Sardhana, 22 kilometres North of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, is known for the famous Basilica of Our Lady of Graces dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The principality was awarded to Walter Reinhardt Sumru, a Franco-German buccaneering soldier of fortune for saving the bacon of the Mughal Shah Alam II in the battle of Barsana in 1774. Sumru maintained a standing army constituted and trained on the lines of disciplined European armies. He made the village the geographical centre of his new fiefdom and enjoyed the trappings of a raja.
Image Credits: Outlook India
In keeping with his status, he acquired a beautiful dancing girl from Chandni Chowk. Thus, a 15-year-old Farzana became part of the harem. When Sommers died, 25-year-old Farzana inherited his wealth and troops and became Begum Samru. She converted to Catholicism and changed her name to Joanna, perhaps to legitimise her status as the widow of a man she never officially married.
Image Credits: Wiki Commons
Subsequently, she decided to construct a Church at Sardhana, dedicated to Virgin Mary. The construction of the Church cost Rs. 4 lakh, a huge amount in those times An Italian architect by the name of Anthony Reghelini was commissioned to build this basilica. Doric columns line the verandah that runs around the church and the three domes of the church are replicas of the ones at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The steeple on the left has two bells. Made of white marble, the altar features floral patterns.
The vaulted ceiling and main arches are all covered with designs of plasterwork, in both Roman and Oriental styles. Towards the left of the altar is a wing with the tomb of Begum Samru. This monument features the work of Italian sculptor, Adamo Tadolini. Made of marble, the six figures that stand below are purely symbolic while the others immortalise the persons connected to Begum Samru, such as her minister. She sits right on top, holding a scroll of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, conferring upon her the “jagir” (manor) of Sardhana.
After the death of the Begum, her property was seized by the British, and her palace in Chandni Chowk was converted into a bank. The Basilica of Our Lady of Graces is a remarkable structure, which invites the viewers with its stunning architecture and reveals the legacy of the dynamic Begum Samru.
