Chennai: St. Thomas Trail & Madras War Cemetery

Follow the 2000-year-old trail of St. Thomas in Chennai. Visit Santhome Basilica, St. Thomas' handprints at Little Mount, and St. Thomas Mount. Tour includes a visit to the Madras War Cemetery.
Follow the 2,000-year-old trail of St. Thomas, the apostle who introduced Christianity to India. Visit a cave at Little Mount with St. Thomas’ handprints, St. Thomas Mount where he was martyred, St. Thomas Church, and the magnificent San Thome Basilica with his relics.

Begin your tour at Santhome Basilica, a village founded in the 10th century by Christians from Persia. See the church and tomb built over the burial site of St. Thomas. Admire the neo-Gothic structure built by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century.

Discover the shrine that preserves a small bone of the saint and the head of the lance with which the saint was pierced. Next, visit Little Mount, a cave where St. Thomas hid in AD 68 and did penance. See the palm print and handprint near the tunnel’s entrance, believed to be those of St. Thomas himself.

Continue to St. Thomas Mount, where St. Thomas was murdered on December 21, AD 72. See the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Expectation, built in 1523. Admire the altar built on the spot where St. Thomas was murdered. Finally, see the gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547.

The final leg of the itinerary brings us to Madras War Cemetery. It offers a profoundly moving experience for tourists seeking a quiet moment of reflection amidst a bustling city. Maintained meticulously by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this serene expanse is a poignant tribute to over 850 Commonwealth service personnel who sacrificed their lives during World War II, with a separate memorial stone honoring over 1,000 who fell in World War I. Walking among the neat rows of white Portland stone headstones, each inscribed with a personal message chosen by families, visitors can truly grasp the immense human cost of conflict. The beautifully manicured lawns, peaceful atmosphere, and the solemnity of the place make it an ideal spot for contemplation and a powerful reminder of shared history and sacrifice

उपलब्धता की गारंटी के लिए जितनी जल्दी हो सके बुक करें। जल्दी बुकिंग पर विचार करना विशेष रूप से तब महत्वपूर्ण है जब आप सार्वजनिक छुट्टियों या सप्ताहांत जैसे उच्च सीजन के दौरान यात्रा की योजना बना रहे हों।

इस यात्रा को आप यात्रा शुरू होने से 24 घंटे पहले बिना किसी शुल्क के रद्द कर सकते हैं। यदि आप इसे 24 घंटे बाद रद्द करते हैं या यात्रा पर नहीं आते हैं, तो भी आपको गतिविधि की पूरी कीमत चुकानी होगी। पिक-अप या प्रस्थान में देर से आना यात्रा पर नहीं आने के रूप में माना जाएगा।