Kallikulam, Our Lady of Snow Church
Kallikulam is a small village situated 6 km. away from Valliyoor in the east enroute to Tiruchendur, in the Tirunelveli District. Kallikulam is a centre of pilgrimage tourism to the Christians in the sense that a beautiful Church has been constructed in honour of “Our Lady of Snow”.1 Initially it was constructed in 1798 as a small one by an individual Susai Nadar. Later it was expanded and it was renovated in 1838. In 1884 foundation was laid for a new church and was completed in 1886 and nearly 2000 people can pray at a time in the church.2
Every year August 5th is celebrated as “Our Lady of Snow’s Festival. Many people from distant places gather here for the festival. Lot of people from Kerala and Maharashtra also assemble here for this festival. It is believed that ‘Our Lady of Snow’ appeared in the hill nearby and blessed the people there.
HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL PALAYAMKOTTAI
The Holy Trinity Cathedral a small, elegant and beautiful church was built by Rev. Rhenius the Bishop at Tinnevelly and opened to the public for worship on 26th June 1826. It took only 175 days for its construction which costs about Rs.2000.3
This small church with an oblong edifice measuring 64 feet x 30 feet still serves as a nucleus for this massive Cathedral which developed in later years. The amount came as donations not only from the Christians, but also from the Hindus and Muslims too. Venga Mudaliar a philanthropist had donated 168 acres of punja lands for the maintenance of the church. Many renovations and additions were made to this structure. In the year 1845, a tall stately steeple of 158 feet soaring into the skies was added by Rev. Pettilt and has made the church a landmark all over the district. The resonant bell gifted by friends in England and installed in 1850 has unfailingly chimmed the hours, calling the faithful to worship over the years and the clock set in the tower is relied upon by the entire town as its beloved Big Ben.4 Many improvements, extensions and renovation works have taken place upto 1937. In 1940 Bishop Stephen Neill raised its status as the Holy Trinity Cathedral.5 The church plays a vital role not only in spiritual upliftment of its people, but also in the material upliftment like providing education, distributing free food and clothing and other constructive works. People from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are often visiting this shrine to offer prayers, as part of their pilgrimage tourism.
KANYAKUMARI – THE CHURCH OF OUR LAY OF RANSOM
Kanyakumari, the “Feet of our Mother India” is washed by the waters of the three seas – on the east by the Bay of Bengal, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the west by the Arabian Sea.6 This place of scenic beauty contains a couple of reputed shrines dedicated to the divine virgins of Hinduism and of Christianity, namely Kanni Bagavathi and Virgin Mary. The origin of Christianity in the southernmost district is dim with age. Tradition goes that the influence of Christianity in the strips of the sandy tract stretching from Cranganore to Cape Comorin, is due to the visit and work of St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.7 St. Thomas set sailed for India to preach the teachings of his Lord and baptise the people in the name of the Father and His Son and His Holy Spirit.
St. Francis Xavier, a noted Professor of the Sorbonno University of Paris (France) came to the southern tip of the peninsula in the year 1543 A.D. For fourteen months, he worked continuously along the coast naming it “the Mission of Cape Comorin”.8 From the time of St. Xavier, there has been a church and a resident parish priest at Cape Comorin and it forms the nucleus of the present church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title “Our Lady of Ransom”.9 In the year 1900, the old church was demolished and the foundation stone of the present church of sublimity was laid down. It was completed in the year 1956. The altar and sanctuary of the old church are kept intact behind the present church. The structure of the new edifice is well proportioned and very imposing and it forms an outstanding example of Gothic architecture.10 The interior portion is very graceful and quite conductive to prayer and worship. The hall of 153 feet in length and 53 feet in breadth is divided into three aisles by two row of pillars. At the entrance is a big mandapa on which three towers rise into skies. The central tower with a height of 153 feet was crowned with a golden cross blessed by Rt. Rev. T.R. Agniswamy, the then Bishop of Kottar on 20th November 1955.11 The towers on either side are 100 feet tall. Two big bells are hung in them at a height of 53 feet from the ground.
