Thursday 26 March 2015

The sweetness of Southern India circuit (Day 10 late morning) - The Fort Saint George's area - St. Mary's Church, Chennai - The 20th of February 2015


We drove to the coastline so as to visit the Fort St. George's area, which we had access to after a thorough "screening" by guards at its entrance. The Fort is said to have taken its name from Sint George who is believed to have had a significant influence in the region in 1644, with the Fort's completion coinciding with the Saint's birthday.
 
 
Primarily erected as a trading post it is now divided into two sections - Saint Mary's Church and the Fort Museum.
 
 








We visited Saint Mary's Church because of it being not only the oldest Church built by the British but also the oldest Anglican Church East of Suez. Constructed in 1678-1680 Saint Mary's interior caught my attention, and I believe every other visitor's because of the numerous memorial plaques and monuments around the nave and the aisles' columns. I couldn't help photographing some, as well as the baptismal font's plaque with the rather interesting history of the font.























The Church was "invaded" by school teenagers in their uniforms as we made our way into the churchyard gardens, but no sooner than that we were followed by some of those teenagers, particularly girls, who were dying to talk to us and have their photos taken with some of us.








Carole surrounded by school girls
 





As we made our way out I unexpectedly noticed a Hindu shrine I hadn't noticed on the way in, which was worth looking at, though I would have to ask Sagar for further explanations regarding the worshipper's posture.
 
 
 




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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