Sumi Baptist Church, Zunheboto is a church located in Zunheboto, Nagaland, affiliated with the Nagaland Baptist Church Council. It is located almost 200 km from the city of Dimapur. “The Children Music Festival” that it organizes is a huge hit among the locals and visitors, who feel lost in this divine place filled with mystic aura. This church is one of the most sacred and religious places of Dimapur, Nagaland.
The church is considered to be one of the largest church buildings in Asia. The attendance is 10,000 people.
The church is founded in 1942. The church building construction began on 5 May 2007 and more than 2000 workers were issued inner line permits to participate in the construction works. It took 10 years to build and was built at a reported cost of 36 crores. The church was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Solomon Rongpi, General Secretary of the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India on 22 April 2017.
The church measures 23,73,476 Sq.ft in plinth area and has a blue dome and white turrets. The church is 203 feet in length, 153 feet in breadth, and 166 feet in height. The church can seat 8500 people and also has 27 rooms for different purposes. The bell of the church was imported from Poland and cost rupees 15 lakh. The 500 kg bell is made of 93% brass and 7% tin and has a 1.5 km radial sound outreach.
This church is 200 km away from Dimapur, not just a kilometre as the article says.