DellaPugh3766180: Made the entry added tags

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox church
| name = St. Mark's Church
| fullname = St. Mark's Church, Mercara
| image = Government museum, Madikeri.jpg
| imagesize = frameless
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| coordinates = {{coord|12.4203661|N|75.7392854|E|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Madikeri Fort|Mercara Fort]], [[Coorg]]
| country = [[India]]

| denomination = [[Anglican]] [[Church of England]]
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| style = [[Gothic Architecture|Gothic]]
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| completed date = 29 April 1859
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| closed date = 1947
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|length = 48 ft.
|width = 24 ft.
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| diocese = Diocese of Madras
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}}

The '''St. Mark's Church''', is located within the [[Madikeri Fort|Mercara Fort]], [[Coorg]], India and was raised in 1859, by the officers and men of the [[East India Company]]. The church building was funded by the Government of [[Madras Presidency|Madras]],<ref name=PennyIII>{{cite book|last1=Penny|first1=Frank|title=The Church in Madras : being the History of the Ecclesiastical and Missionary Action of the East India Company in the Presidency of Madras From 1835 to 1861: Volume III|date=1922|publisher=John Murray|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/churchinmadrasbe03penn/page/98 98]|url=https://archive.org/details/churchinmadrasbe03penn|accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref> and placed under the [[Church of England]] in India, Diocese of Madras.<ref name=Lords>{{cite journal|title=Churches Vested in The Crown: Diocese of Madras|journal=Lords Sitting of 31 May 1927|volume=67|issue=5|page=cc650-1|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1927/may/31/diocese-of-chota-nagpur|date=31 May 1927|access-date=20 August 2015}}</ref> The Church was closed after [[Indian Independence Act 1947|Indian independence]], and taken over by the [[Government of Karnataka]] in 1971.<ref name=KSAD>{{cite web|title=Museums in Karnataka|url=http://www.karnatakaarchaeology.gov.in/History_Museums.html|website=Government of Karnataka: Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage|accessdate=21 August 2015|date=2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018012007/http://www.karnatakaarchaeology.gov.in/History_Museums.html|archivedate=18 October 2015}}</ref> The building now houses the Madikeri Fort Museum, managed by the Karnataka State Archaeological Department.<ref name=Madur>{{cite web|last1=Madur|title=Madikeri Fort, Coorg|url=http://www.karnataka.com/coorg/madikeri-fort/|website=Karnataka|accessdate=20 August 2015|date=13 October 2014}}</ref>

==History==
Coorg had been an independent Hindu Kingdom for many centuries, until the invasion of [[Hyder Ali]] and [[Tippu Sultan]] in 1765, resulting in large scale devastation, forcible conversion to [[Islam]] and [[Captivity of Kodavas at Seringapatam|incarceration of thousands of Kodava people]] at [[Seringapatam]]. Following the defeat of Tippu Sultan in the [[Third Anglo-Mysore War|Third Anglo–Mysore War (1789–92)]], Coorg became independent again, under the suzerainty of the British. In 1834, the [[Kingdom of Coorg|Coorg Kingdom]] was annexed by the British, and the last Raja [[Chikka Virarajendra]] was pensioned off on an annual privy pension of British £12,000 and banished to [[Varanasi|Kashi]]. Following annexation, a regiment of the [[Madras Regiment|Madras Army]] and British civil servants were stationed in Coorg.<ref name=PennyIII /><ref name=Middlesex>{{cite news|newspaper=West Middlesex Advertiser and Family Journal|date=11 September 1858|page=3|title=A love token|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000441/18580911/022/0003|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Regimental Mess===
The first church services for the officers and men at the Coorg Station were conducted in the Regimental Mess of the Madras Army. The church records start in 1842, where the chaplain stationed at the Mangalore military station made official visits to Coorg to conduct church services in the dry seasons. In 1850, an average of 90 people were found attending these services (p. 196).<ref name=PennyIII />

===Ownership Dispute===
In 1847, a request was made to the Government of [[Madras Presidency|Madras]], to fund the building of a small church at a cost of BINR 2000, which was approved by the directors of the [[East India Company]]. The officers and men collected a further BINR 3000 for the church building fund. Since the local officers and men had contributed most of the funds, Bishop [[Thomas Dealtry|Dealtry]] wanted the ownership of the new church to be vested with the Bishop and Archdeacon of Madras, [[Church of England]], rather than with the [[Government of Tamil Nadu|Government of Madras]]. This was disputed by the company, and the issue was escalated to the office of the [[Governor-General of India]], [[Government of India|Government of British India]], [[Calcutta]], which decided in favour of the ownership being vested with the [[Government of Tamil Nadu|Government of Madras]] (p. 196-198).<ref name=PennyIII />

