Kolkata Armenians visit Chinsurah for John the Baptist feast

Published: Sunday January 22, 2012

Pilgrims in Chinsurah.

Kolkata, India - On January 15, the Armenian community of Kolkata, India, teachers and senior students of Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy went on a pilgrimage to Saint John the Baptist Armenian Church of Chinsurah which was built in 1695.

The relics of St. John the Baptist, which is kept in the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth, Kolkata is carried to Chinsurah on the occasion of the Feast of Saint John the Baptist.

Very Rev. Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, Pastor of Armenians in India and Manager of Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy conducted the Divine Liturgy. During the Holy Mass, Father Khoren blessed the faithful with the golden hand of St. John the Baptist.

In his sermon, Father Khoren emphasized the importance of St. John the Baptist and his significant role in the Christian Church. The congregation showed reverence and bowed down to the relics of St. John the Baptist and pleaded for his intercession.

One of the last Meliks of Artsakh (present-day Nagorno Karabakh), Fridon Beglar (May 01, 1795 - September 22, 1884) is buried beneath the belfry of the Church.

Once there were many Armenians living in Chinsurah. Although today there are no Armenians living in the town but the Church is in good condition and is being taken care of by the Church Committee of Holy Nazareth.