• Home
  • About JTO
    • The Apostolic Mission of Journey To Orthodoxy
    • Support JTO
    • What Others Are Saying
    • Speaking
  • You’re On with Fr. John
  • Orthodox Faith
    • Scripture in the Liturgy
    • Orthodoxy Explained [VIDEO]
    • How To Become An Orthodox Christian
    • Finding The New Testament Church
  • Q & A
  • Webmaster Resources
  • DONATE
    • Needs
  • Contact

Journey To Orthodoxy

The 'Welcome Home' Network

  • Clergy
  • Revert Stories
  • Other Christians
    • Roman Catholics
      • Byzantine Catholics
    • Anglicans/Episcopalians
    • Lutherans
    • Mainline Protestants
      • Calvinist/Reformed
      • Christian Scientists
      • Methodist/Wesleyan
      • Plymouth Brethren
      • Quaker
      • Amish
    • Evangelicals
    • Baptists
    • Pentecostals
    • Women converting without their husbands
    • Men converting without their wives
  • Other Monotheists
    • Jews
    • Muslims
    • Jehovahs Witnesses
    • Rastafarians
  • Non-theists
    • Agnostics
    • Atheists
    • Buddhists
  • Polytheists
    • Mormons/LDS
    • Hindus
    • Pagans
    • Wiccans
  • Mass Conversions
    • Parish Conversions

New Delhi to get India’s First Russian Orthodox Church

September 4, 2015 By Fr. John 24 Comments

st-mary-church-raikia-india

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.

RELATED   Russian Church to Help Emergency Situations in Natural Disasters

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.

 

 

 

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Print

Related Posts

Filed Under: Featured, Latest Stories, Missions Tagged With: New Helhi, Russian Orthodox Church

Need an Orthodox Catechism?

Comments

  1. Tapesh says

    October 2, 2015 at 3:11 am

    How can I serve God while at Greek Orthodox Church

  2. Fr. John says

    October 2, 2015 at 10:09 am

    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!

  3. Tapesh says

    October 2, 2015 at 11:01 am

    I’ve no local orthodox church here where I live

  4. Fr. John says

    October 2, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    Then we must get you in touch with the closest Orthodox priest or bishop.

  5. Tapesh says

    October 2, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    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. ..

  6. Fr. John says

    October 2, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    Tapesh, I have sent your contact information to a priest we know of in India. Please let us know when he contacts you!

  7. Tapesh says

    October 2, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    Thanks again. …I appreciate that…..But i lack faith in Indian Priests but anyway since you have recommended I will honour that …

  8. Fr. John says

    October 3, 2015 at 8:36 am

    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!

  9. Tapesh says

    October 3, 2015 at 8:47 am

    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

  10. Tapesh says

    October 6, 2015 at 5:07 am

    I didn’t get any call till today …
    Thanks & Regards

  11. Fr. John says

    October 6, 2015 at 7:29 am

    Tapesh, have you received a call today?

  12. Tapesh says

    October 6, 2015 at 7:31 am

    No i did not get any call till today
    Regards

  13. Fr. John says

    October 6, 2015 at 7:35 am

    Does that mean you got a call today?

  14. Tapesh says

    October 6, 2015 at 8:08 am

    Nobody call me at my number.

  15. Fr. John says

    October 6, 2015 at 8:10 am

    Thanks for letting us know, and thanks for being patient as we make contact with a nearby priest.

  16. Tapesh says

    October 6, 2015 at 8:14 am

    Welcome Fr.John
    God bless you abundantly
    Regards
    Tapesh

  17. Tapesh says

    October 13, 2015 at 6:34 am

    It’s even a week passed by but I received no call from any one

  18. Fr. John says

    October 13, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    Tapesh, I think we should correspond by email. Please check your email and we will begin helping you out.

  19. Arunvincent says

    March 11, 2017 at 12:43 am

    I love RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY culture…come and enlighten INDIA spiritually

  20. Emil Kardouh says

    October 5, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    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.

  21. Fr. John says

    October 5, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    Emil,

    Please, illumine us with more knowledge of this!

  22. Deepak Sharma says

    January 30, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    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.

  23. sachin suny says

    March 2, 2019 at 9:03 pm

    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..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 



 

Courses for YOU!

Courses in Orthodox Theology priced for YOU






Recent Updates and Blogposts

  • Mass Baptisms Around the World at Theophany
  • Belfast parish baptizes 10+ in Irish Sea
  • Orthodox Liturgy celebrated in ancient Welsh church for first time since Great Schism

The Deep Dark Archives

Find what you’re looking for

Copyright © 2025 Fr. John A. Peck · Journey to Orthodoxy · All Rights Reserved
Designed by Fr. John A. Peck