India: Consecration of the 100-year-old Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Kolkata
This November, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Kolkata celebrated 100 years of operation at its current location.
On Sunday, 8 December 2024, the Orthodox Community celebrated this anniversary and His Eminence Metropolitan Konstantinos of Singapore, also consecrated the Church.
The foundation stone for the first Church was laid in 1780 and it was opened in 1782. In 1923, the Greek Community decided to move the Church to another part of the city. The reconstruction of the new Church was completed in 1924 and the official opening (thyranoixia) took place in November of the same year.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service was held for the founders, the donors of the Holy Church, and the entire once vibrant and populous Greek community in Kolkata.
In the afternoon of the same day, a festive event was held with speeches about the history and importance of the Greek Church in Kolkata, and then in the courtyard of the Church, children from charitable foundations sang Byzantine hymns and danced traditional Indian dances.
The events were attended by a large number of people, including the Ambassador of Greece in New Delhi, Her Excellency Ms. Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, the Consul of the Greek Embassy, Mr. Dimitrios Sideris, the Consul of Cyprus in India, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Pavlos Bharat and Leonidas Tzonis, the Honorary Ambassador, Mr. Zeppos, and the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Varsa, Archimandrite Melchizedek Galanis.
The evening festive event was honoured with the presence of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kolkata, the religious representatives of the Monophysites, Hindus and Muslims.
Local radio and television networks covered the celebrations, highlighting that the Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour is a unique monument for the city of Kolkata.
