Cemetery and Chapel of the Martyred Saints

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Religious Architecture

The so-called Old Catholic Cemetery is located in the northern part of the city, about 3.5 km north of the Agra Fort. The site contains various tombs of Europeans, done in elaborate Mughal style. But the chapel known locally as that of the Martyred Saints, built in 1611 on the initiative of an Armenian merchant, is surely the oldest structure on the property. This chapel was administered by the Jesuit mission, many of whose missionaries are buried there. The building’s octagonal plan is topped by a small dome. While the layout may be included in a Mughal typology, the openings and the dome itself show a European architectural influence, resulting in a hybrid building. Inside the structure are various sepulchres, both under the floor and in the walls. Also noteworthy is the sculpted stonework in the windows. As John Butler suggests, the main architectural interest of the structures founded by the Jesuits in India and other places in northern India lies in their mixed language, resulting from a missionary policy based on compro- mise and that is well-informed about local techniques and aesthetic culture.

• Sidh Losa Mendiratta