Santhome Cathedral Basilica (Santhome Church) in Chennai

Built on the mortal remains of one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, Santhome Basilica is a brilliant piece of architecture in the history of Chennai. This church is built over the tomb of an apostle “Saint Thomas”, which is a worthy point to mention. Only two churches apart from this, are of this kind in the world located each in Italy and Spain. Saint Thomas is an ardent follower of Christianity, who came to India around 50 AD. Though his entry was through the Kerala coast, he subsequently travelled to parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Finally, he reached Chennai and wished to stay there for more time. He was there for several years and preached Christianity. After his death, the local Christians along with the invaded Portuguese people decided to erect a church to his name.

They together laid the foundation and the efforts were developed by British that resulted in the present structure. The Basilica is an all white facade in Neo-Gothic architecture. The interiors are well decorated to the contrast of the white outer wall. There is a small building adjacent to the church that descends down taking you to the remains of St. Thomas. The exact place where St. Thomas was buried is marked by a small tower in the center of the cathedral. There is also a museum that describes the life of the saint through paintings. Pope Pius XII honored this cathedral church as a minor basilica in 1956. This 14th century church is an excellent example of European architecture. As it is close to shore, one can simply spend the evenings listening to the sound of the waves in a serene environment.