Immersed in Divine Bliss - Sacred Heart Cathedral Church & Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, CP

Mangalore, or the newly christened, Mangaluru. Situated 350 Kms from Bangalore, is one of the most under rated places I have ever been to. I went there with my parents to visit my brother who happened to be working there for a company. I wonder why it’s not among the famous tourist places of India, because it has quite a lot of potential to be one. As not many tourists visit it, the virgin beaches here have the most natural and untouched beauty about them, something that I think is hard to find even in Goa.

Then it has some of the biggest and amazing temples. The temples of south are different from what I see here in north. Everything from the architecture to the way they worship and clothes they wear, is different. They wear black.  The fragrance of sandalwood that used to fill the entire premises is still fresh in my memories. May be I will write about all this someday in a separate post.

Now coming to the thing that made me recall my stay in Mangalore – its Churches. It was here, that I first witnessed a Christian wedding. It looked surreal, like something straight out of a Hollywood movie. It was beautiful. And so was that church. I was wondering about the churches we have here in Delhi, when I planned my next visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Sacred Heart Cathedral Church

Sacred Heart Cathedral:

It is one of the oldest and most important catholic churches, situated in Connaught Place. It is at walking distance from its nearest metro station-Patel Chowk.

Built in red and white the church looks picture perfect to me. Fir like trees on both the sides just adds on to its beauty. Outside the church is a small stall selling candles and some books. Inside, the stunning arches, pillars and vaulted roof are all painted in white.

Beautiful architecture surrounded by tress

As I was walking the isle along the long wooden benches on its sides, I saw a girl bent on her knees, elbows on the bench, head bowed and eyes closed; praying in silence. There was a strange sense of peace and satisfaction on her face that made me to stop for a moment and look at her. It’s magical how some places are a treat to eyes, some to soul but very few to both.

The Cross and the Christ; Inside the church

The interior is beautifully done. There is an artwork of the Christ among few others, a marble altar decorated with candles and flowers. Engulfed in peaceful silence, sweet fragrance and positive vibes, visit to this church left me with a calmer me.

The Altar and the Candles Decor inside

Rejuvenated by my visit here, I headed to my next stop, which is located just near the church.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib:

Made of white marble and golden domes, this shrine was built in 17^th century to mark the stay of 8^th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Har Krishan. The fact that it is visited by thousands of devotees daily is evident from its newly constructed multi-level parking. This place is of great reverence not just for Sikhs but people of other religions too. The relaxing and soothing feel of the cool marble floor across my bare feet, especially in summers, is a pure bliss.

Made of White Marble and Gold Domes

It has a big holy pool inside the premises, called Sarovar, which is said to cure skin ailments and is home to some beautiful fish which are fun and colorful to watch.

The best thing that I find about Gurudwaras is that most of them have a kitchen that is open to everyone and serve meals, called Langar, throughout the day. They usually serve daal (mixed lentils), chapatti, vegetable and rice which are made at an unimaginably large scale so as to serve thousands of devotees, daily.  The food here is not just tasty but totally hygienic too.

The Sarovar (holy pool)

I spent my next hour just sitting by the sarovar, devouring on the kada prashad and listening to Gurbani Kirtan (Hymns). Even if you don’t totally understand its lyrics or meaning, its music takes you to another world.

Marble Walkways and Pillars

This visit to the church and the Gurudwara rekindled me mentally and left me spiritually at peace.

If you know about or have been to any such place that makes you travel to another world, forget all about your worries and clams you down, share it with me in the comments below.