The area is closely associated with local traditions. According to Hindu tradition, the sage
Bhringi resided and meditated on the hillock in his quest to see
Shiva. The locality thus came to be known as
Bhringi malai, or "the hill of Bhringi", which over time morphed into "Parangimalai". It is also said that this connects several other regions in the city with the origin of their names. For instance, the place where he laid his pitcher, known in Tamil as
kindi while performing worship, has now come to be known as "
Guindy". According to Christian traditions, the hill is the site where
St. Thomas the Apostle was
martyred in 72
AD after being struck with a spear. In 1523, the Portuguese missionary Diego Fernandes built a small
oratory on the Mount, reportedly over the foundations of an earlier church. As the number of pilgrims grew,
Gaspar Coelho, the Vicar of the Church of Mylapore, laid the foundation for a larger church in 1547 and dedicated it to
Our Lady of the Mount. The church is believed to have served as a lighthouse for Portuguese and Armenian ships during the 16th century. In 1802,
William Lambton, the surveyor responsible for launching the
Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, began his work from the plateau of St. Thomas Mount. In 1830, the
St. Thomas Garrison Church was built to serve British soldiers of the Madras Artillery, which was headquartered in the area since 1774. In 1962, Archbishop
Louis Mathias of Madras-Mylapore oversaw the laying of an asphalt road to the summit, and by 1963, a
calvary was installed atop the hill, overlooking the city. == Governance ==