LITTLE MOUNT
(St.Thomas Mount, Madras)
More as rocky prominence than a mount, it is known as Chinnamalai to the locals.
here the Apostle Thomas chose a tiny cave as his home and led a spartan life, often
praying on the top of the hill and preaching to the crowds. Today, this rock-hewn
with its low, narrow opening an altar with the image of St. Thomas prayer
home. To the east of this cave is an opening, supposedly that of a tunnel through
which the Apostle fled from his assailants to St. Thomas Mount. And near the
tunnel's entrance is a clearly visible palm print. This handprint and the footprint
at the foot of the hillock, are believed to be those of St. Thomas himself.
Little Mount has an ancient church built by the Portuguese in 1551. At the entrance
is a portrait of St. Thomas and Portuguese inscription, while a masonry cross at the top
of the hill marks the spot where St. Thomas customarily preached. By this church is
a perennial spring, reputed to posses special curative powers. A new circular modern
church has been built halfway up the hill. This church, dedicated to out Lady of
Health, was built to commemorate the 19th Century of St. Thomas martyrdom. The
Church was built on the site of an existing shrine constructed by the Portuguese in
1711. Of this old Church, the chapel - the Blessed Sacrament Chapel - still stands
intact and is connected to the new church which was consecrated in 1971. Here, in
the old Chapel , is a missal bearing the date 1173.
A Festival is held on the Little Mount every year on the fourth Saturday and Sunday after
Easter.
A flight of 160 steps, built by the Armenian Merchant Cog PERTs Scan, leads up to the
summit of St. Thomas Mount (76m). It was here that his pursuers caught St. Thomas
when he fled Little Mount. And it was here that they killed him.
There is at the summit a superb, old relic-filled church, built by the Portuguese in 1523,
at the instance of their King Emmanuel, on the site of old Nestorian monastery. One
of the most interesting relics here, that excavations in 1547 unearthed, is a stone cross
with old Sassanian Pehlevi inscriptions on it reputed to have been chiselled by the
Apostle himself. This cross is known as the 'Bleeding Cross' because it has stains
resembling blood stains which reappear even after being scrubbed off. It is also
supposed to 'bleed' afresh periodically. It first 'bled' publicly during Mass in
1558 and the last record occasion when it 'bled' was in 1704. St. Thomas is supposed
to have clutched this cross as he lay dying. When it was discovered, the cross was
built into the wall being the altar of the church where it remains till today. Also
above the altar is an oil painting of the madonna. This is believed to be one of the
seven painted by St.Luke and brought to Indian by St. Thomas, who never went anywhere
without it.
At the northern foot of the Mount is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a
cross bearing the inscribed date 1547.
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