The wooden altar, depicting all the Apostles and many saints and also some scenes from the Bible, is a masterpiece of carving. It contains the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary which has a very majestic and queenly appearance. Our Lady of the Cape, a large oil painting on wood, belongs to the 17th century, depicting ‘Our Lady with the Child Jesus on her lap with St. Ignatius and St. Xavier kneeling on either side is preserved very carefully by the church authorities.12 In the paintings, St. Xavier does not hold a crucifix in his hand. At her feet, may be seen the Cape and a rock with some catamarans floating in the sea hence the name “Our Lady of Ransom”. In front of the church, there is an iron flag-staff towering up for more than 40 feet. It was one of the masts of a steamer that was wrecked nearby in A.D. 1912. An additional wooden staff is fixed above this when the flag is to be hoisted for the feast usually held in December. The feast is enhanced by taking out two rathams (cars) on the tenth day. The statue of Our Lady decked with many gold ornaments is placed on the bigger ratham which is supposed to be exact in all dimensions and proportions as prescribed in the Hindu Silpa Sastra.13
KOTTAR ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier, one of the most impressive historic churches of India, containing a small Chapel of Our Lady where St. Francis Xavier used to celebrate Holy Mass, is situated at Kottar, 7 km. north of Kanyakumari.14 Visitors from different places always stop a few moments at this renowned pilgrim centre generally known as “Second Goa”. The monument erected in honour of this great Apostle of India is on the highway between Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari. Kottar is now a part of Nagercoil Municipality, but it is the oldest part of the town. It was a commercial centre of fame from days of yore. The ancient Greek writer Ptolemy (A.D. 150) describes it as a Metropolis with considerable trade. St. Francis Xavier selected this place of fame for his evangelic work in the erstwhile Travancore State.15
The invasion of Travancore by Vithala, an army general of Vijayanagar empire in 1558 A.D. is closely connected with the life of St. Francis Xavier. Unni Kerala Varma, the ruler of Travancore was indebted to St. Francis Xavier for deliverance from danger, a panic having been produced in the ranks of the Vijayanagar armies by the maiden appearance of Xavier in front of the general, crucifix in hand. Thus the Vijayanagar armies failed in their attempt to conquer Travancore.411 In exuberance of joy, Unni Kerala Verma, the then Travancore ruler gave enormous money with presents to St. Francis Xavier who distributed the money among the poor people and constructed 45 churches along the coast. The small chapel of Our Lady which was housed in the Cathedral at Kottar is the most important among them.
The Cathedral at Kottar is a complex of many structures built at various times. It came into prominence after the death of St. Francis Xavier. It is learnt from the church records that the church was built in the year 1600 A.D. when Fr. Andreas Buserio was the Parish Priest.16 In 1865, the church was enlarged and the Shrine of Our Lady where Francis Xavier used to celebrate Holy Mass was also renovated and vaulted over. In 1930, the church was raised to the status of a Cathedral. The church has acquired different styles of architecture. The old church of round arches and vaults is Romanesque, the extension with high-pointed arches is of Gothic and the fine stone mandapa in front is purely Indian.17
In 1942, in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the arrival of St. Xavier in India, a beautiful tower to the saint, a grotto to Our Blessed Mother and a small shrine to St.Ignatius who sent him to India, were constructed in the Cathedral premises. It is said that the beautiful statue which adorns the main altar has been brought from Goa. In 1955 the church was further extended and the Chapel of Our Lady was incorporated into the enlarged church. The church of St. Xavier enjoys a great fame as a place of miracles from early times. The annual festival is celebrated during the month of November – December lasting for ten days. The car festival on the nineth day is most important. During these festival days the cathedral attracts larger crowds of visitors from all over South India.18
SANTHOME CATHEDRAL BASILICA – CHENNAI
