Jump to content

St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai

Coordinates: 13°2′1″N 80°16′40″E / 13.03361°N 80.27778°E / 13.03361; 80.27778
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by JNG71886 (talk | contribs) at 05:42, 20 February 2010 (→History: Hamsa.org seems to be a website with a fundamentalist religious agenda against other religions, hence it makes a poor source. Information removed.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

San Thome Basilica
San Thome Basilica
Map
13°2′1″N 80°16′40″E / 13.03361°N 80.27778°E / 13.03361; 80.27778
LocationChennai, Tamil Nadu
CountryIndia
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.santhomebasilica.com
History
Former name(s)San Thome Church
StatusMinor Basilica[1]
DedicationSt. Thomas
Relics heldBone of St. Thomas
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationNational Shrine[2]
Designated7 February, 2006
StyleGothic
Completed1523
Specifications
Length64 metres (210 ft)
Width12.2 metres (40 ft)
Nave width10 metres (33 ft)
Spire height47.2 metres (155 ft)
Clergy
ArchbishopAbp. Malayappan Chinnappa

San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Santhome, in the city of Chennai (Madras), India. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893. The British version still stands today. It was designed in neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.

History

Christian tradition has it that St. Thomas arrived in Kerala from Palestine in 52 A.D. preached between 52 A.D. and 72 A.D., when martyred on St. Thomas Mount.

San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on February 11, 2006 it was declared a national shrine by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. The San Thome Basilica is a pilgrimage centre for Christians in India. The church also has an attached museum.

The scholarly view that accounts for the discrepancies is that the original Kapaleeshwarar temple was built on the shore at the location of the current Santhome Church during 7th Century CE but was destroyed by the Portuguese, and the current temple (which is 1-1.5 km from the shore) was built more recently.[citation needed]

  • Evening view of the basilica
    Evening view of the basilica
  • Interior view of the basilica
    Interior view of the basilica
  • The nave of the basilica
    The nave of the basilica

See also

References

  1. ^ About San Thome Basilica
  2. ^ National Shrine Status
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St._Thomas_Cathedral_Basilica,_Chennai&oldid=345165948"