Little Mount & St.Thomas Mount, Chennai - Timings, History, Darshan, Pooja Timings
#21 of 37 Places to Visit in Chennai
Distance (From Chennai Central Railway Station): 12/15 Kms
Trip Duration (Including Travel): 2-3 Hours
Place Location: Near Guindy
Transportation Options: Cab / Auto / Bus
Travel Tips: None
At a distance of 12 & 15 Kms from Chennai Central Railway Station, Little Mount and St.Thomas Mount are famous sacred places for Christians in South India.
According to legend, St. Thomas was one of the first Christians to reach India in 52 AD and to preach Christianity. He has spent the last years of his life in a cave on Little Mount. Legend states that Thomas was assassinated by a shot of an arrow in 72 AD on adjacent Mount, which later acquired the name St. Thomas Mount.
Little Mount has an ancient church built by the Portuguese in 1551. At the entrance is a portrait of St. Thomas and Portuguese inscription. A shrine dedicated to 'Our Lady of Expectation' was built in 1523 by the Portuguese on St. Thomas Mount where St. Thomas was martyred in 72 AD. The stone cross embedded into the wall of the alter is said to be the 'bleeding cross' that miraculously bled between 1558 and 1704. This place was visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit to India in 1986.
