St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata

St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata tickets: which one to buy

Saint Paul's Cathedral stands on Cathedral Road in central Kolkata, near the Victoria Memorial and the Maidan, and entry is free. It is the Anglican cathedral of Kolkata and one of the city's landmarks, set in spacious grounds with lawns and trees. The cathedral is usually open to visitors during the day, and photography inside may be restricted. City tours of Kolkata combine it with the Victoria Memorial, the Birla Planetarium next door, the Indian Museum, Park Street and the Maidan.

The cathedral is a short walk from the Maidan metro station. It is an active church of the Church of North India, with services on Sundays. At Christmas, the cathedral's midnight service draws huge crowds of people from all faiths, and the grounds are decorated with lights. Visitors should dress modestly. Photography inside the cathedral is usually not allowed, but the exterior and grounds can be photographed.

Visiting St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata: what to see

The cathedral was built between 1839 and 1847, when Calcutta was the capital of British India, and it replaced Saint John's Church as the city's cathedral. It was designed by William Nairn Forbes in the Indo-Gothic style, adapted to the climate, with a tall central tower. The tower was damaged in earthquakes in 1897 and 1934 and rebuilt in a style modelled on the Bell Harry tower of Canterbury Cathedral. Inside, the cathedral has a long nave with a high roof, wooden pews, memorial tablets and a large stained glass west window designed by Edward Burne-Jones, commissioned in memory of the Viceroy Lord Mayo, who was assassinated in 1872. The altar is framed by frescoes in the Florentine style.

The cathedral also has a library and a memorial to Bishop Daniel Wilson, who founded it. The grounds hold statues and old trees. The cathedral's stained glass includes windows in the chancel donated by Queen Victoria's family. The interior has a large clock and memorials to British officials and soldiers who served in India. The wooden ceiling and the broad nave create a cool space in the city's heat. The grounds hold a statue of Bishop Wilson and a small chapel. The cathedral library holds rare books from the colonial period. The tower's bells ring for Sunday services and major festivals. The cathedral's white exterior contrasts with the green lawns around it.

St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with services on Sundays. Kolkata's best season for sightseeing is from November to February, when the weather is cooler and drier; summers are hot and humid, and the monsoon brings heavy rain from June to September. Christmas is the highlight, when thousands visit the cathedral for the midnight service and the nearby Park Street is lit up. Durga Puja in October fills the city with festivities. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, and combine the visit with the Victoria Memorial, about five minutes' walk away. The Birla Planetarium, beside the cathedral, is one of the largest planetariums in Asia and offers shows in several languages.