Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi

Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi tickets: which one to buy

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart stands on Ashok Place, near Gole Dak Khana and a short distance south-west of Connaught Place in New Delhi, India, and entry is free. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi and one of the largest churches in the city, and it belongs to the ensemble of buildings created when New Delhi was planned as the capital of British India. The cathedral is easy to reach by taxi or auto-rickshaw, and the nearest metro stations are Rajiv Chowk and Patel Chowk.

Visitors often combine it with the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, the Sikh shrine nearby, the Jantar Mantar observatory, Connaught Place with its colonnaded shops and restaurants, the India Gate and the government buildings of Rajpath, now Kartavya Path. The cathedral is active, with daily masses in English, Hindi and other languages, and visitors should dress modestly and be quiet. Photography inside may be restricted during services. The cathedral grounds include a school and parish buildings, and the gardens offer a calm space away from Delhi's traffic. The cathedral is especially lively at Christmas, when crowds of people of all faiths come to see the decorations.

Visiting Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi: what to see

When New Delhi was built as the new capital in the 1910s and 1920s, a Catholic cathedral was planned as part of the new city, and the church was designed by the British architect Henry Medd, who also designed the Anglican Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi. Construction began in 1929, and the cathedral was completed in the 1930s. It was built in an Italian style, with influences of Renaissance and classical architecture, rather than the Gothic style common in colonial churches, and it has a facade of red and yellow brick with white columns and two towers flanking the entrance.

The interior is large and bright, with arches, a high ceiling and a large altar, and it holds paintings and statues of the Sacred Heart, the Virgin and saints. The stained glass and the altar decorations reflect the devotions of the Catholic community of Delhi. The cathedral became the seat of the Archdiocese of Delhi when it was created, and it has been visited by popes, including John Paul II during his visit to India in 1986. The grounds include a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, where pilgrims light candles, and the adjoining St Columba's School and Convent of Jesus and Mary are well-known Delhi institutions.

Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with masses in the morning and evening. Delhi's climate is extreme, with very hot summers from April to June, monsoon rains from July to September and cool, sometimes smoggy winters; October, November, February and March are the most comfortable months. Christmas Eve midnight mass draws huge crowds, and the cathedral is decorated with lights. Easter and the feast of the Sacred Heart in June also bring celebrations. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, and visit the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib nearby.