| Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore Mangalore Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic |
| District | Dakshina Kannada |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Active |
| Year consecrated | 1568 |
| Location | |
| Location | Mangalore, Karnataka |
| Country | India |
| Geographic coordinates | 12°51′22″N 74°50′12″E / 12.856113°N 74.836550°E / 12.856113; 74.836550 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore (Portuguese: Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Mangalore), or Rosario Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was the first Roman Catholic church in the Canara region.[1]
Historically, this was the only parish church in Mangalore reserved for the high-caste Mangalorean Catholics.[2] It is the oldest church in Karnataka.
The church of Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore was originally the church of the old Portuguese factory.[1] It was built by the Portuguese in 1568.[3] Oral tradition states that the image of the Virgin Mary at the high altar was found by the fishermen at sea; when it got caught in their net.[1] It was later brought to the church and installed there.[1]
The church was the main centre of devotion for the Bamonn caste who revered the image of Our Lady of the Rosary on the high-altar.[1] It was mentioned by the Italian traveller Pietro Della Valle, when he visited Mangalore in 1623.[3]
The church was desecrated and destroyed by Mysorean ruler Tipu Sultan in 1784.[4] Reconstruction of the church later began in 1813.[3] In 1910, the structure of the old cathedral was demolished and the present cathedral erected in its place.[3] The church of Our Lady of Rosary is the only church in the Mangalore Diocese which has a dome crowning the spacious sanctuary.[3] The cross on the cathedral's dome was traditionally lit every night to serve as a beacon for seafarers.[3] The royal stone emblem of the Portuguese king marking their landing at Mangalore lies at the entrance of the church.[3]
In 1851, the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Mangalore, was declared a cathedral. In 1910, Henry Buzzoni a Jesuit priest started further beautification of the cathedral. The formal dedication was done in 1915 by Bishop Paul Perini of Mangalore (1910–28).[5]
The architect of the new cathedral was a Jesuit brother, Divo of Bombay. The structure consists of a series of matching arches, with 48 major arches, 12 central arches and 50 sub-arches. The peripheral verandah has around 45 small arches.
The dome is a replica of the St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, with heavy metal ribs, minor re-enforcements of metal, red brick and mortar water-proofed using indigenous techniques. In years gone by, the dome of the cathedral could be seen by ships approaching the Mangalore harbour, and was a beautiful sight.[5]
