Shimla’s St Michael Cathedral, a 138-year-old French-Gothic marvel, faces dire structural threats from deepening cracks and sinking foundations. Danger lurks over this historic landmark’s architectural splendour due to neglect and stalled restoration efforts. A report by Nitya Gaba
A remarkable testament to colonial times and the current spiritual ethos, St Michael’s Cathedral faces the prolonged and disheartening threat of structural damage. This 138-year-old church, dating back to 1886, is a cherished landmark of Shimla, housing a splendid organ regarded as the finest in northern India.
The restoration requirement is not a sudden requirement, it’s a plea stretched from various decades. The long and white cracks are running along the ceiling and the floor of the church, marring the structure of the first Roman Catholic Church in the erstwhile summer capital of the British. On top of the damages, the left side or the south-west portion of the church has also started sinking leaving the community worried. Earlier, the cracks were defined as thin lines, but due to recent heavy rains, the cracks have expanded massively, and the damage is increasing day by day.
According to the experts, the entire roof encompasses a ceiling, trusses and the stone gutters of the Catholic Church require thorough going repairs due to extensive leakage. Due to many delays, which made the repairs linger, has unfortunately made the church vulnerable and no simple restoration is possible at the moment. A ray of hope was seen a few years back, the 15 crores restoration and conservation project were proposed.
Experts have highlighted that the entire roof of the Catholic Church, comprising the ceiling, trusses, and stone gutters, requires extensive repairs due to severe leakage. Repeated delays have exacerbated the damage, leaving the church vulnerable and beyond the scope of simple restoration. A ray of hope emerged a few years ago with the proposal of a Rs 15 crore restoration and conservation project. The work on the two-century old catholic church was part of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which was further abandoned by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, by revealing that a sum of Rs. 7.50 crore had been approved for the restoration of the Christ Church on The Ridge, but during the time of signing of the MoU for the implementation of the recovery of the church, two sects of the Christian community staked claim that the management of the church was under them.
