Diocese of Amritsar marks 70 years through light and sound show

Amritsar, February 13

Diocese of Amritsar (DoA), Church of North India (CNI) completed 70 years of its existence by hosting a special theatrical light and sound show titled Kal Se Kal Ki Ore as Dr PK Samantaroy, head, DoA addressed the gathering.

The diocese, which has its roots in the Lahore Diocese of undivided Punjab (before the Partition of 1947), was founded in India post-partition in 1953. Six churches came together to form a united church called the Church of North India (CNI) on November 29, 1970. The Diocese of Chandigarh was carved out of the Diocese of Amritsar in 1974. The Diocese of Amritsar currently covers an area spreading along Indo-Pak and Sino-Indian borders, comprising of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and part of Punjab.

Bishop Samantaroy shared several achievements of the diocese including building the century-old girls’ hostel, providing for girls from needy families. Originally established in Kangra, it was shifted to Amritsar in 2017. It houses 26 girls at present.

The play ‘Kal Se Kal Ki Ore’, presented on the occasion by St Thomas’ School, Shimla, highlighted the history of the Christian church in pre-Partition times and also important events and places that are historically relevant for the Christian community of India.