About St John's Church
St John's Church is a historic Anglican church located in B.B.D. Bagh, central Kolkata, West Bengal. Built between 1784 and 1787 with stone, it is the oldest Anglican church in Kolkata and modelled on St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Notable for its neoclassical architecture, tall spire and historic compound containing the mausoleum of Job Charnock, the Black Hole Monument and memorials to early British residents, it served as the city's principal Anglican cathedral until 1847.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a neoclassical stone church set in a quiet garden compound in central Kolkata. Inside, the spacious hall features a stone floor, wooden pews, a stained-glass window depicting the Last Supper, a pipe organ and wall-mounted memorial tablets. The compound contains the octagonal mausoleum of Job Charnock, the Black Hole Monument, the Lady Canning memorial and several historic graves and cenotaphs. The surroundings are urban with government buildings, and the interior is calm and suited for sightseeing and heritage exploration.
Key highlights
- 01
One of the oldest Anglican churches in Kolkata, built 1784-1787 with stone (Pathure Girja)
- 02
Neoclassical architecture modelled on St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, with tall spire and colonnaded portico
- 03
Mausoleum of Job Charnock, traditionally regarded as founder of Kolkata
- 04
Black Hole Monument and memorial to victims of 1756
- 05
Stained-glass window of the Last Supper and historic pipe organ
- 06
Collection of 18th and 19th century memorial tablets and monuments
History of St John's Church
Foundation stone laid in 1784 by Warren Hastings, Governor-General of Bengal, and consecrated in 1787. Designed by Lieutenant James Agg, it was built with stone imported as ballast, giving it the name Pathure Girja. It was the first Anglican church in Kolkata and served as the Anglican Cathedral until St Paul's Cathedral was completed in 1847. The compound houses the 1693 mausoleum of Job Charnock and monuments associated with early colonial history of Kolkata.
Culture & Context
An important example of early British colonial neoclassical architecture in India and a landmark of Kolkata's colonial heritage. As a former Anglican cathedral under the Church of North India (Diocese of Calcutta), it remains a place of worship and a heritage site reflecting the city's 18th-century architectural and community history, with memorials, stained glass and artworks of cultural interest.