===Church Building===
In 1853, the site of the ruins of a disused temple (Virabhadra Temple),<ref name=Michell>{{cite book|last1=Michell|first1=George|title=Southern India: A Guide to Monuments Sites & Museums|date=1 May 2013|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|location=London|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GdBbBAAAQBAJ&dq=st+marks+church+madikeri&pg=PT204|isbn=978-8174369031|accessdate=21 August 2015}}</ref> and the adjoining quarters of the Sergeant-Major of the 4th Regiment of the Madras Native Army, was chosen for the Church. Coorg became the primary military station and Rev. A Fenell was transferred to Coorg from Mangalore. The construction cost of the church was BINR 9650.
Some of the main contributors for building the church were
{{Div col}}
* Government of Madras Rs. 2000
* Madras Church Building Society (1850) Rs. 750
* [[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge|SPCK]] (London) Rs. 500
* Local Subscriptions Rs. 4000
{{div col end}}

And Rev. Fennel further obtained
{{Div col}}
* Government of Madras Rs. 1750
* Madras Church Building Society (1857) Rs. 250
* Local Subscriptions Rs. 400
{{div col end}}

Local subscriptions were from the officers and men of the [[62nd Punjabis|2nd Regiment]] (1847–53) and the 4th Regiment (1853–59) of the [[Madras Army|Madras Native Infantry]] (p. 198-199).<ref name=PennyIII />

===Consecration===
The church at Mercara, Coorg was consecrated on 19 April 1859, by Bishop [[Thomas Dealtry|Dealtry]] and named after [[Mark the Evangelist|Saint Mark the Evangelist]].

In 1883, the military regiment was withdrawn from Coorg. However, by that time many European had settled in Coorg, being involved in coffee plantations. Hence the church membership was not affected.

In 1868, Rev. J W Wynch obtained government grant for modifying the vestry into a chancel. This was completed in 1870, costing INR 3940, during the time of Rev C H Deane. Further repairs were done to the flooring and roof in 1881 and 1877.<ref name=PennyIII />

==Architecture==
The church is built in the [[Gothic Architecture|Gothic]] style, with stained glass decorative windows.<ref name=Madur /><ref name=Kodagu-First>{{cite web|title=Madikeri Fort / Madikeri Palace|url=http://www.kodagufirst.in/?tag=st-marks-church-madikeri|website=Kodagu First|accessdate=20 August 2015|date=3 December 2011}}</ref> The building measures 48x24 ft2, with 2 small rooms in the west side with doorways between them and the nave. One of these rooms served as the store room and the other as the vestry for the choir. The chancel which was added in 1871, has a breadth of 20 ft. and depth of 22 ft. The organ chamber was raised in 1896 by raising local subscriptions(p. 199)<ref name=PennyIII />

==Memorials==
There are memorial inscriptions for Major. Frank Vardon (died 1860) of the 25th Madras Native Infantry by Westmacott and for the wife of Surgeon-Major Barclay (died 1863). The stained glass on the west window, depicting 'Lord as the Good Shephard' was raised in memory of Rev A Fenell (died 1897). The lectern was donated by Mrs. J S Trelawney and the altar vases were donated by Mrs. J T Morgan (p. 200).<ref name=PennyIII />

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
File:St. Mark's Church, Mercara by Rev. Frank Penny's Book 'The Church in Madras - Vol. III'.jpg|St. Mark's Church, Mercara by Rev. Frank Penny's Book 'The Church in Madras - Vol. III'<ref name=PennyIII />
File:Government museum, Madikeri.jpg|St. Mark's Church, Mercara (2013)
</gallery>

==Museum==
{{Portal|United Kingdom|India}}
The building of the St. Mark's Church, now holds a museum of artefacts and memorabilia from the British period, Hindu and [[Jain]] sculptures, village deities and antique weapons.<ref name=Abram>{{cite book|last1=Abram|first1=David|last2=Edwards|first2=Nick|title=The Rough Guide to South India|date=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=1843531038|page=242|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sEhJBfbhTAAC&dq=st+mark%27s+church+mercara&pg=PA242|accessdate=20 August 2015}}</ref> The museum also has a section dedicated to Field Marshal [[Kodandera Madappa Cariappa|K M Cariappa]], displaying his awards and honours. The museum is maintained by the State Archaeological Department, [[Government of Karnataka]].<ref name=Madur /><ref name=Kodagu-First /> Coins and documents of the erstwhile [[Kingdom of Coorg]] are also displayed.<ref name=KSAD />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Marks Church Mercara}}
[[Category:Destroyed churches in India]]
[[Category:Redundant churches]]
[[Category:19th-century Anglican church buildings in India]]
[[Category:Presbyterianism in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kodagu district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kodagu district]]
[[Category:Churches in Karnataka]]

St. Mark's Church, Mercara - Revision history

DellaPugh3766180: Made the entry added tags