East India Company had used this place as a military cantonment area due to the remoteness of this place. At the southern tip of Mumbai, Afghan Church stands in a quiet army cantonment, an imposing basalt edifice with a lofty limestone spire. In the old days it had a sizeable flock of British officers who turned up for the Sunday sermon. At the entrance, there is a big black board, revealing that it is an Anglican church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. It is impressive with the wide Gothic Arches and beautiful stained-glass windows. It also commemorates different Indian regiments, including the Bombay Army, the Madras Army, and Ranjit Singh's army from Lahore.
The quintessential English architecture was designed by city-engineer Henry Conbeare and architect William Butterfield in and was consecrated on , by Bishop Harding.The church consists of the nave and aisles, fluted columns with Doric style capitals, a tower and a spire. The walls are made of rubble faced with coarse Kurla Stone (buff colored basalt). The piers, arches, and dressings are of Porbunder Stone, very similar to the Caen Stone (cream coloured soft stone from Caen in Normandy) of the English churches; the roof is built of varnished teakwood with hammer beam style ribbing. The floor of the chancel is made of encaustic tiles (in-laid with coloured clay) imported from England. It has a beautiful altar, tall pinnacles, 21 lancet windows with exquisite stained glass fixed in the triangular apexes, on either side of the nave. The remaining portions of the nave windows were fitted earlier with Venetians instead of glass, but during the years 1932 to 1937 quarried coloured glass windows had gradually taken its place. The 'great west window', consisting of stained glass with five lights, has an intricate tracery design above and is one of Wailes's best works. Likewise, the 'great east window' is a large triplet lancet window filled with stained glass of a beautiful design. In the chancel a stone inscription reads:
"This church was built in memory of the officers and private soldiers, too many to be recorded who fell mindful of their duty, by sickness or by sword on the campaign of Scinde () and Afghanistan, A.D. 1838-43."
The baptistery window, with beautiful stained glass with triple lights, is situated at the East end of the south aisle. The inscription underneath reads: "To the memory of Philip Anderson, Pastor of Colaba, Bombay." A general memorial consists of series of white marble tablets bearing the names of 158 of its officers. Special memorials to officers, who died during the last Afghan War, were erected in 1882. At the entrance of the church one finds plaque giving detailed information on the history of this church. The friends of twelve officers of various corps have erected a reredos (ornamental screen covering wall at the back of altar). The altar was given in the memory of two officers and the marble pavement in the memory of those who had brethren in the Guild of the Holy Standard. The general memorial of all the officers, non-commissioned and the men of the Bombay Army were erected over the principle entrance in 1883.
Away from the city’s hustle-bustle a stroll around the historic Afghan church will pump in fresh air. It remains one of the few precincts in Mumbai where you can get a glimpse of undisturbed Indian heritage. Built to commemorate the dead of the three Afghan Wars, today this church stands guard over the living and the dead.
Fact File
Location: Church of St. John the Evangelist
(Afghan War Memorial)
Duxbury lane,
Colaba
Mumbai- 400005
Tel: 22183349
Open 365 days
