St. Olav's Church, Serampore
| St. Olav's Church | |
|---|---|
| সেন্ট ওলাভ'স চার্চ | |
 St.Olav's Church | |
| Location |
1 no., Church Road, Dr. Bishwanath Jot Sarani, Tin Bazar Serampore – 712201, West Bengal |
| Country | India |
| History | |
| Founded | 1806 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Active |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 25 metres (82 ft) |
St. Olav’s Church is located on Dr. Bishwanath Jot Sarani at Tin Bazar in the City of Serampore in the Indian state of West Bengal.[1] The conservation project was rewarded by the 2016 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards[2]
History
Locally known as the Danish Church, it was one of the 100 buildings that were constructed by the Danish management between 1755 and 1845, at a time when the town was called Frederiksnagore.[3]
Architecture
The entrance has an open portico of twin columns under a broken-base pediment containing the royal monogram of Christian VII, king of Denmark when the church was consecrated. Above the portico is a bell tower that also contains a clock. The church bells are no longer in use; one has the inscription "Frederiksvaerk 1804", indicating it originated from a Danish factory. The church is flat roofed, both inside and out. The church's design does not contain anything particularly Scandinavian, but reflects the designs of contemporary churches in British India, in particular those in Calcutta - and they in turn were inspired by contemporary designs popular in Britain, such as St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London.[4]