Golaknath Memorial Church, Jalandhar: Religious legacy stands tall
In the 1830s, when the only Christian missions operating on this side (Doab) of the Beas were British, Rev Golaknath Chatterjee, a young Bengali Brahmin, who had renounced his home in Calcutta and embraced asceticism inspired by the teachings of Christ, altered the face of Christian mission in ‘Jullundur’ (as it was then called) and the region.
Tutored under Missionary Alexander Duff at Calcutta and taking up missionary work first in Ludhiana under his “guru” Rev John Newton, he was eventually sent to Jullundur to set up a mission here. He left his home without a penny in his pocket and his arrival and wanderings across India and eventually on reaching Ludhiana in 1836, he changed the course of his life and Christianity in the region.
Under Rev John Newton, he was sent to Jullundur and finally his work began on a 12-acre land between the city and the bastis.
While much of the city is dramatically altered, what fortunately survives is the parts of that 12-acre land, a tract of which now houses the Golaknath Memorial Church, built in memory of Rev Golaknath.
The Golaknath family left a legacy of education, promotion of secular values and uplift of women. He had 12 children, including four daughters and eight sons. One of the daughters died very young and he tutored all three daughters enduring high education for them. During his stay, the mission propagated women’s education. Not only this, his wife was also a pioneer in ensuring better medical services for women in the region.
A Christian congregation, which grew dramatically under him, still exists. The Sunday service at the church is heavily attended. The Christian congregation also saw a secular mix of eminent citizens from all communities lending patronage. His house used to witness frequent gatherings of Muslims and Hindus, who co-existed in harmony under his patronage. Rev Golaknath was also a contemporary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati and had some famous encounters with him. As a youngster, he was inspired by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Housed in the Mission Compound area of the city, a still peaceful and green spot, the church towards the end of the 19th Century was built at a cost of Rs6,187 (as a plaque at the church informs) — a fortune in those days.
The oldest church in Jalandhar, it is a rare feat in architecture, which as the family tells, was modelled after a church in Jerusalem.
The 126-year-old church building is situated in a well-manicured lawn. It has plaques and stones dating back to hundreds of years. An arched wooden door serves as the entrance to the church. The ornamental pulpit is also very old. The church’s white porch ushers one to the nave marked on both sides by old wood benches dating back probably to its inception. Its imposing exterior red brick building is marked by buttresses and flying buttresses. It also has a transept and a choir. A huge bell tower also houses a bell made of a special alloy. An inscription at the very entrance details monetary contributions made by family and friends.
Namita Golaknath, the great granddaughter of Golaknath Chatterjee, says: “It was specially fashioned after a church in Jerusalem. The map of church was brought in by his son William Golaknath. It was a labour of love by the Christian congregation in Jalandhar in memory of my great grandfather the Rev Golaknath Chatterjee.”
While Golaknath’s daughter Priscilla was married to Kapurthala royal Raja Harnam Singh, their daughter Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, who was India’s first health minister and a feisty leader, was the direct descendant of Golaknath Chatterjee.
Mary Chaterjee, one of the daughters of Rev Golaknath Chaterjee, was married to Kali Charan Chatterjee, another eminent educationist and academic. He taught at the mission in Lahore and subsequently at the Forman Christian College, that also has a ‘Chatterjee Science Block’ dedicated to him.
