St. Luke’s Hindustan Church is the only church in South India where services are held in Urdu and Hindi
UPDATE – 12:47 AM, FRIDAY – DECEMBER 23 22
St. Luke’s Hindustan Church in Abiz is the only church in South India where services are held in Urdu and Hindi. — Photo: Surya Sridhar
Hyderabad: You may have passed by the bustling Chirag Ali Lane in Abiz many times, but you may not have noticed this important historical attraction in Hyderabad – St. Luke’s Hindustan Church, which is the only one in South India that uses Urdu and Churches where services are held in Hindi.
Dating back to 1905, the site is said to have been a gift from Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan to missionaries who asked for land for a place of worship.
“Urdu was the local language at the time. It was the first language and everyone, regardless of their religion or mother tongue, had to learn Urdu,” said Rev. KS Herald Christian, head of the church’s presbytery. “Therefore, missionaries must also learn Urdu and start serving in Urdu,” he said.
The unassuming rectangular structure was originally built as a chapel, a small place of worship with an altar known as the “Norman Miller Memorial Chapel.” On September 27, 1947, it was taken over by the Church of South India (CSI) Trust and renamed St. Luke’s Hindustan Church.
“It is typical for churches to hold services in the local language. The Centennial Baptist Church in Secunderabad was built in 1875 for the local Telugu masses, and there is a church in Bangalore that also offers services in Hindi,” Pastor Christian Say.
The church still continues the ancient tradition of holding services in Urdu. The inscriptions inside the church are in Urdu and there is even an Urdu Bible. More recently, Hindi language services have also been included. Weekly services are held on Sundays at 10.30am.
“Religion and language have never been a barrier to worship. People of any devout religion are welcome to worship at the church. There are no restrictions on visitors from other communities. We welcome everyone to join us in our Christmas celebrations this year,” Pastor Christian added.
