Everything to Know About Visiting St. Andrews Church
When you are heading to the hills, there are going to be plenty of places that you are going to want to see and visit. This would include St. Andrews Church and you should ensure that you know everything there is to know about visiting this site. Here is some of the important information that will help you to plan your trip and make sure you are enjoying it.
Traveller Tips:
If you are planning on visiting St. Andrews Church – Darjeeling, you should make sure that you are aware of what you are going to want to do. There aren’t any restrictions on photographs here except for getting permission and the entry is free. However, there a few tips that you are going to want to take into consideration, such as:
• Dressing appropriately
• Stay tranquil and peaceful inside
• Get permission from the church before taking a photo
Ensure that you are keeping these in mind when you are heading over so you can be ready to gain entrance.
Things to Do :
When you visit here, there isn’t much that you can do, but you can go out and check out the graveyard that has graves that go back for generations. You can also take in some of the celebrations and even participate in their Christmas Carol celebration if you are here.
History
The St. Andrews Church – Darjeeling was built back in 1843 while being supervised by Captain Bishop. When it was constructed, the price for the building was around 9,000 and it could hold around 150 people. However, there was an earthquake and the building was completely ruined, which meant that it had to be rebuilt in 1873.
Festivals Celebrated:
There are a few festivals that are celebrated by St. Andrews Church, which includes the following:
• Easter
• Christmas
• St Andrews Day
They also have other services and Holy Communion that you would be able to participate if you wish to while you are here.
Timings :
This is an Anglican church, and there are still services that are held here regularly, but it usually is just a few individuals. There are regular services on Sunday morning, but the timing would depend on what season you are visiting. There is also Holy Communion that you can attend if you wish on both the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month.
Starting in March until November, the services begin at 9 am, while from December until February, the starting time of the service is 930am. There is also a carol service that the church would hold during the Christmas season and that would vary depending on the year. Also, St. Andrews Day is celebrated here on November 30th of every year and the current minister in charge here is Ravi Rai, who is an Indian Nepalese and he has been here for over 15 years.
How to Reach:
Once you are in the area, it is easy to reach here and you would need to head over to Mall Road, which is now known as Bhanubhakt Sarani. It can be found at the left end of Mall Road and it is directly across from Gorkha Rang Manch.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About :
If you are interested in history, then this is going to be a great location to go since, in the 1970s, photographic records were made along with the assistance of Das Studio of all of the graves. However, since this was completed, the records have managed to go missing so there is no longer a record of all of the graves.
Go ahead and make sure that you are heading here whenever you are in the area and this is one attraction in Darjeeling that you should make sure you aren’t missing. The entry is going to be free, but you would want to ask before you take any pictures while you are here. This church is a local one where the Nepalese come to worship, and there are regular services that you can participate in.