About
When you are in Chennai then you must visit the St Thomas mount. It is a small hillock where the apostle was killed by his assassins. There is a church known as St Thomas Church, consisting of paintings of "The Holy Lady and The Child" in the church and "Our Lady of Expectations". These paintings are the artwork by St Thomas himself. On the tomb near to the coast, an impressive Cathedral in the name of St Thomas is constructed. The tomb consists of a small bone of the hand of St. Thomas in its cellar and the head of a spear which is believed to have been used to kill the apostle. St. Thomas Mount Chennai is known as Parangimalai in Modern Tamil.
History
It is a small hummock in the region of Tamil Nadu. It is not far from the vicinity of Guindy. The historic Syrian Christian group of India discovers the foundation of their church to St. Thomas the Apostle. This part of Chennai has become widely inhabited by the Anglo-Indians since the beginning of the seventeenth century. The St. Thomas Church is on the base of the St. Thomas Mount Chennai. St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church is situated on the eastern part of the shrine on the North Silver Street, footholds of the mountain shrine.
Thomas was one of the twelve apostles who followed Jesus. He had an immense attachment to his Master. And his faith in Christ was so profound and so true that he instigated his fellow disciples saying "Let us also go with him and die with him" Maybe he imagined to escort his Master to the Mount of Calvary but Jesus, in turn, went with him to the St. Thomas Mount Chennai to die for Him. And he lived for him in the belief of the generations of India.
He did miss first-ever apparition of the risen master, but he was fortunate to have a deep trust, experience and intimate meeting at the feet of his risen lord when he exclaimed the immortal profession of faith and surrender: My Lord and My God!
St Thomas was the first to introduce Christianity in India. St Thomas became acquainted with Habban who was a merchant of the Indian King Gondophare. In 52 A.D St Thomas along with Habban came to Cranganore on the coast of Malabar which is known as Kerala in the present day.
St Thomas constructed seven churches in the Malabar Coast and then went to the coast of Coromandel of eastern India. There he enriched south India with the preachings of Gospel. It was not an easy task as the people never knew anything about the Gospel, this made him hide at the Little Mount. Finally, he found a better place in Parangi Malai present-day St. Thomas Mount Chennai. This place was better suited for his life of solitude and meditation. He remained there until his mortality.
The mortal remains of St Thomas were then taken to Santhome where the huge Basilica was built. Then the Apostle’s body was kept there. Hence, the three sites of his journey in Chennai the Little Mount, St Thomas Mount, and Santhome – became places of divine power in the years to come.
How to reach
This is located on a small hillock near the neighborhood of Guindy. This place is located nearby the Chennai International Airport. At a distance of 6 km from the airport, this place is easily accessible by cab. Parangi Malai Railway Station is the nearest railway station which is at a 2 minutes walking distance. You can catch an EMU to reach there. St. Thomas Mount Metro Station is located nearby which can be accessible by foot and it will take 15 minutes to reach there.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit here is from October to February when the weather remains pleasant and make the sightseeing tour comfortable.
St. Thomas Mount Chennai Timings– 6:30 A.M to 6:00 P.M
St. Thomas Mount Chennai Entry Fees- Nil
