Oldest Church in The Deccan St Mary’s Pune, 1914 Postcard

Oldest Church in The Deccan St Mary's Pune, 1914 Postcard

A 1914 photo postcard of St Mary’s Church Poona (Pune), the oldest church in the Deccan region. The British military stationed in Poona after the Anglo-Maratha Wars in 1817 had a need for a worshipful place. Thus St Mary’s Church was founded in 1825 and is today one of the oldest churches in the Deccan region.

Since St Mary’s was a cantonment church there are many memorials of British military men and civilians who served in various campaigns and wars. The British had won the third Anglo-Maratha war in 1817. They stayed back in Poona for various reasons, one of them being its strategic location. The second was its location on the Deccan plateau where the weather was cool all year long.

This without a doubt suited them entirely. When compared to the oppressive heat of the plains in summer. The same was the case with Bangalore, now Bengaluru. Just as similar to the Anglo-Maratha war the British had won the Anglo-Mysore War in 1799. They stayed back and developed what was a small town into a huge military cantonment. Today Pune and Bengaluru are huge modern cosmopolitan cities that were at one time greatly influenced by the colonial rulers.

See post Military Games Poona – Old Photo 1900.

Did you know- Pune is the queen of the Deccan. 

From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s Balamani – Old Postcard 1902., Chepauk Palace Chennai From The River, Old Photograph 1880., Street Scene In Bombay – Old Print 1873., Oldest Vintage Car In Mumbai India – Old Photo 1932