Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
தூய இருதய ஆண்டவர் பசிலிக்கா
Gothic Revival basilica on the south boulevard, built from 1902 and known for its stained-glass panels of the life of Christ and the saints.
A Roman Catholic minor basilica on the south boulevard of the old town, built in the Gothic Revival style and known above all for its stained-glass panels. It is one of the three prominent churches Puducherry Tourism names, and a place of pilgrimage for Christians from across the region.
History
In 1895 Archbishop Gandy consecrated the Archdiocese of Pondicherry to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and wished to build a church in its honour. Father Telesphore Welter, parish priest of Nellithope, drew up the plans, and Father Fourcaud, parish priest of the cathedral, began building in 1902 on the southern side of the town. The church was blessed, and its first mass said, on 17 December 1907; its parish was established on 27 January 1908.
After the parish’s centenary in 2008–2009, the Holy See raised the church to the rank of minor basilica by a papal brief dated 24 June 2011.
What to see
- Stained-glass panels showing events from the life of Christ and of Catholic saints
- The Gothic Revival building: about 50 m long, 48 m wide and 18 m high, laid out as a Latin cross on 24 main columns
- The Latin inscription over the entrance, from 2 Chronicles 7:16
Why visit
Its stained glass, and a building that is a working parish church and a landmark of the south boulevard.
- Coordinates
11.926275, 79.827012