বাংলায় পড়ুন
The 3rd oldest church in the city, St. John’s Church, in Dalhousie is ready to open its grounds for public events. The Church is supposed to start by a coin exhibition on Sunday 31st March, with some coins even dating back to 2500 years. The Church has tied up with the Numismatic Society of India for the event, and many known collectors have also rendered their collections for the show. The exhibition puts the main focus on the ‘Tracing the Footsteps of Jesus’ as this is the first time coins related to Jesus are being exhibited in India.
Build in 1787, this was the first church established by the East Indian Company after Kolkata became the effective capital of British India. The church is a large square structure in the Neoclassical architectural style. A stone spire 174 feet tall is its most distinctive feature. The spire holds a giant clock, which is wound every day. The church stands diagonally opposite of Raj Bhavan.
Apart from coins relating to Jesus, the exhibition will also feature collectors like Ujjwal Saha and Souvik Majumdar displaying coins from the Mauryan, Kushana, and Gupta era. The oldest coin on display was issued way back in between 519 BC to 465 BC. The coin is said to be during the reign of Xerxes, fifth king of Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. The Book of Esther of the Old Testament mentions Xerxes as Ahasuerus, hence it is marked as the beginning of Jesus’s story. Among the other valuable coins that will be on display are the ones dating back to 340 BC, from the time of Alexander; one from the time of Julius Caesar (34 BC); and some were issued by Tiberius Caesar between 14 AD and 34 AD.
Last year Bishop Probal Dutta started the same thing at St. Paul’s Church which turned out to be a success, and he also hopes that people from all faiths will come along to make St. John’s Church a happening venue. Priest, Arghyo Biswas, also confirmed the church ground to provide the venue for socially relevant events. The coin exhibition will be helmed at the church ground on 31st March Sunday, in the evening.
