Choose another map, showing:

• India (east)
• India
• Asia
• Eurasia
• Eurasia, Africa & Pacific
• The World

Other entries in Chennai

Colonial Karma

I spent my last day in Chennai visiting more colonial sights.  This time, I went to the massive colonial cemetery that is behind St. Mary's Church.  It is completely overgrown with moss and vines, and only a small fraction of the graves are exposed.  I had another historical jolt when I pulled back the vines on one grave to reveal, perfectly framed, the word "mother."  Of all the inscriptions on the submerged gravestone, why did my random decision to pull at the vegetation in that spot reveal the most telling word on the stone?  It was both creepy and spiritually replenishing.

I walked further into the heart of the overgrown cemetery, past former East India Company Surgeons and Captains, entombed with their wives and children.  At this point, I noticed about five or six homeless people were living in the cemetery.  A moment later, to my surprise, I ran into one homeless man who was squatting, using a gravestone as a toilet!  From the looks of some of the other gravestones, this seemed to be the common thing to do.  It made sense, as it was impossible to walk or sit on the prickly vine growth.  A more pious man may have scolded these desperate people and called it "desecration," but I just smiled.  In a way, to be defecated on continuosly is a fitting karmic fate considering what some of the colonialists did here in India.

Later, I went to a church called San Thome, which supposedly houses the remains of St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Christ.  Apparently, after Jesus died, St. Thomas came to Chennai, to spread the word to the Indian sub-continent.  He was also reportedly killed here by brahmans (hindu priests) who thought his teachings were a threat.  I went down to the crypt, where his remains are.  It was very nice and well-lit, a slight disappointment for my "Indiana Jones" imagination.  The most exciting part of San Thome was the school attached to it.  The kind teachers let me walk right in to a first grade elementary class and do an impromtu game of "Simon Says."  They didn't understand the rules and just repeated everything I said and did, but it was really fun.  Later that night, I boarded the night train to Trivandrum, Kerala.

(SEE NEW PICTURES ADDED TO "NEW FRIENDS COLONIAL GHOSTS" ENTRY)

Add to del.icio.us Add to reddit

Photos / videos of "Colonial Karma":