Description of the attraction
One of the most visited places in the famous city of Chennai is considered to be the small but graceful Catholic Church of Luz, which is officially called the Church of the Virgin of the Light, and is one of the oldest churches in the city. It was created back in 1516, when this territory was under the rule of Portuguese colonists. They built it in honor of the Virgin Mary in gratitude for their safe sea voyage. According to legend, eight priests left Lisbon for India aboard the ship of the Portuguese nobleman and explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral in 1500. They landed in the city of Cochin (present-day Kochi) and intended to disperse throughout the country to preach Christianity. Several priests decided to sail further south, but got lost. They were already completely desperate to get to the ground, but they did not stop fervently praying to the Virgin Mary, and a miracle happened. As they later said, a mysterious bright light helped them to reach the coast, which showed them the direction. People were sure that it was Mary herself who came to them and literally lit the way to the shore. Therefore, the new church was named "Luz", which means "light" in Portuguese.
Several styles are mixed in the architecture of this building: in general, it was built in a classical, restrained European manner, but you can also notice Gothic details in it, for example, arches, and Baroque ornaments. The main altar, on which the statue of the Virgin Mary is installed, is decorated with gilded and silvered leaves, and the ceiling of the hall is covered with frescoes and paintings in blue and blue tones.
