Hidden away amid the bustle of Old China Bazaar St, the 1707 Armenian Church is considered to be Kolkata’s oldest place of Christian worship. It has a squat but finely proportioned, whitewashed spire that is best admired from the approach along Bonfield Lane. Sign a guest book at the door to escape the melee of the surrounding stationery market and wander into the courtyard paved with old gravestones inscribed with Armenian script.
The oldest among the graves in the courtyard is dated to 1630, and is often cited as evidence of the fact that the Armenians were the first Western community to migrate to Kolkata. The church is still used as a place of active worship by the 150-odd Armenians who continue to live in Kolkata.