Basilica · India

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni

, India

"Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni is a very popular shrine in India"

Highlights

1Popularly known as the Velankanni church or Lourdes of the East, the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Vailankanni in Tamil Nadu has a history that goes back to May 1570
2Tradition has it that the first Marian apparition appeared to a shepherd boy carrying a jug of milk for delivery
3Realising the identity of the woman and child, a small shrine was erected and named Matha Kulam, which translates to Our Lady’s Pool
4The day happened to be the 8th of September, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary
5The crowds surge to approximately 2 million during the week of the Nativity

Getting There

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Address

Basilica Road, Velankanni, Tamil Nadu 611 111, India

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Directions

Velankanni is 12 km from Nagapattinam. Regular buses from Nagapattinam, Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore. Nearest railway station: Nagapattinam or Velankanni (rail link completed). By road: 350 km from Chennai on NH-45.

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Timings

Current time — India Standard Time (IST)

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When	Hours	Note
Basilica	5:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Feast Novena (Aug 29-Sep 8) Open 24 hours Tank and beach area Always open The feast novena period (August 29 to September 8) is the major pilgrimage time. Accommodation fills months in advance. Modest dress required. The beach and tank area are open around the clock.

Masses & Events

Daily Masses

5:30, 6, 7, 8, 9 AM; 10:15 AM; 5, 6 PM

Multiple daily Masses in Tamil, English, and other languages

Novena Masses

Aug 29-Sep 8 multiple times daily

The nine-day novena leading to the

Nativity of Mary Feast Day Mass

Sep 8, solemn Pontifical Mass

Principal feast; presided by the Bishop of Tanjore

Must See

The Miraculous Image

Main altar, basilica The image of Our Lady of Good Health, dressed in a golden robe and crown, stands above the altar. Pilgrims of every faith stand before it.

The tradition of placing ex-votos

gold and silver body-parts, models of boats, photographs

around the shrine continues unabated. The Tank of Grace (Sacred Tank) — Adjacent to the basilica Pilgrims pour water from this sacred tank over themselves and take it home. The tradition of seeking healing through the waters of Velankanni, like the waters of Lourdes, is embedded in the devotion.

The Apparition Chapel

Near the coast Marks the spot where Our Lady appeared to the young shepherd. A small, quiet chapel amid the larger complex

a place for personal prayer away from the crowds.

The Sea Shore Shrine

On the Bay of Bengal [OUTDOOR] Pilgrims who complete the walk to Velankanni enter the sea and offer their first prayers with salt water around their feet

a sight of extraordinary power. At night, with thousands of candles reflected in the water, it is one of the most beautiful acts of popular devotion in the world.

The Chariot Festival Route

Along Basilica Road [OUTDOOR] During the feast, the image is taken in a grand procession on an ornate chariot through streets decorated with lights.

Millions line the route

Hindu, Muslim, and Christian together.

Intentions

Carry these intentions into the Basilica with you — pause at each sacred spot and lift them to God.

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For the sick and suffering who come here from across India seeking healing

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For inter-religious harmony — that the faiths of India may learn to honour one another

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For fishermen and those who work on dangerous seas

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For families making the long pilgrimage walk on foot

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For the poor of Tamil Nadu and of all South Asia

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For healing of every kind — physical, emotional, and spiritual

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For the Church in India, small in number but great in witness

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For mothers and children everywhere, under Our Lady's protection

Reflection

The millions who come to Velankanni include people who do not share the Christian faith but who know that something powerful is present here. They have found that the God of Jesus Christ does not check membership cards at the door. Our Lady of Good Health is a mother — and mothers do not ask their children for credentials. They simply heal them.

Suggested Scripture — Matthew 15:28

Your faith is great. Your request is granted.

Read in full on Bible Gateway →

A Pilgrim's Prayer

Our Lady of Good Health, Mother of all who suffer, I come to you with the illness I cannot cure and the burdens I cannot put down. Millions have stood where I stand and have gone home healed — in body or in spirit. I do not know what healing I need most. But you do. Take what is broken in me and restore it, as only a mother can. Amen.

Popularly known as the Velankanni church or Lourdes of the East, the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Vailankanni in Tamil Nadu has a history that goes back to May 1570.

The Marian Apparitions

Tradition has it that the first Marian apparition appeared to a shepherd boy carrying a jug of milk for delivery. He was stopped by a beautiful woman holding a child in her arms, who requested some milk for the young one. The shepherd boy readily gave her some and went on his way, only to discover that the jug was once again filled with fresh milk. Realising the identity of the woman and child, a small shrine was erected and named Matha Kulam, which translates to Our Lady’s Pool.

Not much later, in 1597, the second Marian apparition appeared to a young crippled boy selling buttermilk not far from Matha Kulam. He was stopped by a beautiful woman with a young boy in her arms, who asked for some buttermilk. The boy’s mother asked the crippled lad to visit a gentleman in the next town and ask him to build a chapel in her honour at that very location. Without hesitation the boy rose and set out on his errand. It was then that he realised he was no longer lame. Screaming with joy, he beckoned the gentleman and conveyed the instructions. They rushed back to where the incident had occurred and put up a small thatched chapel, naming it Arokia Matha, or Our Lady of Health. That spot marks the very location where the Velankanni church stands today.

The Portuguese Sailors

In ancient times, the village of Vailankanni was a port which attracted many trading ships due to its excellent location, which made navigating the Bay of Bengal much easier. One such ship, carrying a crew of 150 Portuguese sailors from Macao en route to Colombo, was caught in a raging storm. Such was the force of the storm that the sails and mast were completely destroyed. The captain called his men together to pray, and they entrusted themselves to the Virgin Mary under the invocation ‘Star of the Sea’ (Stella Maris), beseeching her to save them.

Soon after, the storm subsided and the ship eventually limped into Vailankanni port. The day happened to be the 8th of September, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. Owing their lives to Our Lady, the sailors set about rebuilding the shrine to Our Lady of Good Health. In later years, whenever the ship touched this port, the sailors visited the shrine bearing artefacts to enhance its beauty.

Pilgrimage

Today this basilica attracts visitors of all faiths. The crowds surge to approximately 2 million during the week of the Nativity. The statue of the Virgin Mary is draped in a sari. The shrine of Vailankanni was elevated to the status of Minor Basilica and merged with the Major Basilica of Mary in Rome on 3 November 1962 by Pope John XXIII.