The Churches of India takes the reader on a fascinating journey through India to
discover the history and architecture of the country’s Christian churches. With
fine illustrations and an informative, easy-to-read text, the book reveals the
diverse architectural styles that have evolved in different regions from the
very beginnings of the Common Era identified with the birth of Christ.
Churches have been built in greater numbers
from the middle of the last millennium when settlers such as the Armenians and
colonisers, Portuguese, French and British, brought their own branches of
Christianity and religious architecture with them. Many churches were
indigenised over time while others have retained their architecture in its pure
form. Taylor’s work gives the reader a deep feeling for the range of churches
and their architecture, from the humble to the grand. It is also a fine history
of the search by those who design or adapt buildings for a self-identity
through the symbolism, explicit or implicit, expressed in built forms.
Religious buildings give India its identity
as a nation of diverse people with their own cultures. It is a country with one
of the world’s richest architectural traditions. Complemented by over 300
photographs, this absorbing book is the most comprehensive work on India’s
churches to date.