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 Its quite difficult for the current crop of Chennaivasis to imagine
Luz, one of the city's trading centres, as being an impenetrable wood or anything else
than the bustling area it is now. But the ornate Luz Church is evidence of such times. In
fact, to this day the locals of the area call it 'Kattu Kovil', or literally the forest
temple. Here the word Kovil should be taken in its purest meaning: the Abode of the Lord.
The Luz Church, one of the many places of interest for the traveller, has a history as
colourful as its rococo-layered altar. Legend has it that a vessel carrying a few
Franciscan missionaries and Portuguese sailors was in distress off the Mylapore coast.
They then saw a light flashing from the dark forest, which then guided the distressed
monks and sailors to safety and then disappeared. In gratitude the Franciscans built a
church to their benefactress, Mother Mary, at the very spot they felt the mysterious light
originated.
 Though some of the city's leading historians
dispute the date of its origin, the Madras Mylapore Diocese, under which the Luz parish
falls, insists that the church was built in 1516,
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the year that is emblazoned on top of
the church. There are delights awaiting the visitor to the Luz Church, which is
spread over a campus of about 20 grounds. Attractions abound right from the
representational grotto, honouring Our Lady at Lourdes, in front of the church to the
baroque and gilded altar and to the various 18th and 19th century memorial stones all
around the campus. The ceiling of the altar also contains visible delights, with unique
body-less cherubim to the Franciscan emblem painted bang in the centre of the ceiling. And
the ever-helpful Fr. T J George, the Parish priest, can instruct one on the origins of the
legend behind this emblem. Even in today's milieu where there is a desperate attempt to
colour the entire country saffron, Luz Church stands out as an excellent example of the
cool mind of reason that is Chennai.
Well known for its temples, neither Chennai nor the State, Tamil
nadu, loses any of their lustre by being hosts to such marvellous abodes of worship as the
Luz Church.Known as Prakasa Mada (Luminous Mother or the Lady of Light) the Mother Mary of
Luz Church continues to spread her benevolence evenly over the faithful who come thronging
to her presence. And this, regardless of whether the seeker is a Christian or a Hindu. We
are all the more blessed for this.
Ravichandran K
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