Santhome at the southern end of Marina derives its name from St. Thomas, an apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Chennai sometime during A.D. 52.19 It is believed that he was killed at a place just outside the city in A.D. 78 and interned in Santhome beach where a church was later built. The place where St. Thomas attained martyrdom was named as St. Thomas Mount later. Several years later, another church was built further inland and his mortal remains were transferred from the former to the latter.20 In 1606 the church was rebuilt as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica. The beautiful stained glass windows at the basilica portray the story of St. Thomas and the central hall has 14 wooden plaques depicting scenes of the last days of Christ. In the cathedral, there is a 3 feet high statue of the Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been brought from Portugal in A.D. 1543.21
The St. Thomas Cathedral is the munificent gift of Bishop Dom Henry Joseph Reed da Silva, the Missionary Portuguese Bishop of Mylapore.22 The sacred edifice has been dedicated to Saint Thomas because it stands on the site of the traditional grave of that Apostle. The exact spot is pointed out as this grave has been neatly walled out in marble. The cathedral is a handsome gothic structure. The Bishop spared neither pains nor money in procuring from the people for this splendid structure. With a view to fit up the building with its majestic architecture, the Bishop, at considerable expenses got all the required furniture and fixtures in wood manufactured under his own and the architect’s personal supervision by Messers Oakes & Co.23
During the construction of the cathedral, the tomb of the Apostle was not interfered with except that it acquired a central position in the great edifice. But in 1903 in view of the tri-centenary of the erection of the Mylapore Diocese (A.D. 1606-1906), the tomb was widened towards the west and an open crypt was built.24 Prior to this arrangement of an open crypt with access from within the church itself, the tomb of the Apostle like any other tomb found in the church, was completely closed and covered with hard flooring. The new arrangement of an open crypt of the tomb was a great boon to the pilgrims, devotees and tourists. The Cathedral Basilica itself continued to be the pride of the spiritual heritage in the city of Chennai.25
ST.XAVIER’S CHURCH AND UVARI KAPPAL MATHA CHURCH
Uvari a small fishing town with 3200 people is situated 40 km. away from Nanguneri in the south east direction and it is 70 km. away from Tirunelveli town. The people here are mostly engaged in fishing and in the export of fishes to other parts of India.26 In the Biblical literature this place is described as “Ophir”. Here one can offer prayers in the St. Xavier’s Church a few meters away from the seashore and Kappal Matha Church (Selvamatha church) on the sea-shore itself. It is said that St. Xavier Church belongs to the 16th century A.D. It was, to begin with, a thatched shed where people used to congregate for worship. As the time passed by, on seeing the increased population Fr. Rayappar started constructing a beautiful church in 1908. In 1917 when the new church reached the finishing stage, an unexpected calamity took place, caused the collapse of the roof of the church. Finally due to the missionary initiative of Fr. Antony Bernard, the construction of the church was completed on 26th January 1929. Decorated with beautiful ornamental colour glasses, this church is very spacious.
On 18th September 1919, there was an astonishing development happened in Uvari. The people belong to the fishermenfolk saw a bright light surrounding the Selvamatha Statue eventhough nobody lit a candle. Many people of Uvari witnessed this light which was there for an hour. After this incident, due to sea erosion, the old church got damaged. Therefore the people decided to construct a new church. The new church, designed as a ship, is called Kappal Matha Church27 after its design. It is a beautiful church – facing the blue sea. The waves rolling near this church gives us an impression that this ship shaped church is sailing on the sea which is really a feast to the eyes of the tourists.
VELANKANNI – OUR LADY OF HEALTH CHURCH
Known as the ‘Lourdes of India’, Velankanni is a celebrated place of pilgrimage situated about 11 km from Nagapattanam. It is located in idyllic surroundings at the confluence of river Vellar with the Bay of Bengal.28 The annual festival at this place attracts a large number of pilgrims and devotees, not only from various parts of India, but also from abroad. Although it is a Christian festival, the pilgrims include thousands of Hindus, Muslims and many followers of different religions, which is a peculiar feature of this place. Many miraculous cures are said to have taken place at Velankanni. The shrine which is known as ‘Arogya Matha’ (Lady of Health) serves as a source of comfort and consolation to many sufferers, and pilgrims who visit this place get relief from sickness and other ailments.29 During the annual festival of ten days (August 29 to September 8), the devotees visit this place with their ‘thanks giving’ for the favours received from the ‘Lady of Health’.
