Tourism in Velankanni

Velankanni, one of the most visited Christian pilgrim center is located in the Nagapattinam district of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The holy town is approximately 327 km (via NH 45A and NH45) away from the state capital city of Chennai and 12.3 km (via East Coast Road/Nagapattinam - Vedaranyam Road) away from the urban center of Nagapattinam.

Formally written as Vailankanni, the Tamil term Velankanni can literally be translated as Virgin of Velai, the town. Being located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, the sacred destination was an erstwhile seaport that had a wide range of commercial connections with Greece (the Hellenic Republic) and Rome (Italian capital and region of Lazio). Today, Velankanni is of the most visited tourist destination that receives devotees and tourists from all over the globe, irrespective of times of year. Let's get to know more about the various options for Tourism in Velankanni.

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

The sacred town is the proud abode of the world renowned Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, popularly called as Velankanni church. It is significant to mention that the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is one among India's most prominent and largest Catholic pilgrimage centers. The illustrious Christian church is popularly referred as the 'Lourdes of the East' for its significance.


Being an ancient basilica, the history of the Velankanni church can be followed back to the 16th century. Significantly, the origination of the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni town is often linked to three miracles and took place in the town and they are:

• Our Lady’s Vision to a Shepherd Boy
• Apparition of Our Lady to the Buttermilk Vendor
• The Portuguese Ship caught in a Storm

The church is also regarded special for its Gothic style of architecture which was renovated by the Lusitanian and later expanded due to the steady increase in the number of devotees visiting the church. The Velankanni church was elevated to the status of basilica in 1962 by the Pope Saint John XXIII (28 October 1958 - 3 June 1963).


Every year, 2 crore domestic, national and international pilgrims visit this holy shrine and Out of the 2 crore visitors, an approximated 30,00,000 pilgrims visit this basilica to participate and celebrate the notable yearly fete that concludes with the festivity of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

Travelers Tidbits - Velankanni Church

Denomination: Roman Catholic
Consecrated: 1962
Dedication: Our Lady of Good Health
Status: Minor Basilica
Type of Architecture: Gothic

Location and Contact Details:
Very Rev. Fr. P. Xavier
Rector
Shrine Basilica
Vailankanni - 611111
Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu
Phone Number: 04365-263 530 (Father's personal), 04365-263 517 (Father's Fax), 04365-263 423/263 584/264 890 (Shrine Number)

Church Timings: 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Travel Information:
Nearest Bus Stand: S E T C Bus Stand, Velankanni
Nearest Railway Station: Nagapattinam Railway Station (11 km)
Nearest Airport: Trichy International Airport (IATA: TRZ, ICAO: VOTR)

Velankanni Beach

The close proximity of the Velankanni beach to the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health (Velankanni church), makes it one of the popular tourist attractions of the Velankanni town.   The Velankanni beach lies on the outline of the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Every pilgrim who visits the church in Velankanni never misses the opportunity of going down to the Velankanni beach and experience the beauty.

What is more, Velankanni beach extends a lot of interesting things to do options to the visitors. Holidaymakers visiting this beach can delight a few entertaining activities which include sunbathing, swimming, barefoot walking, balloon shooting and parasailing. Besides, visitors can enjoy the dramatic sunset and sunrise at this beach. The delicate beach sand, the fresh air with a touch of the fascinating surroundings makes the visit to the beach a memorable affair!

In addition, the Velankanni beach offers several options for shopping buffs. The beach houses a lot of handicraft outlets who sell a wide range of handloom productions.

Travelers Tidbits:

Best Time to Visit: Through the year
Accommodations: Numerous beach resorts and hotels available right at the beach who offer budget, mid range and luxury accommodation options to the visitors
Restaurants: Countless multi cuisine restaurants can be found in and around the beach

Travel Information:
Nearest Bus Stand: S E T C Bus Stand, Velankanni
Nearest Railway Station: Nagapattinam Railway Station
Nearest Airport: Trichy International Airport (IATA: TRZ, ICAO: VOTR)

Velankanni Museum of Offerings

A unique museum located in a small building side by side to the Velankanni Church, the Museum of Offerings was primarily established to accommodate the sacred offerings by the pilgrims as a token of gratitude for the big hearted blessings of the holy mother they received. Devotees typically donate legs, hands, eyes, hearts and so on that are made of gold and silver for the illness the holy mother had healed.

The Museum of Offerings also had multitudinous written messages of appreciation and thankfulness to the Velankanni Matha and endearing relics in gold and silver. A few big portfolios comprising of compositions, written messages, and resolutions of the devotees showing their thankfulness were also found in this museum. It will be nothing short of a remarkable experience to come across all those living testimonials of people who offer their respects and gratitude to the beloved Mother Mary.

Timings: 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM (all days of the week)

Some of the other popular places of interest in Velankanni include:

• Naduthittu Church
• Shrine Depot
• Fountain of Revelation
• Chapel of Adoration
• Holy Path
• Lady’s Tank Church
• St Sebastian Church
• Legion of Mary Book Depot

Hotels in Velankanni

Being a sacred destination that receives visitors from all over the globe, throughout the year, Velankanni is well equipped with a large number of hotels and resorts who offer budget, mid range and luxury accommodation options to the visitors. Some of the most popular hotels in Velankanni include

VPN Residency
Madha Kulam Street, Velankanni Ho, Velankanni - 611111
Phone Number: +(91)-9524148449, 9443429008, +(91)-4365-264600

Hotel Rhea Park
No 31, Velankanni Ho, Velankanni - 611111, Behind Bus Stop
Phone Number: +(91)-9865859580, +(91)-4365-264580

Seagate Hotel
Velankanni Main Road, Velankanni HO, Velankanni - 611111
Phone Number: +(91)-9842456109, 9655698317, 9894667574, +(91)-4365-263910, 264590

MGM Vailakannai Residency
No 64/F-2, Nagapattinam Main Road, Velankanni HO, Velankanni - 611111
Phone Number: +(91)-9940662772, +(91)-4365-263900, 263979, 263336

Clinton Park Inn
Chruch Main Road, Velankanni HO, Velankanni - 611111
Phone Number: +(91)-9750611111, 9841679996, +(91)-4365-264991, 264992, 264993, 264994

Hotel Prakash
Beach Road, Velankanni HO, Velankanni - 611111, Annai Velankanni Nagar
Phone Number: +(91)-4365-263740, 264740

Chandra Royal Inn
No 22, East Coast Road, Velankanni Ho, Velankanni - 611111
Phone Number: +(91)-7373732977, +(91)-4365-264710, 264711, 264712, 264713