Historical Protestent church St. Mary's Pune, India .

St. Mary's church pune, India .www.trekearth.com

 The majestic churches built during the British period saw some changes in the style of the buildings suitable to tropical climate with tall ceilings and well ventilated prayer halls for the comforts of worshipers with plenty of greenery around the church buildings. Many churches came up  with the arrival of more British people to pursue military and government services, besides merchants and other business people. Hence manay churches sprang up in the 1800s and 1900s mainly to cater to the spiritual needs of growing British Community, in particular. 

St. Mary’s Church in Pune city,  said to be one of the oldest Protestant churches  of the Deccan Plateau,  was built by Lieutenant Nash of the East India Company's  Engineers. Bishop Reginald Heber, the Bishop of Calcutta then laid the foundation of the building in 1825.  Presently this church comes  under the jurisdiction of the Church of  North India. It was more or less a garrison church.

St. Mary’s Church (1825), Pune.chaukhat.com

St. Mary’s Church has  a large building that could accommodate 1500 worshipers. Indeed set in a serene place with vast space around it, rose plants here are of particular interest and one can see a variety of roses of different colors here.  

Pune, India. St. Mary's church Stained glass wind. Credit:www.blog.chaukhat.com

Pune, India. St. Mary's church Stained glass wind. Credit: www.blog.chaukhat.com

Pune, India. St. Mary's church. Memorial tablets.Credit:http://blog.chaukhat.com

A prominent old church in  the  Deccan area, St. Mary’s Church has been a place of veneration and worship since the days of British East India company activities in this area. In 1820’s a large British army stationed  here because the British were in  the expansion mode  and the local Maratha Peshvas and Maharajahs posed special challenges to them. With the arrival of more British soldiers, church services and spiritual needs also became quite indispensable for the officers and soldiers of the British, along with their families at  this time. The existing church went through some modifications and the Indian, British and Gothic type of architecture was used.

Pune, India. St. Mary's Church Oldest church organ 1869.Credit:http://blog.chaukhat.com

 The original tall steeple was replaced by shorter concrete one in 1982. A remarkable  feature is the presence of an antique church organ which was brought to this place in 1869 and  after some major repairs in England, it was  back in  1905 and remained here ever since. Yet another interesting features are  the majestic  stained glass  windows (fabricated in England) fitted in 1874 at the altar and near the baptistery, in the memory of Lieutenant Trotter (KCMG CB - 30 August 1841 – 25 September 1919, a British Indian Army officer in the Royal Engineers,  

The historical aspect of this Church is further enhanced by the one of the oldest grave yards in this region, where important British personalities were buried, including  Sir Robert Grant,queen's Privy Councilors and the Governor of Bombay. His most  famous hymn, "O Worship the King", based on Psalm 104, is regularly sung at the church and is an anthem during the church's anniversary. Sir Edward West, the Chief Justice of Supreme Court at Bombay established in 1823, one of the few survivors from the battle of Balaclava (25 October 1854 during the Crimean War) William Morris of Fishleigh. Also present here are  the colors of the some rare regimental flags inside the  Church. Soldiers of 25th Bombay Infantry  were laid to rest.

 St. Mary's Church is situated on the Staveley Road of Pune City.

Ref:
  
http://blog.chaukhat.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Church,_Pune