Medak Church aglow in all its splendour

Medak: Thousands from not just the district but also from faraway places such as Adilabad, Nirmal, Karimnagar, Warangal. Mancherial, Gulbarga and Maharashtra attended the Christmas festivities at the historic Medak Church on Tuesday.

The Medak Church was decked up and brightly illuminated and at strategic points one could see beautifully decorated Christmas trees. There were a few foreign tourists as well. Emmanuel, who makes it a point to visit the church every year said, “My brother who is in Dubai is not here for the first time in several years. Our family makes it a point to come here without fail.” This year, the security was beefed up with 150 Sub Inspector rank policemen and along with them a huge team was overseeing the proceedings. On Christmas Day, 10,000 people visited the historic church that took ten years to be constructed. It is the second biggest in South Asia. It was constructed by C W Posnett, a Britisher. It is said that the construction of the church was a boon for the people of the region when it was being constructed as it provided much needed jobs, as the area was facing a severe drought.

Work on the church started in 1914 and was completed in 1924. The celebrations usually go on for a week and on an average a few lakhs attend. The celebrations get over on January 2. On Christmas Day, 10,000 people attended. Security was beefed up with CCTV cameras. Margaret, a first time visitor to the church and a resident of Goa said, “We have a lot of churches in Goa but the Medak Church has an aura of itself. It is a fine piece of architecture and the place exudes a sense of calm.” “I am going to come here again,” she said. The church has become synonymous with Medak and attracts a lot of tourists. Built in white granite and on the stained glass windows one can read stories from the Bible including the birth of Jesus Christ, Prophet, Mary and astrologers, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.