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The Chapel
 Bishop
Cotton School, Shimla is a Christian school, and the ethos while
secular in intent, is based on the basic tenets of Christianity.
Morning assembly is held in the Holy Trinity Chapel of the school
and the service includes prayers from all religious scriptures.
Our students are from all parts of the country and several are
from abroad, and so, all major religions are represented with the
Chapel being the unifying factor. This chapel, the heart of the
school, from where every major and minor event starts, is sacred
to all. It is to the chapel that old students come when on a
pilgrimage to their alma mater, and it is here that they request
for the old hymns to be sung and the old prayers to be recited for
Grace in times of stress; for "courage to choose the hard
right against the easy wrong". The Chapel is called the Holy
Trinity Chapel and as one enters ones eyes are transfixed by the
magnificent stained glass window depicting the Good Shepherd. This
window was donated by the old boys of the school in 1936 in memory
of those who died in the Great War of 1914-1918. Other windows
donated mainly by Old Boys and Governors are of Bishop Cotton
himself, St. Thomas, the Virgin Mary, The School crest and three
lovely windows, that were given by Lady Hardinge to the school
when the old church at Mashobra was decommissioned, depicting
Faith, Hope and Courage. The back wall has a large window with the
four house crests and the school crest against a floral
background. This window is relatively new and was commissioned in
1995. Holy Communion Services are held every Sunday that the
school is in session and once a month the entire school attends
evensong, when the window of the Good Shepherd is back lit by the
rays of the setting sun, a definite aid to reflection and
introspection. The last day of term, November 30th, has the Chapel
dressed festively, set up for the Carol service. Candles and
Christmas decorations liven up the Chapel for a fortnight before
and the service starts with angelic choir boys surpliced in white
and maroon and black in procession. A service worth attending.
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