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Like every year, the 125-year-old bell tower of the Church of the Holy Name of Panch-Haud Mission at Guruwar Peth in Pune will burst into the tunes of the national anthem at 6 am, 12 pm and 6 pm on Independence Day. Four members of the church, who have been with the church since they were children and were trained by senior members, will take turns to operate the eight bells, each of which represents a note, from sa, re, ga, ma to the next sa.
“When the bells ring, the sound travels 4 to 5 km. Earlier, one could hear it from farther away, even in Katraj. Now, there are buildings so the sound does not travel that much,” says Avinash Suryavanshi, president of the Society of the Church of Holy Name.
The church, whose foundation stone was laid in September 1883, came into being in December 1885. The construction of the 130-ft bell tower, which is the first imposing structure that catches the eye on entering the church, began in August 1893 and took five years. Made of red brick, it was blessed in 1898 and is one of the few of its kind in Asia.
“The bell tower rang with hymns in pre-Independent India. It is a matter of great pride for us when the national anthem rings out on Independence Day and Republic Day every year. Every year, we have flag-hoisting on these days as well,” says Suryavanshi.
He expects 700 to 1,000 people to attend on August 15. A characteristic of the bells, which were cast by Taylor and Sons of Loughborough in England, is that each of them is inscribed with the Holy Name of Jesus.
On special days, such as Christmas, the bell tower rings out the tunes of hymns. It is not to music books that the members turn to learn the ringing of bells. “We follow what the older generations have taught us and pass on the knowledge to the younger members who want to learn. It is thus that the tradition of ringing the bells continues,” says Suryavanshi.
