Wednesday 27 August 2014

Pilgrim Christianity Chennai India 27.08.2014

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Mount


St. Thomas Mount

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Thomas Mount
பரங்கிமலை
neighbourhood
St. Thomas Mount is located in Chennai
St. Thomas Mount
St. Thomas Mount
Coordinates: 13°0′18.2″N 80°11′35.9″ECoordinates13°0′18.2″N 80°11′35.9″E
CountryIndia
StateTamil Nadu
MetroChennai
Government
 • BodyCMDA
Languages
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneIST (UTC+5:30)
Planning agencyCMDA
St. Thomas Mount (known in Tamil as Parangimalai) is a small hillock located in ChennaiTamil NaduIndia, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport.
Despite consensus among historians to the contrary, many Syrian Christians of India trace the origin of their church to St. Thomas the Apostle, believed to have attained martyrdom here in Chennai according to local myth. From the 17th century, this part of Chennai was populated predominantly by Anglo-Indians.
The neighbourhood is served by the St. Thomas Mount railway station on the southern line of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network.[citation needed] Integration of the Metro and MRTS with the suburban station in the neighbourhood, is expected to make the suburb the city's largest transit hub after Chennai Central.[1]
In the state assembly elections of 1967 and 1971, there was a constituency known as the Saint Thomas Mount.

Hill shrine[edit]

A shrine dedicated to "Our Lady of Expectation" (Mother Mary) was built in 1523 on top of the mount. It is believed that the altar of this shrine was built on the spot where St.Thomas' death is believed to have occurred according to popular myth. At the northern foot of the mount, is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547. A flight of 160 steps leads up to the summit of the mount. There are fourteenstations of the cross erected on the way to the summit.

A panoramic view of the city of Chennai as seen from the top of St. Thomas Mount.

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