There are a number of tourist places at Bangalore, prominent among them are the places of worship of different religions. St. Mary's Church is one among the list of places that should be visited in Bangalore. St. Mary's Church is located opposite to the Russel Market Square in Shivajinagar in Bangalore. It is one of the most ancient churches in Bangalore. Mother Mary in the church is called 'Arogya Mathe' (Our Lady of good health).
In 1818 , St. Mary's Church was built by a French missionary, Abbe Dubois in the form of a chapel and called it 'Kaanike Mathe Devaalaya' (Our Lady of Presentation). Later it was rebuilt in 1882 to its present form. Both the interiors and the exteriors of the church are extremely ornamental. The intricate stained glass windows of the Church were imported from Paris. In the year 1973, St. Mary's Church was granted the the status of a basilica and many ceremonial privileges were granted to it. Every year on 8th of September, Virgin Mary's festival is celebrated with glory and grandeur. A procession is taken out on this eve, that attracts thousands of devotees and a chariot moves with the statue of St. Mary.
The present Gothic style structure of St. Mary's Church, which we see now was constructed by by Rev. L.E.Kleiner in 1882. The interiors of the church is brilliantly decorated with stained-glass windows. The multiple columns supporting the magnificent arches add to the glory of the architecture of St. Mary's Church.