The story of Velankanni shrine goes back to the 16th century A.D. The shrine at this place is dedicated to Virgin Mary. It is stated that in Asia, it is only at Velankanni that a vision of Virgin Mary was seen by some people. According to popular legend, she appeared before a poor cripple boy and cured him of his ailments. From then on, Virgin Mary at this place came to be known as ‘Our Lady of Health.30 Another legend states that a little shepherd boy who was on his way from Velankanni to Nagapattanam saw a vision of a beautiful lady holding a child in her arms near the village tank. This vision was believed to be that of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Child Jesus. The tank where this event took place, is now known as ‘Our Lady’s tank’.31
It is also stated that a Portuguese merchant ship sailing from China to Ceylon in the 17th century, was caught in a storm in the Bay of Bengal near Velankanni. In that predicament, the sailors prayed to Virgin Mary and all of them were saved. The ship anchored safely at the sea-shore of Velankanni.32 In gratitude, the Portuguese sailors built a small chapel at Velankanni, at the place where the old shrine stands at present. The sailors also brought many presents to decorate the church during their subsequent voyages. Among them may be mentioned a collection of rich and rare Chinese porcelain plates illustrating scenes from the Holy Bible. These plates have now been fixed round the high altar of the shrine.33
The fame of the church spread far and wide, and the place rapidly expanded into a big township with all modern facilities. The present magnificent church is facing east and the sea shore gives a majestic appearance. The structure is 61 metres in length at the nave and has imposing facade with two lofty spires towering to a height of 25 metres. The new octagonal gothic dome of the building brings together the four wings which give the church the appearance of a large cross. A miniature statue of Virgin Mary wearing a crown of gold and precious stones and holding the child Jesus in her arms stands on the altar.34 Pictures depicting Biblical scenes in mosaic appear around the altar. The interior is beautifully embellished. The path-way leading to ‘Our Lady’s tank’ has been beautified by installing on either side 32 brilliantly executed scenes of the crucifixion. Because of its antiquity, dignity, historical importance and centre of worship, the shrine now enjoys the status of a Basilica. It is considered as one of the most important and beautiful churches in the country.35
The church authorities are running a museum where offerings made by devotees from all over the world are kept. Arrangements are made for the tonsure and ‘ear boring’ of children for the convenience of pilgrims of all faiths. A high school, an orphanage for boys and girls and a home for the aged are being run by the church.
Thus, Tamil Nadu has deep roots in history and antiquity. It has so many things to offer to the tourists and pilgrims from within the state as well as those coming from the rest of India.36 There are a number of temples, churches, and mosques in Tamil Nadu which attract hundreds and thousands of tourists not only to have a spiritual pilgrimage but also to involve in inter-communal unions. The Navagraha temples, Nava Kailasams, Nava Tirupathis, Arupadai veetu temples, Pancha Natya stalas, Jothilinga temples and a number of places with architectural splendour invite pilgrims from different parts of India and abroad. The Velankanni Church and the Nagore Durgah are the two celebrated examples for inter-religious understanding. In times of festival, in the Church and the Durgha, more number of Hindus take an active participation which serves as a chance for confluence of different religious groups together. This remains the solid base for India’s unity in diversity.
END NOTES
- A. Sathyaseelan, Our Lady of Snows Church, T. Kallikulam, (Kallikulam: Matha Pathippagam, 2005), p. 19.
- WWW.Kaligaisnowschurch.com.
- F.J. Western, Register of Tinnevelly Clergy, 1776 – 1936, (Madras: CLS Publications, 1937), pp. 21-22.
- F. John Dhanasekaran, History of Anglican Church in Tirunelveli 1854-1877, (Sivakasi : Ragland Memorial Church Publications, 1996), pp. 48-51.
