One of Chennai's oldest cathedral gets a facelift
In a city rapidly rewriting its skyline with contemporary engineering like metro lines and steel flyovers, there remain a handful of landmarks that remind Chennai of where it began. For more than two centuries, the off-white spire of St. Georges Cathedral, on Cathedral Road, has watched the city transform around it, all through war and independence, storms and celebrations, triumphs and farewells. This year, the two-century-old landmark emerged renewed, without losing the wrinkles of time that make it sacred. St. Georges Cathedral was born from a simple need: a place of worship closer to the homes of Europeans who had settled outside Fort St George. The church was requested in 1807 and was eventually consecrated on January 8, 1816, and its graceful spire, standing 139 feet tall, became a landmark, whose silhouette has endured two centuries of history. The majestic neoclassical church was one of the six churches to be built in India before 1833. With cracks spreading through its lime plaster, damaged rafters and beams, stained-glass windows in need of repair, and a roof strained under years of monsoon, the structure demanded attention grounded in heritage conservation. The restoration work of St. Georges Cathedral officially commenced on January 8, 2025. It required large-scale scaffolding, delicate civil engineering, and the temporary relocation of worship, made possible by constructing a 45,000-square-foot temporary church in just 35 days. Presiding bishop, Rt Rev Paul Francis Ravichandran captured the emotional significance of the moment: Our vision is not simply a beautiful building, but a vibrant and unified Cathedral community where worship is offered, the marginalised find welcome, and the young and old discover purpose. The technical direction of the restoration was led by Arun Menon, professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, and coordinator at the National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures, who prepared the detailed project report, with the convenorship of David Devasahayam, chairman of the Radiant Group of Companies and a long-standing member of the congregation. Speaking about the guiding philosophy, Arun said, If the last ten months of intense restoration efforts have left the cathedral not looking very different from the past, we would have done our job! This also camouflages the intricate, difficult, and time-consuming work that has been undertaken on restoring the structural health of the masonry walls, the portico roofs, the roofs of the aisles and the naves, and many others. The restoration team focused on preserving authenticity through traditional craftsmanship. One of our key tasks was the replacement of the old wooden beams. Wherever deterioration had set in, we have replaced them with high-quality Burma teak, chosen both for its durability and its fidelity to the original design, he explained. Another significant intervention involved reversing later repair work done using incompatible materials. These cement interventions were carefully scraped out and replaced with traditional lime mortar, restoring not only the aesthetics but the very breathability and strength of the original architecture. Invisible upgrades play a crucial role in the buildings future resilience. Arun said that the electrical systems of the cathedral were fully modernised to meet current safety norms. Among the cathedrals most treasured elements are its stained-glass windows, which underwent delicate and highly specialised restoration. Local craftspeople worked carefully on each panel to revive the clarity and colour that time and weather had dulled. As Arun explained, The cathedrals artefacts and interiors received the meticulous attention from local craftspeople that they so richly deserve. The stained-glass windows, which are among our most treasured features, were cleaned pane by pane. Wherever breakage occurred, identical glass pieces were sourced and replaced, ensuring that the original artistry continues to shine through, just as it did when first installed. David reflected on the human energy behind the engineering: The restoration of St. Georges Cathedral fostered collaboration across disciplines, uniting conservation architects, stonemasons, engineers, artists, workers and passionate volunteers. Each person added a vital piece to the puzzle, transforming a fragile monument into a vibrant centrepiece of urban and spiritual life. For many worshippers, the reopening represents the fulfilment of a generational hope. The restoration of this historic cathedral has been a long-cherished dream of our congregation for more than four decades, said Arun David Ambrose, secretary of the Church Pastorate Committee. Beneath the familiar off-white spire, Chennai still remembers that history can be restored without being rewritten.
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