Echoes of belonging: The Armenian church’s bells of Chennai and their unseen legacy

Do bells clang, chime, or ring? On Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24, they seemed to toll, ringing across the streets of George Town.

There is nothing more definitive about this area than a flurry of black lawyer gowns, derelict century-old buildings, and mayhem on the streets. The demeanour of this neighbourhood, just North of Fort St George, insists that in order to be alive, one must first sweat. Amidst the chaos though, is an oasis of iridescent white calm. The 300-year-old church dedicated to Saint Mary — located on Armenian Street opposite the High Court of Madras, acts as an insulator, cutting off honks, chatter and the harsh sun.