Saint Thomas Basilika
Chennai, India

 


Sct. Thomas Basilika, Chennai, India, seen from the street.

 


The Chennai Medina at the Bay of Bengal.
The white Sct. Thomas Basilika is seen in the background

 

Saint Thomas in India

Christians probably reached India during the first century dated from the birth of Jesus Christ. There is strong evidence that one of Jesus' disciples, Thomas reached India in 52 AD, only 20 years after the crucifixion of Christ.
The disciple Thomas went to India to preach the word of Jesus Christ. He arrived at the Malabar west coast in South India and went to cities as Palayur, Quilon, Chayil, Cranganur, Parur, Niranom, Kottamangalam. Therafter he crossed the Indian peninsula to the the Coromandel Coast and lived in a cave on Little Mount Thomas in Mylapor, now a subburb in Chennai.
Thomas lived in India for nearly twenty years and he met his martyrdom in the year 72 AD.
 

In this period Thomas also went to China to preach the Gospel. After his return to India in 72 AD, Thomas met a martyrs death by being stabbed to death, at Big Mount Thomas. For having converted the wife and son of a prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur, Mylapur), the holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and was finally pierced with a spear while praying at the alter on top of the mount. Still the lance head is kept in the museum at the St. Thomas Basilika. Other relics of the Apostle are found in India, Hungary and on Mount Athos in Greece.

A strong community of Syrian Malabar Christians still exists in western part of South India. They are descendants of the local people and Jewish diaspora in Kerala. They are called Syrian Christians as they have used Syrian liturgy since the early days of Christianity in India. Syrian is the classical form of Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.

December 18th is St. Thomas Day and is still kept holy and celebrated among the Thomas Christians.

Three places related to Sct. Thomas in Chennai

There are three places in Chennai that stands out as monuments, speaking about the presence, activity and the martyrdom of Sct. Thomas, the Apostle of India. They are: 1. Little Mount, 2. Sct. Thomas Mount and 3. San Thome Cathedral Basilika.

According to the legend Sct. Thomas lived and is buried on Little Mount Thomas in Mylapore, a suburb south west of the city center of modern Chennai, formerly known as Madras.
Big Mount Thomas, is a small rocky hill just north of Chennai airport. It was here an enemy stabbed Thomas in the back during prayer.
Sct. Thomas Basilika, is a church built 1896 AD, in Portuguese style, by the Thomas Christians. Still there is a strong community of believers in Sct. Thomas in the Chennai area.

 


Sct. Thomas Basilika church tower

 


Sct. Thomas Basilika main entrance

 

A walk in the church premises

 


A beautifull tableau welcomes the visitor

 


The Beautitudes carved in red granite.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

 


The whole tableau

 


 

The shrine of the Virgin Mary

 


The Shrine of the Virgin Mary, with the idol of Mother Mary,
is said to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.

 


Mother Mary, light offerings at the shrine.


The soft and delicate idol of Mother Mary
 

Inside the church




The alter in Sct. Thomas Basilika


Jesus Christ in front of the altar,
flanked by the national bird of India, the Peacock
 


Stained glass window behind the altar depicting
the life of Jesus Christ and Saint Thomas

 


Detail of the stained glass window

 

 
Side alter for Saint Thomas

 


Chandelier
 

 

 

The Museum and the Tomb of Thomas



Entrance to the tomb of Sct. Thomas Basilika and
the Museum & Information Center
 

The Museum


General wiev in the Museum of St. Thomas.
The lance head that killed St. Thomas and some bonefragments
is seen on the small table in the middle.
 

"The lancehead that killed Thomas"



The text on this relic:
"The lancehead that killed Sct. Thomas and his
precious bone ensconsed and preserved till today."
 

Thomas met an early death for having converted the wife and son of a prefect of the Indian city of Meliapur (Melipur, Mylapur).
The holy apostle was locked up in prison, suffered torture, and was finally pierced with a spear while praying at the alter on top of Big Mount. Still the lance head is kept in the museum at St. Thomas Basilika. Other relics of the Apostle are found in India, Hungary and on Mount Athos in Greece.



Beautiful idol of St. Thomas


Display of various Christian crosses.
The cross in the middle is carved with the name of Jesus Christ.
 

The Tomb



The tomb of St. Thomas


The tomb of St. Thomas
 

Marco Polo visited the tomb of St. Thomas in 1293 and recorded about the miraculous healing powers of the sand taken from the tomb. Pilgrims used to take sand back to their homes and keep it with devotion. For the benefit of the pilgrims, the Shrine is providing a "Relic Card" embedded with sand taken from the tomb.



Tableau depicting the stabbing of the disciple Thomas during prayer on Big Mount


Always fresh Lotus flowers when you enter the shrine
 

 

Links to websites on St. Thomas

www.santhomechurch.com/ - the official website of the Thomas Basilika
www.santhome.org - the website of the Thomas Christians
 
On Wikipedia there are several links to the history of St. Thomas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Apostle

 

 

mukti4u2@gmail.com

www.mukti4u2.dk

mukti4u2.dk  ►  created by BP