THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY & SAN THOME BASILICA - CHENNAI / TAMIL NADU

MY EXPERIENCE :

Visited the Theosophical Society and San Thome Basilica as a combined day trip whilst in Chennai. Hired a A/C Cab (Rs. 750/- for 5 hour/50kms. Package). Had breakfast at Murugan Idli's (Elliot's beach branch) which opens at 7:30am. Entered Theosophical gardens around 0830 Hrs. The entire area surrounding the society headquarters is around 270 acres of old woodland and gardens and it is an absolute pleasure to  just walk here and revel in the quietitude. The garden boasts of a 400 year old banyan tree which is said to be the second largest in the world and  able to provide shade to nearly 3000 people at one time. Some of the major discourses and speeches of the society are conducted under this tree.


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In line with the institute's philosophy of universal religion, they have temples and worship centres for all major religions.
The society also has an amazing library on religion and philosopy. The collection started in 1886 by Olcott, comprises 165000 volumes and nearly 200,00 palm leaf manuscripts from all over the world.
You need to be a member to enter the main library, however there is an exhibition room on the ground floor which houses some rare and exquisite book and manuscripts.

To mention a few - There are autographed books by Annie Besant, H.G. Wells, Bernard Shaw, Sarojini Naidu and Henri Bergson, a famous French philosopher.  An interesting exhibit is a Tibetian xylograph presented by his hoilness Dali Lama XIV. There is a rare illustrated manuscript in Sharda script - a system of writing which originated in 8th A.D. The entire 24000 volumes of Valmiki's Ramayan verses in one bundle is eye catching. There is a book on astronomy published in 1490 two years before Colombus discovered Americas wherin it is evident that the author knew that the earth was round. Another one published in 1680 is a multilingual lexicon from Turkish, Arabic and Persian to Latin, German, Italian and French
with grammatical notes on oriental languages.Also on display is a 600 years old Quran, a miniature bible, an even more miniature Zend Avesta, the Zorastrian prayer book, and a very very tiny book, The Lord's prayer in seven languages to be seen through a magnifying glass.
There is also a Burmese manuscript in ancient Pali, which was found during street riots in Rawalpindi in 1948.

TIP - It is easier to enter from the main gate and after visiting the library to exit from the side gate which is closer to Elliot's beach area.

SOME HISTORY :

The Theosophical society was founded in New York in 1875 by American civil war veteran Colonel Henry S. Olcott and the eccentric Russian aristrocrat Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. It is based on the fundamental belief in the equality and truth of all religions. They transferred operations in Madras in 1882 in the present location in Adyar off Elliot's beach.




SAN THOME CATHEDRAL
Later headed to San Thome Basilica, one of the few churches in the world which is built upon the burial ground of a saint.
St. Thomas one of the disciples of Jesus who came to India in 52 A.D. and was martyred in 72 A.D. at Saint Thomas Mount and is interred here. His tomb and relics are situated in a shrine behind the main church.

The  main church is built in neo-gothic style and erected in 1896. On the walls are portraits alongwith a brief history of the disciples of Jesus.
There is also a statue of Our Lady of Mylapore where in 1545 St. Francis Xavier prayed each night during his stay of four months at St. Thomas's tomb. This place  was also visited by the late Pope John paul II.
Photography is allowed within the main church and outside but strictly prohibited at the tomb.

NOTE (BACKPACKING TAMIL NADU 15.NOV.11 TO 12.DEC.11):

1)

This post is one in a series of posts which relate to my Back packing experience in Tamil

Nadu (from 15th Nov - 12th Dec) and any information provided should be read in that

context. Please refer to subsequent posts for my entire backpacker experience.

2)

Following is the planned sequence of travel :

Chennai-Mamallapuram-Chennai-Kanyakumari-KMTR (Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve)

(Trinulveli)-Madurai-Rameshwaram-Thanjur-Auroville-Pondicherry-Chennai.

3)

The basic budget I have targeted is in the mid range segment (about Rs. 1500/- per day).