page_title: St. Thomas Mount
section_title: Hill shrine
hierarchical_section_title: St. Thomas Mount / Hill shrine
caption_attribution_description: An overview of the city of en:Chennai from en:St. Thomas Mount
context_page_description: St. Thomas Mount is a small hillock in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport.
  The ancient Syrian Christian community of India trace the origin of their church to St. Thomas the Apostle. From the 17th century, this part of Chennai was populated predominantly by Anglo-Indians. The St. Thomas Garrison Church is at the foot of St Thomas Mount.
  The St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church is located east of the shrine at North Silver Street, footholds of the mountain shrine.
  The neighbourhood is served by the St. Thomas Mount railway station, on the southern line of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. Integration of the Metro and MRTS with the suburban station in the neighbourhood, is expected to make the suburb the city's largest transit hub after Chennai Central.
  In the state assembly elections of 1967 and 1971, there was a constituency known as the Saint Thomas Mount.
context_section_description: A shrine dedicated to "Our Lady of Expectation" (Mother Mary) was built in 1523 on top of the mount. The altar of this shrine was built on the spot where St. Thomas' death traditionally believed to have been occurred. At the northern foot of the mount, is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547. A flight of 160 steps leads up to the summit of the mount. There are 14 stations of the cross erected on the way to the summit.
caption: A panoramic view of the city of Chennai as seen from the top of St. Thomas Mount
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