The St. Thomas Cathedral in South Bombay feels hidden in the modern day, with vegetation and modern constructions covering it on all four sides.
But inside, it feels as if time hasn’t moved for 300 years. Save certain modern appliances (such as fans and lights), what’s inside is what’s been inside forever.
There are memorial slabs set into the walls, resting places for people who we didn’t read about in history books, and this sense that, whatever troubles we endure in this new century, this new millennium, nothing has truly reached inside this place.
My religious views are fairly ordinary, but there’s no denying the sense of wonder I felt when I went inside.
We visited around Christmas time, and the place was full of cheerful LEDs, in stark contrast to the tales from the Bible that lined up the walls.
Of particular note were the stained glass windows to the right of the main entrance, which, no matter how one looks at, feel bathed (near blindingly) with white light. The photograph reflects this as if the frame is overexposed.
They allowed camera photography inside quite freely. These are all shot on my Canon M50 Mark II mirrorless camera, with the 15-45mm EF-M mount lens at f5.6.
Visited in December 2023.