SRINAGAR- St Luke’s Church, one of the oldest in Srinagar, was thrown open for prayers after three decades on Thursday.
The Church located in the Drugjan area of Srinagar has been fully renovated and conserved.
The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha joined the reopening ceremony.
Talking to Kashmir Observer Chief Priest of St. Luke’s Church, Father Eric expressed his happiness over the reopening of the Church after three decades.
“We were working to reopen it for the last eight years and it finally happened with the help of locals and administration in Srinagar,” Father Eric said.
The Christian community of Srinagar has also expressed happiness at the government’s initiative to renovate and reopen the Church ahead of Christmas.
St Luke’s Church is a single-storey building constructed on a cruciform plan. The Church follows the Gothic Style of Architecture which is distinct from the other important monuments dotted in the landscape of Srinagar. Attached to the porch, there is a bell tower which is three-story in height, mounted by a high pitched CGI roof with dormer gables on each side.
Before the restoration works, the Church was lying in a dilapidated condition, with the structural members suffering major damage. The CGI roofing was completely damaged, the rainwater intrusion from the roof aggravated the decay of important components.
Initially, the structural integrity of the Church was analysed by experts and the envisaged vision was to restore the Church in its original shape and character keeping intact its Architectural glory.
Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor SMC; Athar Aamir Khan, Commissioner, SMC, besides people from all walks of life were present to witness the re-opening of the Church.
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