On Sunday afternoon, a bunch of history enthusiasts met at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption, North Avenue as a part of a heritage walk organised by the Delhi Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The walk was led by Pooja Varma, an arts administrator by profession and a walk leader with INTACH, in an attempt to explore and unravel the history, architecture and significance of the cathedral.
Talking about the reason behind organising the walk, Varma shared, “The idea was to organise a walk to a place in the city that is thematically close to Christmas hence this venue”.
A glimpse of history
Designed by British architect Henry Medd, Cathedral Church of the Redemption was built in 1935. Varma explained the background and the process of construction of the cathedral while also touching upon various philosophical and theological concepts that surround the cathedral’s past and present.
Varma told how ideas of European architecture were inspired from the emotions of homesickness and nostalgia. “These were colonialists who had left their own land to come to an alien place, even though as traders in the beginning. One way of dealing with this displacement was to construct sacred structures and public buildings which were reminiscent of where they came from,” shared Varma, who then further discussed legends related to the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
Varma also made it a point to touch upon basic concepts such as the difference between a cathedral and a church. Talking about the need to discuss such minor details, she explained, “These walks are for the public. Sometimes you get people who know the city very well but mostly people who come for such walks are genuinely interested in the city they live in, and its architecture, and thus they don’t necessarily have a lot of information about it”.
The walk was thus an opportunity for city dwellers to get an insight of Delhi’s history. Dwarka-resident Manavi Baraya (27), who joined the walk on Sunday was impressed with how detailed the walk was. “I am very interested in Christianity. This was my first walk and I likeds how she [Pooja Varma] gave a background to everything and took us around the place very patiently,” she concluded.