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| St. Thomas Basilica (Santhome Church) |
On April 8, 2012, when Christians around the world was celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ as Easter Sunday, visited one of the basilicas, which was built over the tomb of an apostle. The amazing nation, which gave the world many religions including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, is also the home of the Basilica built over the tomb of Apostle St.Thomas. The visit to St. Thomas Basilica popularly referred as Santhome Church on Easter Sunday gave a sense of fulfillment. The Santhome Church is near the Marina beach in Chennai.
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| Painting at the underground tomb |
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| Santhome Church |
St.Thomas one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ came to India in A.D.52. Martyred in A.D.72 and was buried in Mylapore, Chennai. St.Thomas who brought Christianity to India is considered to be the Father of Indian Christianity. Pope John Paul II visited the underground tomb, below the Basilica and prayed on 5th February 1986. There are only three basilica is in the world built over the tomb of an apostle.While St.Thomas basilica is in Chennai, India, the other two basilicas are in Europe - St.Peter's at Rome and St.Jame's at Spain.
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| Mary in the temple Car |
After spending a hour, decided to visit the Nossa Senhora da Luz or the church of the Lady of Light, which is just two kilometer away from the Santhome Basilica. The church built by a group of missionaries from Portugal, who were lost in the sea and prayed to Mary for help, landed upon the spot in 1516. The church also referred by the locals as Kattu koil (Forest Church) has stood the test of time till today and is considered as one of the oldest European monuments in India. Although at the time, the locality was a thick forest, now it is part of bustling metropolitan area.
Santhome Church is about 20 kilometers from the Chennai Airport and 9 kilometers from Central Railway station. If you new to Chennai, it is advisable to go for the pre-paid taxi for your commute from the airport or the railway station and avoid the auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers who some time demand ridiculous fares.
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