St. Thomas Cathedral

The Roman Catholic St. Thomas Cathedral is one of the famous churches in Mumbai. It is located in the Colaba area. The residence of the Archbishop is located adjacent to the Cathedral. It is the oldest British building in the city, which was built in 1718 in a Neoclassical/Gothic style and contains the tombs of many British parishioners. It was built to replace the older Cathedral which was located in the Bhuleshwar area of the city, where there are few resident Christians.

The Church owes its name to St. Thomas, a disciple of Christ who came to India to establish Christianity along the Malabar Coast, Southwestern India. The site of this church is very close to the site of the former Portuguese Church of Our Lady of Hope. It was the first Anglican Church in Mumbai to improve the 'moral standards' of the growing British settlement. It was opened for divine service on Christmas Day 1718, and since then has served continuously as a church. The church was consecrated a cathedral in July 1837. The tower and the clock at the western end were added in 1838. This was completed by 1865. The church is beautifully decorated and filled with revelers during Christmas.