कानपुर शहर के सबसे पुराने मेमोरियल चर्च, इनकी अनूठी शिल्पकला आज भी लोगों को आकर्षित करती है

क्रिसमस के दिन  चर्चों में लोगों को प्रभु यीशु के सामने प्रार्थना करते देखा जा सकता है। चूंकि प्रत्येक चर्च का अपना अलग इतिहास होता है।

 

जिस प्रकार कानपुर की भूमि अपने प्राचीन मंदिरों, मस्जिदों और गुरुद्वारों के लिए प्रसिद्ध है, उसी प्रकार इस कड़ी में वे चर्च भी शामिल हैं जो ब्रिटिश शासन के दौरान बनाए गए थे। लंबे समय तक दूर-दराज के इलाकों से आने वाले लोगों को कानपुर शहर द्वारा रोजगार दिया जाता था। हालांकि यह शहर अपनी ऐतिहासिक विरासत के लिए भी उतना ही प्रसिद्ध है। शहर में मौजूद चर्चों की बात करें तो यहां मेमोरियल चर्च, मेथोडिस्ट चर्च, क्राइस्ट चर्च, सेंट कैथरीन चर्च और चर्च ऑफ नॉर्थ इंडिया समेत कई चर्च हैं।



 

हालांकि इस बार क्रिसमस उतनी गर्मजोशी के साथ नहीं मनाया गया, लेकिन चर्चों में लोगों को प्रभु यीशु के सामने प्रार्थना करते देखा जा सकता है। चूंकि हर चर्च का अपना अलग इतिहास होता है, इसी क्रम में हम आपको शहर के दो ऐसे चर्चों के बारे में बताएंगे जहां कभी सैकड़ों लोग एक साथ आते थे और घंटों इंतजार करते थे कि उनका नंबर कब आएगा और वे प्रवेश करेंगे। बता दें कि इस बार महामारी को देखते हुए हर चर्च में मास्क और सैनिटाइजर की व्यवस्था की गई थी. इस चर्च के बारे में कहा जाता है कि यह चर्च आज से 104 साल पुराना है।


 

इसे मूल अमेरिकी लौरा जॉनसन ने बनवाया था, जो एक विकलांग व्यक्ति थी और उसने रजाई, टेबल कवर बेचकर इतनी पूंजी एकत्र की कि वह इस चर्च को बनाने में सफल रही। एलएलजेएम मेथोडिस्ट चर्च के पादरी जेजे ओलिवर ने जानकारी देते हुए कहा कि इस चर्च का निर्माण बेहद गंभीरता से किया गया है. क्योंकि इस इमारत में एक ऐसी मास्टर चाबी है कि अगर उस चाबी को खींचा गया तो पूरी इमारत ढह जाएगी। उन्होंने यह भी बताया कि आपको यीशु के इस चर्च में उस केंद्र को खोजने के लिए आना होगा जो समुद्र तल से गहराई को मापने के लिए आवश्यक है।

 

यह चर्च 1900 में अस्तित्व में आया था और 1917 में इसका निर्माण किया गया था। फादर फजल मसीह ने बताया कि चर्च में रोजाना 325 से ज्यादा लोग भगवान की पूजा करने आते हैं। उन्होंने बताया कि इस चर्च से पहले अनुयायी प्रार्थना के लिए जीआईसी में इकट्ठा होते थे। ब्रिटिश काल में मिल मजदूरों को क्राइस्टचर्च में प्रार्थना करने की अनुमति नहीं थी, वे ग्वालटोली चर्च में आने लगे। रविवार की छुट्टी के बाद अनुयायी ग्वालटोली बाजार से ही खरीदारी करते थे।

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