St. Stephen's Church

St. Stephen's Church is a historic Anglican church located on Church Hill in Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Tamil Nadu. Built between 1829 and 1830 and consecrated in 1831, it is the oldest church in the Nilgiris. Notable for its Gothic architecture, teak wood interior reputedly from Tipu Sultan's palace, stained-glass windows and colonial-era cemetery, it remains an active place of worship and a prominent heritage attraction in Ooty town centre.

Visitors can expect a Gothic-style stone church set on a quiet hill slope in central Ooty, surrounded by pine trees and a historic cemetery. Inside, the hall features exposed teak wood beams and pillars, stained-glass windows depicting religious scenes, a 19th-century pipe organ, and memorial plaques. The compound includes the cemetery with early colonial graves, a small garden and pathways. The atmosphere is calm and suited for sightseeing, photography of architecture, and observing an active Anglican place of worship.

St. Stephen's Church was built between 1829 and 1830 to serve the growing British settlement in Ooty established by John Sullivan, Collector of Coimbatore. The foundation stone was laid on 23 April 1829 by Stephen Rumbold Lushington, Governor of Madras, after whom the church is named. Constructed under Captain John James Underwood, the timber for the interior was reportedly brought from Tipu Sultan's palace at Srirangapatna after the Anglo-Mysore Wars. Consecrated in 1831 by the Bishop of Calcutta, it is the oldest church in the Nilgiris and an early example of colonial Gothic architecture in South India.

The church is an active Anglican parish under the Church of South India and represents the colonial heritage of Udhagamandalam as a British hill station. It serves as a place of regular worship, Sunday services and community gatherings, and is valued for its architectural heritage, stained-glass art and historic cemetery that reflects the early European community of the Nilgiris.