One structure that has remained constant and dominant, despite the changes that have peppered the London skyline over the years, is the historic St Paul's Cathedral that stands atop Ludwig Hill, writes Parvathy Anoop
Pilgrims from around the world dream of coming to this magnificent shrine just to offer a prayer, the British royalty conduct their jubilees and weddings here, tourists throng from every corner of the world to experience the aura and peace that is unique to this place and art lovers come to admire the beauty of its detailed art and architecture.
The St Paul's cathedral in London is more than all this and it is an important edifice that brings together a delicate mix of art, culture, music and religion.
St Paul's cathedral, built between 1675 and 1710, was the creative vision of Sir Christopher Wren, one of the greatest architects in Britain's history. The cathedral stands tall on top of Ludwig Hill and it is the second tallest church in London, after the Liverpool Cathedral.
I stood in front of this colossal building, stupefied not only by its magnificence but also its massiveness. Curious to check out the interiors, I scurried up the flight of steps, past the tall ivory pillars to the nave, which is the wide ceremonial space that led to the dome. The nave floor was chequered and as I walked slowly, marvelling at the beauty of the architecture of the massive church, I felt like a pawn making cautious moves on a humongous chess board.
The nave has three chapels in the adjoining aisles — the chapel of all souls, the chapel of St Dunstan and the chapel of St Michael and St George.
The chapel of all souls, also called the Kitchener Memorial Chapel, dedicated in 1925 to the memory of Field Marshall Lord Kitchener and the servicemen who died in World War I, is situated on the ground floor of the north-west tower. Dedicated to St Dunstan, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury a century ago, is the chapel of St Dunstan. It used to be known as the Morning Chapel because of the early morning daily service that used to be held here.
The Chapel of St Michael and St George is situated on the south aisle. The chapel was originally the place where the bishop sat in judgement over the clergy or priests. Today, the priest and the choir sit in the quire during services. The quire was the first part of the cathedral to be built and consecrated. There are delicate wood carvings on the choir stalls on either side, done by the famous sculptor Grinling Gibbons.
I walked on further to the centre of the nave and looked up to see the much talked-about dome. What I saw above was nothing short of brilliance. The sheer size and radiance of the dome, along with the grandeur of the architecture and paintings on it, put me in a state of mouth-wide-open wonderment.
The dome inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome has eight monochrome paintings of the life of St Paul and it has windows below it that brightly light up the cathedral floor. The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the largest in the world. Rising to 108.4 m from the cathedral floor, it is simply an architectural marvel and you can gaze at it for hours and still find something intriguing at every glance.
As we have seen in pictures, and on television, the cathedral has an important place in the British Royal family. St Paul's Cathedral has been witness to five jubilees of monarchs like Queen Victoria and King George V. Recently, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee here with pomp and glory. But more fresh in my memory are photographs of the late Princess Diana walking down the aisle at St Paul's in her magnificent white bridal gown on her wedding with Prince Charles.
After appreciating the interiors, I took a flight of steps near the dome which led to the cathedral crypt down below, where many great men have been laid to rest. Lord Nelson, who was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 is buried in St Paul's. Sir Christopher Wren and Lord Wellington's tombs also find a place in the cosy crypt.
Breathtaking view
As exciting as it was to see the dome, better was the climb up to the topmost part of the dome. I climbed up the dimly-lit spiral stairway with great enthusiasm and after 259 steps, I reached the Whispering Gallery. A whisper against its walls is audible on the opposite side and hence the name. It seemed like an unending journey but I scurried up further, impatient to reach my destination. After climbing 378 steps, I reached the stone gallery which encircles the outside of the dome. I looked down below and saw life go by in the streets of London, like busy ants working on their tasks.
Climbing the dome with pleasant stops like these was simply overwhelming. I continued my journey up and finally, after a wheeze-inducing 528 steps, I reached the Golden Gallery. It is a small gallery that runs around the highest point of the outer dome. The panoramic view of London from here was spectacular and the strong breeze refreshing.
I could see the River Thames flowing, and I stood there in awe trying to recognise a few buildings, keeping a count on my fingers. As I counted to three, a few gentle drops of rain struck my face and it was the most rewarding little drops that had ever touched me. I stood there, thrilled by the view and the rain, beaming with pride as though I had scaled the Mount Everest. But soon reality struck that it was time to climb back down.
Although the downward climb was physically less exhausting, the experience of visiting the cathedral, learning about its history and architecture and ultimately climbing the dome had drained the last bit of energy in me.
