About Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni

The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Velankanni (Tamil Nadu) is the most visited Christian pilgrimage destination in India and one of the most important Marian shrines in Asia, popularly called the 'Lourdes of the East'. The shrine is attributed to three miraculous apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the 16th and 17th centuries. People of all faiths — Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, and Muslim — visit the shrine seeking miraculous healing, making it a rare example of interfaith pilgrimage. The annual feast of Our Lady (September 29 to October 11) draws 5–10 million pilgrims. The basilica, elevated to Minor Basilica in 1962, sits directly on the Bay of Bengal.

The three apparitions at Velankanni are: the apparition to a shepherd boy in the 1500s; the healing of a lame buttermilk seller; and the rescue of a Portuguese ship's crew from a storm in 1560 CE. The crew's thanksgiving offerings — silver-decorated dresses still displayed — mark the first recorded account. Pope John Paul II visited in 1986.

Darshan & Aarti

🚌 How to reach

Last mile: TNSTC buses from Nagapattinam every 30 min. Accommodation widely available in Velankanni town. Book well in advance for the September feast.

Where to stay

Estimated expense (per person)

Estimated for a short 2-day pilgrimage.

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