San Thome Basilica

The San Thome Basilica was built by Portuguese explorers in 1523 over what local Christian tradition identifies as the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle, who is said to have arrived on the Coromandel coast in 52 CE and been martyred at nearby Mylapore in 72 CE. The current neo-Gothic structure dates from 1893 — a rebuild commissioned by the British that retains the Portuguese tomb chapel beneath. Pope Pius XII raised it to the status of Minor Basilica in 1956; Pope John Paul II prayed at the apostle's tomb during his 1986 visit. The tomb chapel is in the basilica's lower level — a small underground chamber where the apostle's relics were enshrined until they were translated to Edessa in the 4th century and then to Ortona in Italy. A few small bone fragments and the spear-tip said to have killed him remain. Above ground, the basilica's white-and-cream Gothic facade with twin spires is one of Chennai's most photographed buildings. This is one of only three churches in the world built directly over the tomb of an apostle — the others being St Peter's Basilica (Vatican) and Santiago de Compostela (Spain). Visitors of all faiths welcome.