Velankanni: Pilgrims of Good Health
On the Bay of Bengal coast, the white basilica of Our Lady of Good Health welcomes millions of every faith.
Few places in Tamil Nadu gather as many pilgrims as Velankanni, on the coast of Nagapattinam district. People come on foot, by bus and by train — Catholics, Hindus, Muslims and people of no religion — to pray before Our Lady of Good Health, Arokia Matha.
Stories handed down
Local tradition speaks of Mary appearing to a shepherd boy and to a lame buttermilk seller, and of Portuguese sailors who, saved from a storm, built a chapel in thanksgiving. These traditions are cherished by the people; the Church honours the shrine as a place of prayer, and Pope John XXIII raised it to a minor basilica in 1962.
The September feast
The great festival runs from 29 August to 8 September, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. The flag is hoisted, Masses are celebrated in many languages, and the decorated chariot procession moves slowly through the crowds at night.
A pilgrim’s practice
Many pilgrims walk the last stretch barefoot, light a candle, and leave a small token of a prayer answered. Whatever we carry, Mary leads us to her Son.
Sources and references
- Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni — Minor basilica since 1962
