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PHOTOs: G. Moorthy

Stands Tall The church from outside and inside

Of the two, Rous Peter, the Collector of Madurai in 1812, reigns supreme for his nickname narrates his relationship with the city.

It is believed that Rous Peter respected and treated people of all faiths equally and this attitude towards the people earned him the popular name ‘Peter Pandian,’ says Ambai Manivannan, lecturer, Department of Tamil, Thiagarajar College .

B. Raja, Joint Commissioner Meenakshi Amman Temple, says that Rous Peter donated a set of golden stirrups studded with diamonds and red stones to the temple. He quotes R.C. Shenoy from the book “Madura” where there is a reference to the donation made by Rous Peter.

Similarly, in the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple’s ‘Sthala Varalaru,’ there is a reference to an interesting incident where Goddess Meenakshi is believed to have saved Rous Peter from a fatal incident.

Apparently Rous Peter had the habit of going around the temple before beginning his daily chore. As District Collector, he was in charge of the temple ’s administration too.

The story goes that one night when the city experienced lightning and thunder, a three-year-old girl appeared at his residence and dragged Rous Peter by his hand outside the house. Soon after, the building collapsed.

According to Mr.Manivannan, following the incident, Rous Peter donated golden stirrups to the temple. He also wished that after his death he should be buried in a position that enabled his eyes to face the temple.

Says Mr.Manivannan, Goddess Meenakshi appeared as a three-year-old girl thrice -during the ‘Puthirakamestshi yagna,’ the release of ‘Meenakshi Ammai Pillai Tamil’ by Kumaraguru Pulavar and before Rous Peter.

It is interesting to note that Rous Peter’s grave is positioned the way he wished while George Frederick Fischer’s faces the other way.

The church that stands tall on the graves of Rous Peter and George Frederick Fischer has its own history. Premraj Ambrose, secretary, Pastorate Committee, says Rev. Gerike, who followed Rev. Schwarts, a missionary from Tanjore, wanted to build a church on behalf of the Society for Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK). In 1800, a small church was built. Rev. Gerike constructed the church with the help of W.C. Wheatly, an Englishman.

“But the precise place of the small church cannot be ascertained as there are no proper records,” Mr. Ambrose says.

In 1822, the Europeans in Madurai and other Christians of the Anglican persuasion desired to build a bigger church. Daniel Burby, a writer in the Collector’s office purchased land from a city resident Mrs. Sophia Elizabeth Rash, who owned land within the Madurai fort. In October 1824, Mr. Burby handed over the land to Tanjore Mission. To begin the construction, funds were raised to the tune of Rs.153. Rous Peter donated Rs.1,100 and a chapel was built in 1827, shares Mr. Ambrose.

C. Gnanakan Selvaraj, treasurer of the committee, says in 1869, Robert Fischer of Madurai wrote to the Bishop of Madras mentioning about the need for the construction of a new church. Eventually, the foundation stone of the new church was laid on June 2, 1875 by Colonel J.F.Fisher, District Engineer. The design was prepared by R. Chisholn, consulting architect to the Government of Madras.

The whole cost was borne by the children of George Frederick Fischer - Robert Fischer and his sister Jessie Foulkes. The consecration was held on June 15, 1881.

Again, to accommodate the growing congregation, foundation for the extension work was laid in 1968 and the construction was completed in 1970. In the new church the altar was shifted from the East to the West. Earlier, the altar was on the graveyard.

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