Adorned with lush green hills on both sides, the road from Bangalore to Mysore is probably one of the most beautiful roads in the state. As one enters Mysore through Ashoka Road, the breathtaking view of the Chamundi Hills leaves every visitor spellbound. However, on this particular stretch, the St Philomena’s Church is a wonderful sight not to be missed. This architectural marvel is one of the oldest churches of India.
With its twin spires touching the horizon, the church stands tall at 165 feet. It can accommodate approximately 800 people. Today, St Philomena’s Church has become a major tourist attraction in Mysore. The church is located at a distance of 3 km from the city bus stand and 2 km from the Palace of Mysore. Here, the Holy Mass is performed every day in Kannada, Tamil and English in this church. Special masses are held on Sundays and on festivals. Roman Catholics visit this church during the annual feast which is usually held on August 11 every year.
In fact, over 250 years ago, there was a small church in its place. Soon, Maharaja Krishnarajendra Wadiyar Bahudar IV laid the foundation for a new church on October 28, 1933.
A Frenchman named Daly designed the entire church. This church was built to replace the small church which was originally built by the Maharaja’s grandfather.
The floor of the cathedral is in the form of a cross. The longer section of the cross is the ‘nave’, which is the congregation hall. And, the two arms of the cross are the ‘transepts’. The fourth part containing the altar and the choir is the ‘crossing’. Apparently, the Philomena’s church bears a close resemblance to a church in Cologne, Germany and St Patrick’s Church in New York.
The story of Saint Philomena dates back several years. She was the daughter of a king of a tiny Grecian state. Her parents were childless for a very long time. They decided to pray to God and asked him to bless them with a child and promised to convert to Christianity if their wish was granted. The next year Philomena was born. Even in her childhood, Philomena showed signs of devotion. When she was 13 years old, her father took her to Rome. The Emperor was fascinated by her beauty and wanted to marry her. But she turned down his proposal and decided to give herself to God. As she refused to marry the Emperor she was tortured and executed in Rome.