Akbar's Church — Attraction in Agra

Tucked away in the quieter Civil Lines of Agra, not far from Kamala Nagar, stands a church that doesn’t shout for attention — but quietly holds centuries of extraordinary stories. This is Akbar’s Church, also known as the Church of Akbari Beginnings, and it is easily one of the most fascinating — and underrated — historical sites I’ve ever stepped into.

You wouldn’t expect to find a 16th-century Christian church at the heart of the Mughal Empire, but then again, Akbar wasn’t your usual emperor. In a city dominated by the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, this modest church has its own claim to fame — it was the first church in Agra, built in 1598, and quite possibly the first place in India where Christmas carols were sung.

I stepped in on a quiet afternoon. The outside is unassuming, almost quaint, especially when viewed next to the towering Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (built later in 1848). But once inside, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of history. You can still sense the hush of candlelight, the echo of hymns, and the shadows of centuries of celebration and conflict.

The story of the church began with three Jesuit priests from Goa, invited by Emperor Akbar in 1580 during his well-documented phase of religious curiosity and experimentation. They came not to convert the empire — they knew better — but to converse. Akbar, ever the intellectual, was interested in everything: Sufism, Hindu philosophy, Zoroastrianism, and yes, Christianity too.

In a remarkable gesture of religious openness, he granted land near an Armenian Christian settlement and funded the construction of a small chapel. This became Akbar’s Church. It was here, amid Armenian jewellers, European traders, and Mughal nobles, that the first Nativity plays in India were staged. On Christmas Day, Akbar would lead a full royal procession on elephant-back to attend Mass — imagine drums, music, and Mughal pageantry converging on a Christian chapel!

The atmosphere of inclusivity continued under Jahangir, Akbar’s son, who even baptised some of his nephews here and gave further endowments. The church grew in stature and size, becoming a centre of Christian life in Mughal Agra. But history, of course, doesn’t sit still.

In 1635, things turned. Emperor Shah Jahan, in the aftermath of his war with the Portuguese, ordered the church torn down and the Jesuits expelled. But diplomacy returned, and so did the church — it was rebuilt just a year later in 1636. Then came more turbulent times. When Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded in 1769, the church was set on fire. It took the intervention of the legendary Walter Reinhardt Sombre, a European mercenary, to restore it. His wife, the formidable Begum Samru of Sardhana, was baptised here in 1781, adding yet another iconic chapter to the church’s legacy.

Today, the structure that stands dates back to 1848, an architectural blend of Mughal restraint and European elegance. Inside, the arched ceiling echoes the older structure, and if you close your eyes, you can almost hear the polyphonic layers of Persian, Latin, and Hindustani drifting through time.

If you’re visiting Agra, do carve out half an hour for...

Akbar’s Church

Did you know that the Mughal Emperor Akbar, commissioned one of the earliest churches to be built in North India? Built way back in 1598, this church in Agra, which is still called ‘Akbar’s Church’ formed the core around which a thriving Armenian Christian community flourished. It also played witness to some tumultuous events in Indian history!

A man who loved to open his mind to new influences, Akbar probably got introduced to Christianity, thanks to the Jesuit missionaries he invited to his court from Goa. Around the same time, there was also a large thriving community of Armenian Christian merchants, jewelers and bankers living in the Mughal capital of Agra and when the Jesuits expressed a wish to build a church here, Akbar obliged and donated generously for the small chapel, that was soon built.

Located at Kamala Nagar in the Civil Lines of Agra today, this tiny church became a centre of worship for Christians in the Mughal capital. Records show that it was a scene of great festivities during festivals like Christmas and Easter. The earliest known Nativity plays were performed in this church, with a number of locals and Mughal royalty in attendance. On Christmas morning, Akbar would visit the church at the head of a grand procession, on an elephant with drums and music heralding his arrival! In the evening, the women and children from the Imperial household visiting the church.

Akbar’s successor Jehangir, continued the tradition of patronising the church and even gave large grants to it. Sadly, it could not remain unaffected by the volatility in relations between the Mughals and the Christian powers. In 1632, Shah Jahan declared war on the Portuguese and defeated them two years later. This led to the persecution of Christians in Agra and the original Akbar’s church was pulled down in 1635. However, as relations between the two powers improved the following year, the church was rebuilt in 1636. This church underwent great changes over the next two centuries.

During the later years, when the Mughal empire declined, Agra suffered great invasions and raids by a series of marauding armies and this church was often a target.

The greatest damage to the church was caused during the invasion of Agra by Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1758. Afghan soldiers ransacked the place. Thankfully, the church soon found a patron in European mercenary, Walter Reinhart Sombre who helped rebuild and extend the church. It is in this very church that Sombre’s wife Farzana, the famous Begum Samru of Sardhana was baptised and converted to Christianity in the year 1781.

Today, this small Church, may stand in the shadow of the much grander Church of Immaculate Conception better known as St Peter’s church close by. But, walk in and it is hard to miss the aura of ‘Akbar’s Church’. You will be awed by all the history this little church has...

Akbari Church

Akbari church was the first church in Agra where Christmas carols were sung for the first time in history. Right after a hundred years when Vasco-De-Gama reached the Indian shores, Agra was already becoming home for somewhat European traders, mercenaries, Jesuits, and many. Going forward with his belive in syncretic religion Akbar granted land near an existing Armenian settlement for the first church to come up. This is the site where the ‘Akbar’s church’, originally built in 1598, stands today.

According to the historian RV Smith, the festival of Christmas would see the Emperor and his nobles come to the church in the morning, followed by ladies of the harem and young princes in the evening. It is in this period of religious experimentation that the first Nativity plays in India were staged, with Europeans playing a part within, often with the Emperor as the audience. The practices begun in Akbar’s reign continued in that of Jahangir. Gradually the play grew in scale and became better organized, with rehearsals taking place in an area called Phulatti. It is also said that a few of Jahangir’s nephews were baptized in the same church. During the Shahjahan period some conflicts occurred- Jesuits were prosecuted and church was pulled down and reconstructed again in 1635. When Abdali’s troops ransacked the place and put it on fire in 1769 somehow the church again found a great patron named Walter Reinhardt, who helped to rebuild and extend the church.

In 1848 a new church was built alongside, standing close to Akbar’s church, and dominating what is now a large complex of church buildings is the imposing Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. Possessing a Baroque exterior at its front, the cathedral from within resembles a magnified version of Akbar’s Church with the same curved ceiling effect, the difference between the two places of worship being the altar.

Even today going there for a Sunday mass one can easily envisage the feeling of the city of confluence and understand how living in harmony has always been an integral part of the...