India, Dec. 21 -- December ushers in a season of celebration, particularly associated with Christmas. This festive spirit is not limited to the Christian community; rather, it permeates the entire city. Lucknow's colonial legacy, which extended for nearly nine decades, is responsible for this spirit of Yuletide, with St Joseph's Cathedral in Hazratganj inadvertently becoming a focal point. Today, let us delve into the city's past to uncover the origins of these celebrations. During pre-1857 era, three Christian places of worship can be distinctly identified in Lucknow. One Father Josef Bernini, a Capuchin priest, is said to have healed Bahu Begum of a painful carbuncle. Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula offered a monetary reward to Father Josef, which the latter refused, and instead opted for a land grant of 20 bighas in Lucknow to establish a Christian locality, which came to be known as 'Padre Tola' in present-day Golaganj. Saint Mary's Chapel was established here in 1824. No trace of the chapel or the Christian locality remains, but the cemetery attached to the chapel - later renamed as Qaiser Pasand Cemetery, during the rule of Wajid Ali Shah, is still extant near Qaiserbagh bus stand. Another pre-1857 Christian place of worship was the Anglican St Mary's Church, which had existed since 1810, in the Residency premises. It was a handsome Gothic structure, having imitation windows, being cooled by punkah coolies. The last service to be held there was in May 1857, after which it was converted into a granary. The Madiaon cantonment, established during the rule of Sa'adat Ali Khan had a small Anglican chapel, called Christ Church, which was completed in 1842. It catered to the religious needs of the soldiers and their families stationed in there, with Henry S Polehampton as chaplain and JP Harris as assistant chaplain. Both the Residency and the Madiaon churches were extensively damaged during the events of 1857 and were subsequently abandoned. After the British regained control of Lucknow in 1858, Sa'adat Ali Khan's tomb and then the mausoleum of Amjad Ali Shah (Sibtainabad Imambada or 'maqbara') were appropriated by them for congregational prayers, till the completion of the new Anglican 'Christ Church' in 1860 in Hazratganj. Lord Canning, the first Viceroy, had even attended divine service in the Sibtainabad Imambada during his visit to Lucknow in October 1859. Christ Church was also referred to as the 'Martyr's Memorial Church' - as it displayed commemorative plaques, naming British soldiers who had perished in Lucknow during 1857-58. The church was built on typical Gothic lines, being designed by General Hutchinson (Royal Engineers), having a capacity to seat 130 people. The Catholic Diocese established the St Paul's Church or 'Cantonment Church' in Dilkusha in 1862 for European soldiers in the newly formed Cantonment, together with the St Joseph's Church (later Cathedral) in Hazratganj, for the British civilian population. In 1858, a young Catholic missionary, William Gleeson, had purchased a plot of land at Hazratganj (Civil Lines); in 1860, a church dedicated to St Joseph was built on the premises. Both St Paul's and St Joseph's churches were blessed on the same day by Bishop Anastasius Hartmann on May 10, 1862, although they were only partially complete. The Hazratganj church was demolished in 1871 and a new building came up in its place; the latter was again demolished to make way for the present day St Joseph's Cathedral we know today. The Church Missionary Society built a small 'Mission Church of Lucknow' on the grounds of the Zahur Baksh, then a 'nazul' property. The foundation stone of the present-day Epiphany Church was laid on November 8, 1875, and its first service was held on December 25, 1877, to celebrate Christmas. The building was built in Gothic Revivalist style. The All Saints' Garrison Church had humble beginnings in the Cantonment area in 1860. The present church replaced the older smaller church in 1902. An unusual feature of the church was the pews having niches for supporting guns - so any surprise attack by future mutineers could be thwarted! Methodism had arrived in India in 1856; the Central 'Hindustani' Methodist Church of the Methodist Episcopal Mission for the native Christian population, came up in 1869 on the Cantonment Road. The construction of the Lalbagh 'English' Methodist Church started in 1875 and it was completed in 1877, although the congregation had begun worshipping here since 1870. St Thomas Church situated on present-day Nehru Road, Lucknow Cantonment, was built in 1908. Popularly known as 'Dilkusha Church', the church building was comparatively smaller in size, as compared to the other colonial-era churches of Lucknow. Its premises were used for the shoot of Shyam Benegal's film 'Junoon' in 1978, in which the steeple was seen to be taller than what can be observed today - the reason being that the tower was later damaged by lightening and was never restored to its original height. The foundation stone of St Peter's Church was laid by Bishop George Herbert on March 21, 1914 - the same day he laid the foundation stone of Charbagh Railway Station. Both had a common thread as the Railways were involved - the church being built for the benefit of railway men and their families in the area. The Holy Redeemer Church, Mawaiya, established in 1934, was again meant for railway employees and their families residing in the Charbagh and Alambagh area. However, the most tragic conclusion to this narrative appears to be St Mungo's Church of Scotland, which was consecrated on November 31, 1909 due to the significant presence of the Scottish Highlanders from 1857 onwards until Independence. The church was de-consecrated in 1976 and is no longer a place of worship, but a godown for army supplies. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...