St. Stephen Church

Located on the Mysore road, the St. Stephen's Church is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris. It was also the first church built in Ooty. It boasts of a giant wooden beam transported from the palace of the great ruler of the bygone era, Tipu Sultan in Srirangapatnam. His palace was 120 km from the place where the church stands. It is said that the wooden beam was brought here by elephants which were the basic source of transportation in those days. It was constructed in the year 1829 by Stephen Rumbold Lushington, the then Governor of Madras. It was especially built for the Britishers but later in the year 1831 it was opened for one and all.

The space around the altar of the church is embellished beautifully with stained glass-paintings. There is also a painting of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms and a painting depicting the crucifixion of Christ. These paintings are hung on the eastern walls whereas the western walls are festooned with a very vivid painting depicting the Last Supper. These paintings make one think about the love of Jesus for humanity. They really make one think about the mission of one's life.