World Heritage property Afghan Church's facelift and reconsecration

The Church of St John the Evangelist, better known as the Afghan Church, is a church of Anglican heritage, that belongs to the Mumbai diocese of the Church of North India.[1] Located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, it was built by the British between 1847 and 1858 to commemorate the dead of the First Afghan War and the disastrous 1842 retreat from Kabul.[2] Memorials at the rear of the nave also record casualties from the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The foundation stone was laid in 1847; it was consecrated in 1858, and work on the steeple finished in 1865.[3] The church is located in Navy Nagar in the Colaba area of South Mumbai. It was designed by Henry Conybeare; architect William Butterfield was responsible for reredos, tiles, pews and screen; and the stained glass was by William Wailes.[4] In 2018, it was reported there are some 64 historic stained glass panels in the church in urgent need of restoration So the past 15 odd months the church was being restored to its former glory. A look at the renewed and reconsecrated Afghan Church after it unerwent a Rs 14 crore facelift gifted by World Monument Fund.