PilgrimstaysMany churches and basilicas of note were established in the wake of an extraordinary event that occurred at some point in their history. Harihar church, as the Basilica of Our Lady of Health is more widely known, is no exception to this rule. Its story begins sometime in the early 1800’s when a Brahmin who was bathing on its banks, accidentally fell into the swollen River Tungabhadra. According to local tradition, he saw a floating statue of Our Lady of Health and was able to save himself from drowning. He carried the statue back home and his wife and children too were miraculously healed of their ill health. From that point of time, the Brahmin devoted himself completely to the service of Our Lady, until his death a few years later. He was laid to rest in his residential property, on which after some time a church was built. The shrine is situated quite close to the River Tungabhadra and has grown into a centre of pilgrimage from people of many parts of Karnataka. Harihar church acts like a magnet to people of different faiths who speak varied languages. It is easy to understand exactly why it has earned the sobriquet ‘Vailankanni of Karnataka’. Harihar is a small town in Davangere district which was part of the erstwhile Mysore state. In 1833, the French MEP priest Fr Bigot Beauclair who was ordained in Pondicherry, paid a visit to Harihar. He is said to have witnessed pilgrims flocking to a place where a statue of the Blessed Virgin was venerated with great devotion. He was then informed of the legend behind the statue and what caused people to display such devotion to it. It is recorded that Fr Bigot built the church on the property donated by the Brahmin’s family in Harihar. Although the fame of the Harihar church had spread considerably in the region, the spiritual needs of the Christians in that town were ministered to by priests from the Sacred Heart church at Shimoga. In 1870, the French MEP priest, Fr Kleiner from Shimoga was entrusted the care of this parish. Many of the French priests were deputed to Shimoga diocese, from the French colony of Pondicherry. In course of time the Feast Day of the shrine was celebrated on September 8th, which is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1954, land for the construction of a new church was purchased on the Pune-Bangalore road. A new church was built in 1963 and was consecrated by Archbishop Thomas Pothakamury, the Archbishop of Bangalore. The miraculous statue from the original shrine was shifted to the new Church. This church was replaced by the present edifice in 1992, which is an example of unique architectural skills. Harihar church has grown in leaps and bounds and is said to have attracted a crowd of over 200,000 to the last Feast of the Nativity in 2018. In view of its considerable importance to the Christian community in Karnataka, the Vatican raised the Shrine of Our Lady of Health at Harihar to the status of a Minor Basilica on 18 September 2019.
Many churches and basilicas of note were established in the wake of an extraordinary event that occurred at some point in their history
According to local tradition, he saw a floating statue of Our Lady of Health and was able to save himself from drowning
He carried the statue back home and his wife and children too were miraculously healed of their ill health
He was laid to rest in his residential property, on which after some time a church was built
The shrine is situated quite close to the River Tungabhadra and has grown into a centre of pilgrimage from people of many parts of Karnataka
The basilica, with its white-painted facade and towers visible above the town, is the dominant landmark of Harihar. Arriving from the railway station by auto, the towers appear above the rooftops — the standard experience of arriving at a south Indian pilgrimage town where the church or temple is the highest point.
The statue of Our Lady of Health, richly dressed and crowned for feast days, is the focus of all devotion. Pilgrims queue for hours on feast days to approach the statue, touch it, or have rosaries and medals blessed in its presence. The intensity of this popular Marian devotion is characteristic of south Indian Catholic piety.
The walls near the statue are covered with votive offerings — silver ex-votos in the shape of human limbs, photographs, written testimonials, and small paintings — each one a record of a prayer answered. Reading this wall of gratitude is one of the most affecting experiences at any Indian shrine.
Harihar sits on the Tungabhadra River, and the riverbank near the basilica area offers a view of the town and the surrounding landscape. Pilgrims often walk to the river as part of their pilgrimage day. The combination of river, temple, and basilica in a single town makes for an unusual and memorable pilgrimage landscape.
On feast days, the entire compound of the basilica — and the streets leading to it — fills with tens of thousands of pilgrims. The colour, sound, and density of a major south Indian pilgrimage gathering is an experience in itself — the faith of ordinary people made visible on an extraordinary scale.
The south Indian Catholic tradition has a particular intensity of Marian devotion that can surprise visitors from other Christian traditions. It is not sentimental — it is serious, personal, and persistent. The pilgrim who walks 30 kilometres to reach Our Lady of Health, carrying a sick child or a prayer for a sick parent, is not engaging in religious tourism. They are making the most important journey of their year. That is what a basilica like this is for.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →Many churches and basilicas of note were established in the wake of an extraordinary event that occurred at some point in their history. Harihar church, as the Basilica of Our Lady of Health is more widely known, is no exception to this rule.
Its story begins sometime in the early 1800s, when a Brahmin who was bathing on its banks accidentally fell into the swollen River Tungabhadra. According to local tradition, he saw a floating statue of Our Lady of Health and was able to save himself from drowning. He carried the statue back home, and his wife and children too were miraculously healed of their ill health. From that point of time, the Brahmin devoted himself completely to the service of Our Lady, until his death a few years later. He was laid to rest in his residential property, on which after some time a church was built.
The shrine is situated quite close to the River Tungabhadra and has grown into a centre of pilgrimage for people from many parts of Karnataka. Harihar church acts like a magnet to people of different faiths who speak varied languages. It is easy to understand exactly why it has earned the sobriquet ‘Vailankanni of Karnataka’. Harihar is a small town in Davangere district, which was part of the erstwhile Mysore state.
In 1833, the French MEP priest Fr Bigot Beauclair, who was ordained in Pondicherry, paid a visit to Harihar. He is said to have witnessed pilgrims flocking to a place where a statue of the Blessed Virgin was venerated with great devotion. He was then informed of the legend behind the statue and what caused people to display such devotion to it. It is recorded that Fr Bigot built the church on the property donated by the Brahmin’s family in Harihar.
Although the fame of the Harihar church had spread considerably in the region, the spiritual needs of the Christians in that town were ministered to by priests from the Sacred Heart church at Shimoga. In 1870, the French MEP priest Fr Kleiner from Shimoga was entrusted with the care of this parish. Many of the French priests were deputed to Shimoga diocese from the French colony of Pondicherry. In course of time the Feast Day of the shrine came to be celebrated on September 8th, which is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 1954, land for the construction of a new church was purchased on the Pune-Bangalore road. A new church was built in 1963 and consecrated by Archbishop Thomas Pothakamury, the Archbishop of Bangalore. The miraculous statue from the original shrine was shifted to the new church. This church was replaced by the present edifice in 1992, which is an example of unique architectural skills.
Harihar church has grown in leaps and bounds and is said to have attracted a crowd of over 200,000 to the last Feast of the Nativity in 2018. In view of its considerable importance to the Christian community in Karnataka, the Vatican raised the Shrine of Our Lady of Health at Harihar to the status of a Minor Basilica on 18 September 2019.
