Witness Young boy | Date 16th and 17th century | |
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Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni, IndiaFeast day, 8 September | ||
Shrine basilica of our lady of good health of velankanni vailankanni
Our Lady of Good Health (Tamil: ஆரோக்கிய அன்னை Ārōkkiya annai), also known as Our Lady of Vailankanni, is a celebrated Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary believed to have appeared in Velankanni Town, Tamil Nadu, India. According to traditional beliefs, the Marian apparition is said to have occurred to a young boy delivering milk to the neighbourhood when the Virgin Mary, carrying the child Jesus, is said to have appeared. This apparition has not been approved by the Holy See.
Contents
- Shrine basilica of our lady of good health of velankanni vailankanni
- Basilica of our lady of good health vailankanni church pond pathway vailankanni velankanni
- History
- Basilica
- Feast day
- Other churches and shrines
- Movie
- References
The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health erected by the Portuguese and the Indians stands at this site. The iconic depiction of the Madonna is unique in that it is one of two only icons where Mary is portrayed wearing an Indian Sari, while the other statue is said to have been buried with Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor . The basilica is known as a site for pilgrims from all over India and its assembly of multilingual Prayers every Christmas.
Basilica of our lady of good health vailankanni church pond pathway vailankanni velankanni
History
Though there is no historical document or record about the reputed apparitions of Mary at Vailankanni, only oral tradition ascertain the two apparitions in the 16th century and the saving of the Portuguese sailors from a tempest in the Bay of Bengal in the 17th century.
Basilica
A Gothic-styled basilica stands in Velankanni in memory of the apparitions.
Feast day
September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, is also commemorated as the feast of Our Lady of Good Health. The celebration starts on 29 August and ends on the day of the feast. The feast day prayers are said in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Konkani, Hindi and English.
Other churches and shrines
Movie
In 1971, a Tamil language film titled "Annai Velankanni" was produced to pay tribute to Our Lady of Good Health. Directed by K. Thankappan, the movie featured prominent figures from Tamil cinema, including Gemini Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, K. R. Vijaya, Jayalalitha, and Padmini.
