11 May 2009

CATOLIC CHENNAI


According to the legend Sant Thomas ( the doubting Thomas), came to South India via Cranganore in AD 52 and spent the next 12 years along the Malabar coast converting the local population. He gradually moved eastwards and finaly settled in Mylapore (is nowadays the old city-centre of Chennai. He spent the last years of his live in a cave on a small hill (on top is nowadays a chappel)from which he would walk each day to the beach. It is said that one day preaching on the Mount of Saint Thomas , he was killed by means of a lance. His body was brought to San Thome, where he was burried in nthe small crypt he had build. This is today the Basilica of San Thome (see pictures). The Portuguese colonized Mylapore in the early 16 the century , lured by the 13 the century Venetian traveller Marco Polo who had visited the earlier Nestorian chapel.The saint holds a special place in the hearts of the Indians and was decreed the Apostle of India in 1972







3 comments:

melissa officinalis said...

The church if very nice. I didnt know S.Tomé lived and died there.

mcgs07 said...

Just added your site link to my blog.

Pinus Silvestris said...

Yes San Thomas lived all the time after Jezus death in India and what is more amazing and almost a miracle for itself , thee were he worked and converted there is still a substantial part of the population as in Chennai catolic. Thanks a lot for considering me in your blog

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