In Frames: Srinagar’s St Lukes Church reopens after 30 years

Kashmiri Christian community members offer special prayers inside the S. Lukes Church, which was reopened today after more than 30 years, at Dalgate in Srinagar on Wednesday.

A 125-year-old church in Srinagar, which was dedicated by The Bishop of Lahore on 12 September 1896 and remained desolated in the wake of growing violence in the 1990s was renovated and thrown open today for the worshipers ahead of the Christmas festival.

The renovation of the church began in April last year and is part of the restoration of historic buildings and conservation of old shrines of all faiths under the J&K Tourism Department’s ‘Smart City Mission’.

The church is situated in the tourist hub and is only half a kilometer away from the famous Dal Lake and the Buchwara market, frequented by locals and foreign tourists.