A hillock traditionally held to be the site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle in the first century, crowned by a 16th century Portuguese church and home to the ancient Bleeding Cross.
History
St. Thomas Mount, known in Tamil as Parangi Malai, is the traditional site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle, believed to have taken place around 72 CE. According to Christian tradition, St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Christ, travelled to south India in the first century and spent his final years preaching in the Chennai region. The current church on the summit, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Expectation, was built by the Portuguese in 1523 on the spot venerated for centuries as the place of the saint's death. The site was declared a National Shrine in 2006 by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.
Architecture
The Portuguese-era shrine on the summit is a modest whitewashed church with a single nave, stone altar, and a gabled roof. Behind the altar is the church's most venerated relic, the Bleeding Cross, a stone cross carved from a single block of granite with Pahlavi inscriptions, traditionally said to have been carved by St. Thomas himself. The cross is reported to have bled miraculously in 1558. The summit also houses a painting of the Madonna and Child attributed to St. Luke the Evangelist. A flight of 134 stone steps, flanked by fourteen Stations of the Cross, leads pilgrims from the base to the summit, though vehicle access is also available.
Visiting Information
Located in the south-west of Chennai near the airport, the Mount rises about 91 metres above the surrounding plain and offers panoramic views of the city. It is well connected by the Chennai Metro Blue Line (St. Thomas Mount station) and by the suburban railway. The Mount is a major pilgrimage destination during Holy Week and on the feast of St. Thomas (3 July). Modest dress is expected inside the shrine.
Festivals
Feast of St. Thomas
July (3rd)The principal feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle is marked by a solemn High Mass at the summit shrine, followed by a candlelight procession down the 134 steps. Pilgrims from across Tamil Nadu and beyond climb the Mount throughout the day.
Good Friday & Holy Week
March/AprilThe Way of the Cross is observed along the fourteen Stations that line the stone steps to the summit, with thousands of pilgrims participating in the climb. Good Friday services at the shrine are attended by Catholics from across Chennai.
Location
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Other Heritage Sites
San Thome Cathedral Basilica
A neo-Gothic cathedral built over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle, one of only three basilicas in the world built over an apostolic tomb.
Our Lady of Light Church, Luz
Built in 1516, this is one of the oldest churches in Chennai, established by Portuguese sailors.
St. Mary's Church
The oldest surviving Anglican church in Asia, consecrated in 1680 within Fort St. George.