A Walk On The Wild-Side (Part Three) – Church of St. John in the Wilderness

Head out of town via the auto-rickshaw stand on Temple Road. You head down a path with pine forests and rhododendron plants on either side. Just over 1km out you will come across the Church of St. John in the Wilderness.

Built in 1852 in Gothic style, St. John in the Wilderness is an old hallmark from the days of the Raj. Although the church fell into a state of disrepair after the partitioning in 1947, with the help of the army, the church was assisted by the local army in 1986 who helped clear the graveyard. There are several tombstones commemorating the victims of the Great Earthquake of 1905.

Inside the church there is a plaque commemorating Thomas William Knowles “who met with his death at Dharamsalla by an attack from a bear on the 25th October 1883 aged 50 years.” Poor old Tommy!

The church is currently presided over by Revs. P. K. Samantarby and K. J. Kunjuman, and there are now services run every Sunday. Not quite household names as HH Dalai Lama.


The memorial on the right side of the top photo is of James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, 12th Earl of Kilcardine, as well as the Viceroy of India. He previously served as Governor of Jamaica, Governor General of Canada and High Commissioner and Ambassador to China. A busy man indeed! He died suddenly in Dharamsala on 20th November 1863. It is the largest monument in the graveyard.