- Paul Appasamy, The centenary History of the C.M.S. in Tinnevelly, (Palayamcottai : The Palayamcottai Press, 1923), pp. 61-64.
- S. Padmanabhan, Forgotten History of the Land’s End, (Nagercoil: Kumaran Pathippagam, 1981), pp. 1-3.
- Leonardo Olschki, Marcopolo’s Asia, (Berkeley: University of California, 1960), pp. 31-33.
- B. Sobhanan (ed.), “A History of the Christian Missions in South India”, (Trivandrum: in Kerala Historical Society, 1996), pp. 77-79.
- S. Padmanabhan, Three Historic Churches in Kanyakumari, (Nagercoil: Kumaran Pathippagam, 1978), pp. 5-8.
- S. Padmanabhan, The Contributions of Kanyakumari to the Tamil World, (Nagercoil: Kumaran Pathippagam, 1981), pp. 2-3.
- Stone Inscription in the Church at Kanyakumari; Foundation stone being laid by Rev. T.R. Agniswamy on 20th November 1955.
- S. Padmanabhan, op. cit., p.9.
- Kanyakumari (Folder), (Chennai: Dept. of Tourism, 2003).
- A. John Kulanthai, St. Xavier’s Church Kottar, (Kottar: Assisi Offset Press, 2000), pp. 25-27.
- S. Jeyaseela Stephen (ed.), Letters of the Portuguese Jesuits from Tamil Country side (1666 – 1688), (Pondicherry: IIES Publications, 2001), pp. 22-23.
- S.R. Narcesan, Kottar St. Xavier, (Nagercoil: Nanjil Pathippagam, 2004), pp. 72-73.
- George Schurhammer, Francis Xavier: His Life, His Times, (Rome: Ecclesiastical Publications, 1977), pp. 286-292.
- Herbert E. Hoefer, Christian Art in India, (Madras: Govt. Press, 1882), pp. 31-35.
- Venantius Fernando, The Evangelization of the Pearl Fishery Coast, (Bangalore: Theological Publishers, 1985), pp. 102-105.
- R. Arulappa, St. Thomas, (Madras: Santhome Church Publications, 1985), pp. 3-6.
- Ibid., pp. 80-85.
- S.J. Anthonysamy, A Saga of Faith St. Thomas the Apostle of India, (Chennai : Santhome Cathedral Basilica, 2004), pp. 91-95.
- R. Arulappa, An Outline of the History of the Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, (Madras: Santhome Church Publications, 1986), pp. 35-38.
- H. Hosten, Antiquities from Santhome and Mylapore, (Mylapore : Santhome Church Publications, 1936), pp. 51-55.
- Tri – Centenary Souvenir of the Mylapore Diocese (1606-1906), (Madras : Diocese Press, 1906), pp. 5-12.
- P.J. Podipara, The Thomas Christians, (London: Longman & Todd, 1970), pp. 25-29.
- James Hornell, Report on the Indian Pearl Fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar and Pak Bay, (Madras: Govt. Press, 1905), pp. 5-9. K. Pari Murugan, The Paravas of Uvari Village, (Chennai: Sadura Publications, 2002), p. 8.
- D. Joseph, Velankanni Matha, (Nagercoil: Nanjil Book Stall, 1989), p. 3.
- Susan Bayly, Saints, Goddesses & Kings Muslims and Christians in South Indian Society 1700 – 1900, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), pp. 367-368.
- Meersman, Franciscans in Tamil Nadu, (Paris: Schoneck Publications, 1962), pp. 71-81.
- Velankanni (Folder), (Chennai: Dept. of Tourism, 2002).
- S.R. Santos, The Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health, Velankanni, (Thanjavur: Diocese Publications, 1980), pp. 10-14.
- P. Thomas, Churches in India, (New Delhi: Publications Division, 1990), p. 20.
- Enchanting Tamil Nadu (Folder), (Chennai: Dept. of Tourism, 2002).
- www.TamilNadutourism.org