I walked out of the huge cathedral door and down the steps, and sat down, trying to figure out what I was exactly feeling at that moment. Mesmerised, peaceful and contented was how I felt.
Pilgrims from around the world dream of coming to this magnificent shrine just to offer a prayer, the British royalty conduct their jubilees and weddings here, tourists throng from every corner of the world to experience the aura and peace that is unique to this place and art lovers come to admire the beauty of its detailed art and architecture.
The St Paul's cathedral in London is more than all this and it is an important edifice that brings together a delicate mix of art, culture, music and religion.
St Paul's cathedral, built between 1675 and 1710, was the creative vision of Sir Christopher Wren, one of the greatest architects in Britain's history. The cathedral stands tall on top of Ludwig Hill and it is the second tallest church in London, after the Liverpool Cathedral.
I stood in front of this colossal building, stupefied not only by its magnificence but also its massiveness. Curious to check out the interiors, I scurried up the flight of steps, past the tall ivory pillars to the nave, which is the wide ceremonial space that led to the dome. The nave floor was chequered and as I walked slowly, marvelling at the beauty of the architecture of the massive church, I felt like a pawn making cautious moves on a humongous chess board.
The nave has three chapels in the adjoining aisles — the chapel of all souls, the chapel of St Dunstan and the chapel of St Michael and St George.
The chapel of all souls, also called the Kitchener Memorial Chapel, dedicated in 1925 to the memory of Field Marshall Lord Kitchener and the servicemen who died in World War I, is situated on the ground floor of the north-west tower. Dedicated to St Dunstan, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury a century ago, is the chapel of St Dunstan. It used to be known as the Morning Chapel because of the early morning daily service that used to be held here.
The Chapel of St Michael and St George is situated on the south aisle. The chapel was originally the place where the bishop sat in judgement over the clergy or priests. Today, the priest and the choir sit in the quire during services. The quire was the first part of the cathedral to be built and consecrated. There are delicate wood carvings on the choir stalls on either side, done by the famous sculptor Grinling Gibbons.
I walked on further to the centre of the nave and looked up to see the much talked-about dome. What I saw above was nothing short of brilliance. The sheer size and radiance of the dome, along with the grandeur of the architecture and paintings on it, put me in a state of mouth-wide-open wonderment.
The dome inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome has eight monochrome paintings of the life of St Paul and it has windows below it that brightly light up the cathedral floor. The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the largest in the world. Rising to 108.4 m from the cathedral floor, it is simply an architectural marvel and you can gaze at it for hours and still find something intriguing at every glance.
As we have seen in pictures, and on television, the cathedral has an important place in the British Royal family. St Paul's Cathedral has been witness to five jubilees of monarchs like Queen Victoria and King George V. Recently, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee here with pomp and glory. But more fresh in my memory are photographs of the late Princess Diana walking down the aisle at St Paul's in her magnificent white bridal gown on her wedding with Prince Charles.
After appreciating the interiors, I took a flight of steps near the dome which led to the cathedral crypt down below, where many great men have been laid to rest. Lord Nelson, who was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 is buried in St Paul's. Sir Christopher Wren and Lord Wellington's tombs also find a place in the cosy crypt.
Breathtaking view
As exciting as it was to see the dome, better was the climb up to the topmost part of the dome. I climbed up the dimly-lit spiral stairway with great enthusiasm and after 259 steps, I reached the Whispering Gallery. A whisper against its walls is audible on the opposite side and hence the name. It seemed like an unending journey but I scurried up further, impatient to reach my destination. After climbing 378 steps, I reached the stone gallery which encircles the outside of the dome. I looked down below and saw life go by in the streets of London, like busy ants working on their tasks.
Climbing the dome with pleasant stops like these was simply overwhelming. I continued my journey up and finally, after a wheeze-inducing 528 steps, I reached the Golden Gallery. It is a small gallery that runs around the highest point of the outer dome. The panoramic view of London from here was spectacular and the strong breeze refreshing.
I could see the River Thames flowing, and I stood there in awe trying to recognise a few buildings, keeping a count on my fingers. As I counted to three, a few gentle drops of rain struck my face and it was the most rewarding little drops that had ever touched me. I stood there, thrilled by the view and the rain, beaming with pride as though I had scaled the Mount Everest. But soon reality struck that it was time to climb back down.
Although the downward climb was physically less exhausting, the experience of visiting the cathedral, learning about its history and architecture and ultimately climbing the dome had drained the last bit of energy in me.
I walked out of the huge cathedral door and down the steps, and sat down, trying to figure out what I was exactly feeling at that moment. Mesmerised, peaceful and contented was how I felt.