The Indian capital New Delhi is to get its first Russian Orthodox Church soon.
The construction of India’s first Russian Orthodox Church will begin as soon as planning approval and financing is settled, the country’s IANS news service quoted a senior Russian diplomat as saying.
“A decision will be taken soon to begin construction of the Russian Orthodox Church within our cultural centre.
“This was the most convenient way of reaching an understanding with the [local] authorities, because no major decision, apart from architectural, will be required,” Sergey Karmalito, senior counsellor at the Russian embassy, told IANS.
It said as one of the largest of the Eastern Orthodox congregations, the Russian Orthodox Church launched a parish in Delhi in 2011, but held its services and activities in Russian embassy premises.
The need for a church building was necessitated by the increasing number of Russians living in India and the need to provide religious services in the country.
“The Russian community in Delhi, comprising many women who have married Indians, families of diplomats and other families that stay here for part of the year are the inspiration for this church,” said Karmalito.
The first Russian Orthodox parish in Delhi, named after the apostle Thomas, was registered in 2006 during the visit to India of the man who is now Moscow Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was at the time serving as head of external relations for the church.
The embassy had earlier also considered a proposal for establishing a permanent parish in Goa, where almost 10,000 Russians live for at least six months in a year.
IANS reported that the agenda of last year’s Moscow talks between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reportedly involved discussions on permission to build a Russian Orthodox Church in Delhi. They also touched upon saving Russia’s only Hindu temple from demolition threatened by local Moscow authorities.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Moscow had been under the threat of being demolished due to issues relating to land allocation.
How can I serve God while at Greek Orthodox Church
Tapesh, there are a multitude of ways to serve God while in the Church. I suggest you contact your local priest to discover what can be done. There is so much work to do!
I’ve no local orthodox church here where I live
Then we must get you in touch with the closest Orthodox priest or bishop.
That would be great and I will higly appreciate that. I live at Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India , which is 1500 Km away from Delhi & 450 km approximately from Mumbai. ..
Tapesh, I have sent your contact information to a priest we know of in India. Please let us know when he contacts you!
Thanks again. …I appreciate that…..But i lack faith in Indian Priests but anyway since you have recommended I will honour that …
Tapesh, I have contacted a Russian priest in India that will reach out to you. Also, I will be in touch with you by email. Thanks for being patient!
Thanks Father
For all your gracious acknowledgment of my immediate spiritual needs
Love to stay in touch with you & need your prayers at the same time
Thanks & Regards
Tapesh
I didn’t get any call till today …
Thanks & Regards
Tapesh, have you received a call today?
No i did not get any call till today
Regards
Does that mean you got a call today?
Nobody call me at my number.
Thanks for letting us know, and thanks for being patient as we make contact with a nearby priest.
Welcome Fr.John
God bless you abundantly
Regards
Tapesh
It’s even a week passed by but I received no call from any one
Tapesh, I think we should correspond by email. Please check your email and we will begin helping you out.
I love RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY culture…come and enlighten INDIA spiritually
To my knowledge the Russian Orthodox have been since long time in India.
Please refer to ( India in the Fifteenth Century) Publisher Elibron Classics Writer R.H. Major.
Emil,
Please, illumine us with more knowledge of this!
Hi, Father. I belong to a Vedic HIndu Bhramin family. I m a Hindu faith. I wants to know about Orthodox Christian faith nd teachings.
And I also know about your teaching or Orthodox Christian faith , and where is your church in Delhi ..how can I serve God while at Russian Orthodox mission church..