STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES OF INDIA
TAMIL NADU
CHENNAI
PLACES
OF WORSHIP (Other than Hindu Temples)
CHURCHES
The Armenian
Church
Built, in
1772, on the site of the Armenian cemetery, this church houses a magnificent
belfry - 6 bells, claimed to be the largest bells in Chennai.
St.Mary's
Church
The first
anglican church in India, it was built in 1678-79 in Fort St.George . The
original rectangular building was about 60 ft. by 90 ft. Its outer walls
were 4 ft thick and its roof 2 ft. thick and bomb proof. It's treasures
are the altar piece, a large painting of the last supper, a 1660 bible
and silver plates.
Santhome
Basilica
This church
is located on the southern end of Marina Beach. A rare church raised
on the tomb of St. Thomas, an apostle of Christ, it has in its possession
a small hand bone of Thomas and the head of a lance which brought him down.
Renovated in the early 1970s, this Basilica draws huge crowds.There is
a beautiful stained glass window at the basilica
which portrays the story of St. Thomas and the central hall has 14 wooden
plaques depicting scenes from the last days of Christ. In the cathedral
is a 3ft. high statue of Virgin Mary which is believed to have been brought
from Portugal in 1543.
C.S.I.
Holy Cross Church
More than
120 years old, it was originally called the Perambur Railway Church, when
it was under the railway authorities. It earlier had a predominantly Anglo-Indian
congregation though now there are also families from other southern states.
St.Thomas
Mount
Legand has
it that Thomas, an apostle of Christ, preached atop the hill here. He is
said to have been killed on this 300 ft. high mount. The paintings of 'The
Holy Lady and The Child' and 'Our Lady of Expectations' exhibited in this
church are believed to have been done by St. Thomas.
St.Andrews
Church
Called `The
Queen of Scottish Churches in the East', the church has finely etched white
Doric columns, black and white tiled marble roof, and a high, sky-blue
dome of enviable beauty. On the inner surface of the dome, constellations
of stars, as they can be viewed in Scotland, are painted realistically.
St. George's
Cathedral
A striking
piece of architecture, the St. George's Cathdral was built in 1815. It
has a towering 45m spire and lonic columns. The highlight of this Cathedral
is the graveyard just adjacent to it with its guard rail made up of war
emblems - muskets, bayonets etc. - of the capture of Srirangapatnam in
1799.
Descanso
Lying amidst
the cultural and religious centre of Mylapore on St. Mary's Road, this
17th century church is said to have been the place where St. Thomas took
rest and also served the people.
Velankanni
Church
This church
in Elliots Beach is in honour of Our Lady of Health, the Madonna of Velankanni.
Smaller in scale than the original one at Velankanni (near Nagapattinam)
the devoted believe in the miraculous curative powers of the Madonna.
MOSQUES
Big Mosque
Hidden behind
the modern buildings on Triplicane High Road, this renowned place of worship
for muslims, built in 1795, is a marvellous granite structure.
Thousand
Lights Mosque
Close to the
Anna flyover on Mount Road lies this mosque on 3 acres of land. Renovated
a couple of times this century, it has two tall minarets and a separate
place of worship for women.
GURUDWARA
The holy place
for sikhs, Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha is remarkable for its serene
ambience.
JAIN TEMPLE
A striking
contrast to the rock hewn temples of Tamilnadu is the Jain temple at T
Nagar. The two-tiered, 70' high temple is built of lime-and-soapstone and
marble giving it a dazzling appearance.
Bah'a'i
Centre
Another place
of worship in T Nagar, though not as well known as its lotus-shaped counter
part in Delhi. A place of solemnity, sobriety and peace.
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