Mumbai's 230-Year-Old Armenian Church Has A Malayalam Bible, Serves Idli And Coffee On Sundays

Richa Chadha, who was honoured with the Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award in 2020, has embarked on a new journey with Musafiri, an eight-part travel series that offers a fresh perspective on Mumbai's architecture, culture, sea, and food.

The first episode of the series was recently released on the Phul Stop with Richa & Ali official YouTube channel. In the 19-minute exploration of Mumbai, the Heeramandi actor introduces viewers to the Armenian Church of St Peter, located in Kala Ghoda.

Founded in 1796, the Armenian Church of St. Peter still stands today and is maintained by members of the Malayali community, who host and serve visitors every Sunday.

"I never thought there would be an Armenian church nestled between two buildings in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai," Richa Chadha says in the video, expressing surprise at discovering the city's only Armenian church.

230-Year-Old Armenian Church In Mumbai

"You instantly feel relief from the heat as soon as you enter the church. It is because the structure was built using stone," she says.

When the East India Company established its presence in India, its earliest foothold was in Surat, predating it's rise in Kolkata. From there, the company learnt about the seven islands that would eventually become Mumbai, now largely referred to as South Mumbai.

Mumbai's deep-sea harbour gave it an advantage over Surat, prompting the Portuguese and the British to settle there. As the British East India Company incentivised merchants to relocate to Bombay (now Mumbai), Armenians followed.

"They were people who had no country for nearly 1,500 years, so wherever they went, they were not seen as a threat. When they came to India as traders, they were also polyglots. They mastered Hindi and Bengali and became intermediaries between Indians and the British," Dr Milind Padalkar, Professor & Dean (Academic), Operations, Analytics, Systems (OAS), Prestige University, said.

The Armenians blended seamlessly with Indian society. Dr Padalkar noted that India's history is marked by the arrival and flourishing of diverse communities.

"I always think India is, 'I am okay, you are okay.' In countries where there is fundamentalism, the mindset is often, 'I am okay, but you are not okay. You have to become like me, or I don't know how to deal with you.' India never had that problem," he added.

India has long been a melting pot of cultures, even before the arrival of Arabs, Turks, Afghans and Mughals, and later the colonial presence of the British, Danes, French, Portuguese, and Dutch.

"At the core of our civilisation, I think there is deep respect," Dr Padalkar told Richa Chadha, adding that India has always welcomed people from different cultures.

He further revealed that, according to documented records, only one registered person of Armenian descent currently lives in Mumbai. Zabel Joshi is the last registered person of Armenian ancestry in the city. Interestingly, Kardashian is an Armenian last name.

Dr Padalkar also revealed that the Sunday service at the church is conducted in Malayalam. Richa Chadha appears visibly surprised and points out that the Bible used in the church is also a Malayalam translation.

The expert explained that regardless of who visits the church on a Sunday, members of the Malayali community offer them idli and coffee.

"How cute is it that you come to an Armenian church in Mumbai and get to eat idli?" the actor said with a laugh.

History Of Armenian Church of St. Peter In Mumbai

According to historical accounts, Mumbai's Armenian community primarily lived in Armenian Street (also known as Armenian Lane) near the church. This is where they resided in large homes and prospered as traders.

The church was built in honour of the Holy Apostle Peter and is the sister church of the Armenian church in Surat, which reportedly closed in 1861 after the city's Armenian population dwindled.

All the sacred books, vestments and vessels from Surat were brought to Mumbai for preservation. Over the years, the church fell into disrepair and was reconstructed in 1957 on its original site. It was designed by architect M H Altounian.

The Armenian Church of St Peter stands as a quiet reminder of Mumbai's multicultural past, preserving the legacy of a once-thriving community in the city.

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