Infant Jesus Church, Bangalore, Roman Catholic church in Bangalore, India
Infant Jesus Church, also known as Infant Jesus Shrine, is a Roman Catholic church in the Neelasandra area of Bangalore, India. The current building, added in 2005 next to the older one, features a fan-shaped hall that seats 2500 people and a central mural copying the nativity scene from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
The foundation was laid in 1969, and the first parish priest brought a statue of Infant Jesus from Sacred Heart Church in 1971, starting a tent church. The original building was inaugurated in 1979, and the present church was added in 2005.
The prayer to Infant Jesus is recited here during difficult times, and people of different faiths join the Thursday Mass. On that day, the church holds seven Masses in different languages, and the annual feast on 14 January draws crowds who gather outside to watch the ceremonies.
The church is easy to reach by auto-rickshaw or taxi, and the main entrance is step-free for wheelchairs. Visit on a weekday morning to avoid the large Thursday crowds and to have space to look around.
The church was featured in a Tamil film called Kuzhanthai Yesu in 1984, which helped spread its fame. The central mural inside is a copy of the nativity scene from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
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