“Yesu masih ki jai”. Imagine Padri Danny greeting worshippers inside Holy Trinity Church. His loud voice meets a chorus of even louder “jais”.
Welcome to Holy Trinity Church. It stands near Turkman Gate in Old Delhi. This church represents cultural diversity. It shows how various communities absorb cultures.
Built in 1905, Holy Trinity Church served the local Christian population. The church still stands today. It has old wooden furniture. A high dome adorns it. About 50 families still live around it today. That is about 200 people.
Holy Trinity Church’s history goes back to evangelist work. This work was by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. It started in 1860. The society worked in the Chamar bastis of Delhi. These were communities of leather workers. They were also in neighboring villages.
Anglican missionaries purchased four sites in 1883. They wanted to settle Chamar converts there. These converts agreed to avoid work on Sundays. Sunday is a day of prayer in Christianity. They also stopped taking part in non-Christian ceremonies. One of these sites was at Turkman Gate.
Alexander Charles Maitland left Rs. 10,000 to build a new church. It would be in a distant part of the city. After fundraising, another 10,000 was acquired. The church was built in just one year.
The church was once in a Chamar basti. But the past identity of the place has now been removed. The population is now engaged in skilled professions. Many have become white-collar workers.
The community is influenced by the neighboring Islamic population. Christian children sometimes wear Pathani suits and kurtas. They buy them from Jama Masjid. They celebrate Christmas. They read Urdu-translated Bibles.
White domes top Holy Trinity Church. They have lantern-like structures. Red lines run across the thick walls. A tablet greets you at the entrance. It honors Alexander Charles Maitland. His widow Mary R. Maitland laid the foundation stone in 1904.
Step inside Holy Trinity Church. Notice that you must remove your shoes. The church blends old architecture with modern amenities. Hanging ceiling fans are there. Most Bibles are in Urdu. The lectern faces the pews. It has intricate carvings. These carvings depict the four Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are shown through animal motifs.
Holy Trinity Church also has a primary school. It was built between 1913 and 1920. Today, most students are Muslim children. They come from the Turkman Gate neighborhood. The school teaches in Hindi. Urdu and English are also taught.
The spoken language has Persian influences. Older members greet each other with “salaam”. This means peace.
Holy Trinity Church preserves its Urdu heritage. Old books are written in Urdu script. Prayers were once predominantly in Hindi. But Urdu found its place during special Sunday prayers.
Holy Trinity Church stands as a testament. It shows an era when Urdu was integral to religious rituals. The legacy lives on. Old Urdu books continue to echo prayers of the past.