Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
12 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
14 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
18 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
25 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Chennai San Thome Basilica

San Thome Basilica

This Gothic-style church is reputedly built atop the remains of one of Jesus's apostles.

Chennai, India

Added By
Lucas Strittmatter
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Exterior, arches   Aleksander Zykov
Exterior, arches   Aleksander Zykov
Exterior   lucasstrittmatter / Atlas Obscura User
Interior   lucasstrittmatter / Atlas Obscura User
Stained glass window   lucasstrittmatter / Atlas Obscura User
Interior, facing the altar   Aleksander Zykov
Gleaming facade   Aleksander Zykov
Exterior, dusk, with lights   Simon Antony
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Boasting a towering steeple and an ornate interior with magnificent stained-glass windows, San Thome Basilica is an impressive bright white structure that dates back to 1893. It was constructed by British colonial authorities to replace an older structure from the 16th century, built by Portuguese colonists atop what was claimed to be the tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle.

Despite consensus among historians to the contrary, Catholic tradition states that Thomas arrived in Kerala from Judea in 52 CE and preached between 52 CE and 72 CE. According to this story, he spent the final years of his life preaching on a beach in what is now Chennai, and was ultimately martyred on nearby St. Thomas Mount.

While modern Church scholars recognize that there is no actual evidence of these events, as accounts of the saint's time in India were written centuries after the fact, the traditional version is still highly significant to South Indian Christians—a.k.a, Saint Thomas Christians. Indeed, Saint Thomas is still regarded as the Patron Saint of India.

The Basilica is built over the place where Thomas was said to be entombed after his martyrdom. Though most of his remains were subsequently transported as far away as Mesopotamia and Italy, a modern chapel in the basement of the Basilica is said to contain a small bone from the saint’s hand, as well as the weapon that killed him. It is one of three churches in the world that was constructed on the tomb of an apostle. The other two churches are St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain.

Related Tags

Churches Basilicas Tombs Saints Relics Relics And Reliquaries Catacombs And Crypts Sacred Spaces
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

lucasstrittmatter

Edited By

RHyzer

  • RHyzer

Published

December 7, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.chennai.org.uk/religious-places/churches/basilica-church.html
  • http://archdioceseofmadrasmylapore.in/santhome/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Thome_Basilica
San Thome Basilica
2 Rosary Church Road
Chennai
India
13.033655, 80.277814
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Chennai, India

miles away

Fort St. George

Chennai, India

miles away

Burma Bazaar

Chennai, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chennai

Chennai

India

Places 5
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Chennai, India

miles away

Fort St. George

Chennai, India

miles away

Burma Bazaar

Chennai, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chennai

Chennai

India

Places 5
Stories 3

Related Places

  • The Relics of St. Helena

    Paris, France

    The Relic Crypt of St. Helena at Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles

    This little-known relic crypt holds stolen parts of a Roman Empress.

  • The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica

    Waldsassen, Germany

    The Skeletons of Waldsassen Basilica

    Skeletons dressed in extravagant 18th century royal costumes cavort in the aisles of this German basilica.

  • Naples, Italy

    Lipsanothecae of the Chapel of Saint Francesco de Geronimo

    The relics of dozens of martyrs are stored in a single chapel.

  • Basilica ruins.

    Selçuk, Turkey

    Basilica of St. John

    This crumbling medieval basilica once attracted pilgrims by the thousands to collect a miraculous dust that formed above the saint's tomb.

  • The reliquary containing the arm of St. Thomas Aquinas.

    Naples, Italy

    The Arm of St. Thomas Aquinas

    The remains of the left arm of the levitating philosopher-saint are kept in a 13th-century Neapolitan basilica.

  • The Shrine of Oliver Plunkett.

    Drogheda, Ireland

    St. Oliver Plunkett's Head

    The severed head of a 17th-century Irish martyr lies within an intricate golden shrine.

  • Rome, Italy

    Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

    At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.

  • The Head of St. John the Baptist in 2001.

    Amiens, France

    The Head of St. John the Baptist at Amiens Cathedral

    The encased skull that is widely believed to belong to St. John the Baptist.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.