
to announce the commencement of prayers every Sunday since 1772 (the
year the church was rebuilt after being demolished during the French
siege of Madras in 1746). Still making the call, the chimes serve as a
poignant reminder of a once-prominent diaspora of people in this city.