Tomb of St Thomas (San Thome Basilica, Mylapore) | Biblical Sites

San Thome Basilica in Mylapore stands over the traditional tomb of the apostle Thomas, who by strong and ancient tradition carried the gospel to India and was martyred near here around AD 72. The tradition is genuinely old: the Acts of Thomas describes his Indian mission, and the St Thomas Christians of Kerala have claimed him as their founder for many centuries. But the tomb itself is essentially empty. Tradition holds his relics were carried west to Edessa in the 3rd century, later to Chios, and finally to Ortona, Italy, where they are venerated today. The present white neo-Gothic basilica (built 1893 by the British over an earlier Portuguese church) preserves an underground tomb-chapel and a few small relics, but no verified remains of the apostle. It is a continuously venerated holy place resting on a real early-Christian tradition — not on physical proof that Thomas lies beneath it.

Where it is: Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Scripture: John 20:24-29 · John 11:16 · Acts 1:13

What the evidence confirmsA very ancient, continuously venerated tomb-site exists here, tied to a real and early Christian tradition of Thomas evangelizing India (see also the site's 'Thomas in India' section).

What it does not proveIt does not provide physical proof that the apostle was buried here — the tomb is empty, the relics were dispersed to Edessa, Chios and Ortona, and their authenticity is unverified; the India mission itself remains debated among historians.

Sources & further reading