Armenian church in Dhaka
Following the domination of their homeland by Persian powers of the
time, Armenians were sent by their new rulers to the Bengal region for
both political and economic reasons. Although the Armenian presence in
South Asia is now insignificant, their presence in Dhaka dates back to
the 17th century. Armenians came to Dhaka for business, and have been
acknowledged for displaying a passion for trade comparable to that of
the Bengalis of the time. In Dhaka, Armenian merchants traded in jute
and leather, and profitability in these businesses convinced some to
move permanently to Bangladesh. The area where they lived became known
as Armanitola.
In faith, the Armenians were Christians belonging to Greek or
Orthodox Church. They built churches wherever they settled. Armenian
churches and secular monuments in Chinsura, Saidabad, Murshidabad,
Calcutta and Dhaka are still extant. The early Armenian settlers built a
small chapel in the midst of their community graveyard. By the end of
the 18th century the Armenian community had grown considerably and the
chapel was found inadequate for the needs of the community.
So the chapel was replaced by the Holy Resurrection Church with major
donations by Agah Catchick Minas who donated the land and Michael
Sarkies, Astwasatoor Gavork, Margar Pogose and Khojah Petrus for
construction costs. Before this church had been built the Armenians were
interned beside the Roman Catholic Church at Tejgaon. The church was
completed in 1781 and consecrated by His Grace Bishop Ephreim.
The belfry was added in 1837 through donations of another merchant,
Johannes Carapiet Sarkies. In the fifty years following the church’s
construction, a clock tower was erected on its western side. Allegedly,
the clock could be heard four miles away, and people sychronised their
watches with the sound of the tower’s bell. The clock stopped in 1880,
and an earthquake destroyed the tower in 1897. In 1910, a parsonage was
added and the floor of the church was decorated with marble, and
electric lights, a donation by Arathoon Stephen of Calcutta.
The plan of Armenian church is rectangular. Features include an
arched gate and an arched door. There are a total of four doors and 27
windows. The main floor is divided into three parts: a pulpit enclosed
by railings, a middle section with two folding doors, and an area
separated by a wooden fence for seating women and children. There is a
spiral staircase into the church.
In the old graveyard, amongst the 350 people buried there, a statue
stands at the grave of Catachik Avatik Thomas, portraying his wife. The
statue was bought from Kolkata and the grave is inscribed with the words
“Best of Husbands.”
Today, the Armenian church is usually closed. It has been the subject
of BBC and AFP documentaries, and has received recognition from the
Bangladeshi government as an archaeological site under the jurisdiction
of the department of architecture.
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন