Padri ki Haveli is the oldest church in Bihar and one of the most visited places in Patna. It is a beautiful church and was built in the year 1713 by the Roman Catholics. It is also known as St. Mary’s Church and has great historical significance. It is open from 6.00 am to 8.00 pm on all days of the week for the devotees and the tourists. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in the year 2003. I took a cab from my hotel and reached the church at 9.00 am to see that a lot of tourists were already there getting inside the church.
The church is only about 9.5 km from the city and is located in a calm and peaceful surrounding, offering a perfect ambience for the devotees to pray in peace. it had withstood many attacks in the past and now is a beautiful structure well known for its architectural excellence. The church that we see now was designed by a Venetian artist called Tirreto, who came from Kolkata to Patna for the purpose of designing the church.
Padri Ki Haveli Patna | Image Resource : xpsajeevk.blogspot.in
I saw that the church was a large building which was 70 feet long, 40 feet wide and fifty feet high. Many people visit the church to pray as well as to wonder at its marvelous architectural beauty. One of the attractions of the church is the large cathedral bell with inscriptions on it.
Mother Teressa’s Room in Padri Ki Haveli Patna | Image Resource : kalpriyanagari.blogspot.in
The church is also associated with Mother Theresa, who stayed here for three months during the year 1948. She came here at Holy Family Hospital for training and stayed in a small room. The room is still preserved by the Missionaries of Charity and has a cot, a table and many other items used by Mother Theresa. It attracts a lot of tourists who come here to see the things used by Mother Theresa.
Inside view of Padri Ki Haveli Patna | Image Resource : kalpriyanagari.blogspot.in
I got in to the large hall in the church, knelt down and prayed for a few minutes and then got up to take a look around the hall and the surrounding area. I had a wonderful time at the church and the serene atmosphere of the church filled me with inner peace and happiness, something that you will feel only at a spiritual place.
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