Holy Rosary Cathedral

Paul Stafford

Detail of a gold statue in front of the facade of the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Kolkata, India.

Commonly called the Portuguese Church, this imposing 1797 cathedral was founded by Portuguese merchants after they settled in Kolkata. The graceful ash-colored exterior has eye-catching crown-capped side towers, with the main archway topped by a festively kitsch bas-relief featuring the Virgin Mary and an infant Jesus as its central characters. The interiors are modest, comprising plain whitewashed walls with pale-blue trimmings, and marble plaques adorning the pillars.

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