St. Thomas Cathedral

The first Anglican church in (then) Bombay, the St Thomas Cathedral is the historic center of Mumbai. While it was built in December 1718, it was finally consecrated as a cathedral only in 1837.

The St Thomas Cathedral is recognized as the “Zero Point” of the city of Bombay, as distances along all major roads were measured from here. Of the original 16 markers, 11 are still found in their original location (though broken or dilapidated), and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) restored all 16 in 2022.

One of the city’s major railways and the headquarters of the Western Railways of India, the Churchgate railway station was named after the old gate, which directly led to the St Thomas Cathedral. Demolished in 1860, the gate was one of three that fortified the city of Bombay. It wasn’t until a decade later in 1870 that Churchgate was declared a station.

The church is dotted with epitaphs for martyred soldiers and a prominent memorial for the first Bishop of Bombay, the Right Reverend Thomas Carr, and is populated with multiple stained glass windows designed by Victorian artists from England.