4/5 Sohom R. 4 years ago on Google
On
22
June
1688,
the
British
East
India
Company
signed
a
contract
with
the
Armenians
residing
in
India.
The
contract
was
signed
by
Sir
Josiah
Child,
who
represented
the
East
India
Company;
and
Khoja
Sarhad
and
Khoja
Fanush,
who
represented
the
Armenian
community
in
Bengal.
In
accordance
with
the
agreement,
the
East
India
Company
had
to
build
churches
throughout
India
in
areas
that
were
inhabited
by
at
least
40
Armenians,
with
the
provision
of
50
pounds
as
a
salary
for
the
priests
in
those
churches.
In
1708,
which
is
officially
considered
the
founding
date
of
the
church
(although
1705
and
1707
have
also
been
given
as
dates
by
sources),
the
East
India
Company
built
a
small
wooden
church
on
what
is
now
the
site
of
the
southeast
wing
of
the
Church
of
Holy
Nazareth.
In
2008,
it
celebrated
its
tercentenary.[4]
Later,
an
Armenian
named
Aga
Nazar
(Jakob
Nazar)
raised
money
and
built
the
church
in
1724.[5]
The
present
church
building
was
built
in
1764
by
Aga
Mamed
Hazar
Maliyar
on
land
donated
by
an
Armenian
named
Kenanentekh
Phanoosh,
and
was
designed
by
Kavond
(or
Hevond)
from
Persia.
The
interior
of
the
church
was
designed
by
Catchick
Arakiel.
Arakiel
also
built
a
monastery
for
priests
and
erected
a
high
wall
around
the
cemetery.
In
addition,
he
donated
a
clock
to
be
fitted
in
the
church
structure.
In
1790,
Catchick
Arakiel
attached
a
room
to
the
clergy
and
set
the
clock
on
the
belfry.
The
expensively
decorated
interiors,
including
a
combination
of
black
and
white
marble,
were
placed
with
the
support
of
wealthy
Armenians,
such
as
Sir
Catchick
Paul
Chater.
The
outer
buildings
were
all
built
at
the
expense
of
wealthy
Calcutta
Armenians
such
as
Arathoon
Stephen,
builder
and
owner
of
the
world-famous
Calcutta
GRAND
HOTEL.
