Parangimalai

Parangimalai(known in English asSt. Thomas Mount) is a smallhillockin theChennaidistrict ofTamil Nadu,India, near the neighbourhood ofGuindyand very close toChennai International Airport.By extension, it is also the name of the neighbourhood surrounding the hillock.

Parangimalai பரங்கிமலை Bhringimalai St. Thomas Mount
Hillock
St Thomas Church on the Mount
Parangimalai பரங்கிமலை Parangimalai பரங்கிமலை
Coordinates:13°00′28.1″N80°11′33.0″E[1]
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Metro	Chennai
Government
• Body	St.Thomas Mount-cum-Pallavaram
Area
• Total	12.92 km2(4.99 sq mi)
Elevation	91.44 m (300.00 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	43,795
• Density	3,400/km2(8,800/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30(IST)
Planningagency	CMDA

The neighbourhood is served by theSt. Thomas Mount railway station,on the southern line of theChennai Suburban Railway Network.Integration of theMetroandMRTSwith the suburban station in the neighbourhood, is expected to make the suburb the city's largest transit hub afterChennai Central.

In the state assembly elections of 1967 and 1971, there was a constituency known as theParangimalai.

Etymology

According to Hindu tradition, the sageBhringiresided and meditated on the hillock in his quest to seeShiva.The locality thus came to be known asBhringi malai,or "the hill of Bhringi", which over time morphed into "Parangimalai". It is also said that this connects several other regions in the city with the origin of their names. For instance, the place where he laid his pitcher, known in Tamil askindiwhile performing worship, has now come to be known as "Guindy".

The place is named St. Thomas Mount in English afterSaint Thomas the Apostle,who lived and preached in the locality according to Christian tradition.

Hill shrine

The ancientSyrian Christiancommunity of India trace the origin of theirchurchtoSt. Thomas the Apostle.From the 17th century, this part of Chennai was populated predominantly byAnglo-Indians.TheSt. Thomas Garrison Churchis at the foot of St. Thomas Mount.

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 is 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 14stations of the crosson the way to the summit.

TheSt. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Churchis located east of the shrine at North Silver Street, footholds of the mountain shrine.

Educational institutions

St. Thomas Mount has several schools and training institutions.

Schools

St Thomas Academy (ca. Aug. '22)

• St. Dominic's Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School was founded in July 1901 Holy Apostles Convent European School for children of the British and Anglo Indian Army Personnel. In 1914 it was renamed as St Dominic's School. In 1978 Class 12 was added.
• Marian Matriculation Higher Secondary School is an English medium, co-educational senior secondary school fromlower kindergarten (LKG)to class 12.
• St. Thomas Academy is an English medium, co-educational higher secondary school started in July 2017 and by 2022 had about 400 students. It is affiliated with theCentral Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• Montfort Matriculation Higher Secondary School is a highly regarded institution that opened in 2002 at this location. Presently, the school has 2500+ students from kindergarten to grade twelve.

Vocational training institutes

• St. Theresa of Child Jesus School of Nursing is located in St. Thomas Hospital. Started in 1993, by 2012 it was admitting 20 students annually.
• Montfort Technical Institute is a privateindustrial training institute(ITI). Established in Jan 1972, it is one of 326 private ITIs in the state ofTamil Nadu.

Governance

The St. Thomas Mount block is a revenue block in theChengalpattu districtof Tamil Nadu, India.As per the Census 2011, the St. Thomas Mount development block covered an area of 86.94 km²(33.57 sq mi), of which 42.98 km²(16.59 sq mi) was classified as rural and 43.96 km²(16.97 sq mi) as urban. The block included 121,017 household with a total population of 475,995. The sex ratio was 978.7 females per 1,000 males. The number of children in the age group 0–6 years was 55,103. Scheduled castes numbered 74,322 (15.6%) and scheduled tribes were 2.544 (0.53%). The literacy rate was 77.6%, with males at 81.3% and females at 73.9%.

The following 15 rural village panchayats come under St Thomas Mount Panchayat Union:

1. Agaramthen
2. Medavakkam
3. Kovilambakkam
4. Cowl bazaar
5. Mudichur
6. Perumbakkam
7. Nanmangalam
8. Polichalur
9. Trisulam
10. Ottyambakkam
11. Thiruvanchery
12. Vengaivasal
13. Madurapakkam
14. Moovarasampattu
15. Sithalapakkam

Gallery

Exterior of the church

• 
  Entrance to the shrine
• 
  Main entrance to the church
• 
  Bell tower
• 
  Blessed Sacrament Adoration Chapel
• 
  Mary Untier of Knots
• 
  Flagstaff
• 
  Mother Teresa

Interior of the church

• 
  Nave
• 
  Altar
• 
  Relic of an apostle
• 
  St. Anthony & infant Jesus
• 
  Gravestone in the entrance

Stations of the Cross

The 14Stations of the Crossare positioned along the 160-step climb up the Mount.

• 
  3: Jesus falls for the first time.
• 
  5: Simon helps carry the cross.
• 
  10: Jesus is stripped of his garments.
• 
  13: Jesus is taken down from the cross.
• 
  14: Jesus is laid in the tomb.

Views from the mount

A panoramic view of the city of Chennai as seen from the top of St. Thomas Mount, from northwest clockwise to southeast

• 
  View to north-west
• 
  Alandur Metro Station
• 
  AirAsia A320 final approach
• 
  NE runway, Pallavaram Hill
• 
  Indigo A320 touch down
• 
  International terminal

See also

• Chinnamalai

External links

• St. Thomas Mount National Shrine
• St. Thomas and San Thome, Mylapore
• [2]