Saying Goodbye India: My Last Great Night on St Thomas Mount
Mural of The Last Supper, St. Thomas Mount National Shrine, Chennai.
After five trips to the subcontinent, saying goodbye to India is never easy. That was certainly the case leaving St. Thomas Mount, on the last night of my most recent India photography adventure.
Dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, the St. Thomas Mount National Shrine, also known as the Our Lady Of Expectation Church, is located near the Guindy neighborhood and close to Chennai International Airport in Tamil Nadu, India.
On that last, glorious evening on St. Thomas Mount I took the opportunity to photograph this beautiful, bronze mural.
Depicting the Last Supper, the mural is suspended above the entrance to the church.
It was late afternoon and I made the photo just before an outdoor church service began, just behind me, from a spot with a wonderful panoramic view overlooking the city of Chennai.
Our Lady Of Expectation Church sits atop a 400-foot hillock on the site at which St. Thomas, sometimes referred to as the Doubting Thomas, is believed to have been martyred in CE 72.
It was in 1523 that the hillock shrine, dedicated to Our Lady of Expectation, was finally constructed.
Also serving as a lighthouse for Portuguese and Armenian ships in the Bay of Bengal in the 16th and 17th centuries, the St. Thomas Mount National Shrine has become a place of pilgrimage for many Chennai residents.
Holy Apostles Convent Babies Home on St. Thomas Mount
Earlier that day I spent time photographing children from the Holy Apostles Convent Babies Home on the summit of St. Thomas Mount.
I made a return trip, prior to heading off to the airport for my late night departure.
Managed by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the babies home provides accommodation, medical care and education for abandoned and poor children.
While it had been an exhausting trip, during which time I came down with a really debilitating stomach bug, I felt a real burst of energy during this, my final night in India.
Saying goodbye to India was going to be hard. And the best way I could deal with it was to keep making photos on my final, glorious evening on St. Thomas Mount.
Head priest at St. Thomas Mount National Shrine in Chennai, India.
Meeting the Head Priest on St. Thomas Mount, Chennai
I was fortunate in that it was a Sunday evening and an open air mass was being conducted.
It was great to be able to meet the head priest, a very kind and amiable man, outside the St. Thomas Mount National Shrine, just before the open air service commenced.
I loved the rich gold and red colors on the stole around his neck, and I was grateful to be able to make a quick photo before the church service began.
Research tells me that a red stole signifies the blood of Christ’s Passion, the sacrifice of martyrs and the fire associated with the Holy Spirit.
I’ve also learned that the color gold is used to signify joy, victory and Christ’s resurrection.
Red and gold appear together to commemorate important events in the church year that represent fire or blood, such as the fest of Pentecost or on days in the church calendar that celebrate the Apostles of Christ.
Statue of the crucifixion at St. Thomas Mount National Shrine in Chennai.
Notice how prominent the colors red and gold are in this statue, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the grounds outside the St. Thomas Mount National Shrine in Chennai.
It’s quite a lovely statue, capturing a very powerful and poignant scene from the history of the Christian church.
Have you ever noticed that many statues are placed quite high off the ground, so as to cause onlookers to have to look up at them?
I’m sure that’s done to promote reverence, whether they be statues of royalty or important religious, military or political figures.
Members of the congregation outside St. Thomas Mount National Shrine in Chennai.
I made this second image of the Last Supper mural, a little later in the evening, when the entrance to the church was illuminated with artificial light.
I like the contrast of the cool blue night sky against the more warmly illuminated cross and mural.
Notice how the eye travels around the photo taking in the cross, sky, mural and the congregation gathered in front of the St. Thomas Mount National Shrine after the completion of the evening mass.
It’s natural for us to quickly scan our way around a photo, prior to coming back and settling on one or two primary subjects or focal points within the frame.
I also like how the parishioners, gathered at the front of the church, provide the mural with a sense of scale as they take in the view looking out and over the city of Chennai.
Enjoying the evening breeze outside St. Thomas Mount National Shrine in Chennai.
Attending Mass On St. Thomas Mount, Chennai
It was interesting that the mass seemed to consist, almost entirely, of hymns. That was unexpected, but really lovely to experience.
The hymns were all sung in Tamil, the dominant language of Southern India, so I'm unable to comment on the words or the message contained with those songs.
But under that clear sky, on that last balmy night on St. Thomas Mount, it didn't really matter.
The music and the gentle fervor of the congregation was quite beautiful. It was a lovely and somewhat unexpected way to bid farewell to India.
