Text & Photos: Gokul Sharma
The MacFarlane Church is the oldest church in Kalimpong, West Bengal. Its Victorian-style architecture and visibility from most parts of Kalimpong Town make it stand out from other major attractions.
Growing up in Kalimpong, I was always fascinated by the aesthetics of this church. My picture of Kalimpong is incomplete without MacFarlane Church in it. I would wake up to the sight of it across my mother’s garden, and it became my innocent concept of beauty. In late afternoons I would return home from school, holding my brother’s hands. While my ears listened to his tales, my eyes would invariably gaze upon the loveliness of MacFarlane Church. In the silent dusks, I would look across the garden and still find beauty in its silhouette against the fading lights.
It was only when I grew up and started pronouncing its name correctly, I wanted to delve into its history. Its construction started in 1890 in memory of William MacFarlane, a Scottish missionary, who served marginalised Tibetans in Kalimpong. It became functional in November 1891. It’s considered to be one of those few churches in India that offers prayer services in ten languages. In a span of 131 years, it has seen many changes and renovations and still retains its rich grandeur.
History holds its own place, strong and intact. For me, more than the factual details, it’s meeting myself at different points of life—The same innocent kid looking across his mother’s garden, fascinated by the structure of MacFarlane Church, gazing at beauty through the naïve lens of feelings than prejudiced erudition.
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