The 125th anniversary celebrations of Kalimpong's MacFarlane Memorial
Church is scheduled to begin from Monday with a gospel choir programme
at Town Hall.
Reverend Samuel Lepcha, a member of the Celebration Committee of
MacFarlane Memorial Church, Church of North India, Kalimpong, said
groups from different churches and schools in the hill town would
participate in the event. "We also plan to hold a host of programmes for
youths, senior citizens and women leading up to the 125th anniversary
on November 1, 2016," he said.
The church, named after William MacFarlane, the first missionary from
the Church of Scotland who visited Darjeeling in 1870, is visible from
almost all parts of the town and is the most prominent landmark. The
foundation stone of the church was laid on 24 February, 1890, and it was
opened on November 1, 1891.
The church was damaged in the Sikkim earthquake of September 18,
2011, and was closed for more than two years. It reopened in December
2013.
"The earthquake had caused extensive damage to the interiors and the
bell tower. All the pinnacles, including the big four and the small four
of the bell tower, were damaged. A slab on the top-most level had also
suffered damage," said Subin Pradhan, an architect from Kalimpong, who
was part of a team that worked on the church's restoration.(TT)
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