Holy Family Catholic Church on Maulana Azad Road is the principal Roman Catholic church in Srinagar, founded in 1896. It serves a small congregation and is quietly part of the city's fabric rather than a tourist sight. Fire destroyed the belfry on 7 June 1967, and the church went fifty years without a bell before a Kashmiri Christian family gave a new one.
This page is written by Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency registered with the J&K Department of Tourism as JKTA00003978 since 2011. Kashmir packages start near ₹6,350 per person, two sharing a room.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Founded in 1896 by Msgr Winkley, on what is now Maulana Azad Road.
- The belfry burned down on 7 June 1967.
- A replacement bell, donated by a local Christian family, was installed about fifty years later.
- One of two churches serving Srinagar's Christian minority.
- Christmas Eve and Easter draw the year's largest congregations.
- A five-minute drive from Lal Chowk.
What is the church's history?
It was established in 1896 and has served Srinagar's Christian community ever since, through the fire of 1967 and the decades that followed.
The 1967 fire took the belfry, and for half a century the church stood without a bell. The one that hangs there now was donated by a Kashmiri Christian family, which says something about how small and how rooted the congregation is.
Can visitors attend?
Yes. Services are open, and the Christmas Eve mass is the busiest of the year.
Weekly attendance is modest. If you are visiting outside service times, ask at the gate rather than walking in. Dress as you would for any place of worship.
Where is it?
On Maulana Azad Road in the new town, a few minutes from Lal Chowk and the Boulevard hotels.
It fits easily into an afternoon that also takes in the market and the SPS Museum. The Srinagar page has the wider list.
Booking this with us
Duke Kashmir Travels works out of Nowhatta Chowk in Srinagar, registered as JKTA00003978 since 2011, IATO allied member since 2016 and a TAAK member. See About Us for the rest.
Share your travel dates and group size and we will price the trip around this stop. Phone +91 9018 44 0000, write to info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or open the contact page.
About the founder
Founder Rayies Ahmad Zargar opened Duke Kashmir Travels in Srinagar in 2011, sits in TAAK, co-founded the JK Tourism Council, and signs off the guides on this site. Find him on LinkedIn.