Velankanni Church (Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health), Nagapattinam
Velankanni is home to one
of the country's biggest Catholic pilgrimage centres. The Catholic Basilica devoted to Our Lady of Good Health is popularly known as the "Lourdes of the East". The origins of this church
can be traced back to the 16th century and its founding is attributed to
three miracles: the apparition of Mary and Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing
of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the survival of Portuguese sailors assaulted
by a violent sea storm. It is built in the Gothic style, was modified by Portuguese and then further
expanded later on due to the influx of pilgrims. The church building was raised
to the status of basilica in 1962 by Pope
John XXIII.
Annually, 20 million
pilgrims flock to the shrine from all over India and abroad, out which an
estimated 3 million people visit the shrine during its annual festival from 29
August to 8 September. The 11-day annual festival concludes with the
celebration of the Feast on 8 September.
Tradition recounts that
Mother Mary appeared with the Infant Jesus in this small hamlet at the end of
the 16th or in the early 17th century. Ever since, Velankanni is the most
important destination and almost the synthesis of all Marian Sanctuaries for
the pilgrims of the world. The crowds of pilgrims come here regardless of
creeds and languages.
Our Lady of Good Health,
also known as Our Lady of Velankanni, 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.
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.
Town
Velankanni officially
spelled as Vailankanni (Canal of white, the river), also spelled as
"Velanganni" (due to Tamil to English Transliteration), is a panchayat
town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil
Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel
Coast of the Bay
of Bengal, 350 km south
of Chennai (Madras) and 12 km south of Nagapattinam.
Once a port that traded with Rome and Greece, the tiny commercial center gradually lost its
importance to the larger city of Nagapattinam. The canal built to link this town with Vedaranyam still lies to the west. The Vellayar, a minor
branch of the Cauvery River, runs south of the town and discharges into the sea. The town was among the worst hit by the tsunami caused
by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
The town is home to a
significant Roman Catholic Latin
Rite shrine dedicated to God
in the name of Our Lady of Good Health, Basilica of Our Lady of Good
Health. Velankanni has been
chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY
- Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of
Government of India.
Geography & Climate
Velankanni is located 350 kilometers
(220 mi) south of Chennai and 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) south of Nagapattinam on the Coramandel
coast, at 10.40°N
79.49°E in Nagapattinam district of Tamil
nadu state.
Summer
|
Winter
|
|
Max.
|
36 °C (97 °F)
|
29 °C (84 °F)
|
Min.
|
28 °C (82 °F)
|
21 °C (70 °F)
|
Demographics
As of 2001 the
Indian census indicated Velankanni had a population of 10,144. Males
constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Citizens there have an
average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 68%: male
literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 64%. 12% of the population is under 6
years of age.
History
There are no historical
documents or records about the apparitions of Mary at Velankanni. Oral
tradition is the source for the two apparitions of the Blessed Mother of Velankanni
in the 16th century and the saving of the Portuguese sailors from a tempest in
the Bay of Bengal in the later 17th century.
The first apparition is
said to have occurred in May of 1570, when a local shepherd boy was delivering
milk to a nearby house. Along the way he met a beautiful woman holding a child,
who asked for some milk for the little one. After giving her the milk, he
continued on his way, and upon making the delivery discovered that the jug was
now completely full of fresh, cool milk. A small shrine was built near the site
where the boy encountered the woman, a location that came to be called Matha
Kulam, which means Our Lady’s Pool.
The second apparition is
said to have happened in 1597, not far from Matha Kulam. A beautiful woman with
a young boy in her arms appeared to a young crippled boy selling buttermilk.
The little boy asked for some buttermilk, and after he drank it, the woman
asked the boy selling buttermilk to visit a gentleman in the next town and ask
him to build a chapel in her honor at that location. The boy set out quickly
and realized that he was no longer lame. A small thatched chapel was quickly
built in honor of Our Lady of Health, called in Tamil “Arokia Matha.”
The third incident
occurred when a Portuguese ship sailing from Macau to Sri Lanka was caught in a
storm in the Bay of Bengal. They invoked the help of the Blessed Virgin under
her title "Star of the Sea". The storm subsided and the 150 men on
board were saved. It was September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. In
thanksgiving, the sailors rebuilt the Shrine to Our Lady of Good Health, and
continued to enhance it whenever their voyages brought them to the area.
The shrine that started as
a thatched chapel in the mid-sixteenth century became a parish
church in 1771 when Catholics in India were under persecution from the Dutch. Later in 1962 it was granted a Special status of
a Minor Basilica by Pope
John XXIII.
The shrine of Velankanni
was elevated to the status of 'Minor Basilica' and merged with the Major
Basilica of Mary (Mary majore) in Rome on 3 November 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Velankanni was a part of
the parish of Nagapattinam, but as pilgrims began to pour into Velankanni, it
was raised to the status of an independent parish in 1771, and Fr. Antonio de
Rozario the last parish priest of the Church of the Immaculate Conception,
Nagapattinam, was appointed the first Parish priest of Velankanni. Nagapattinam
had always been under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of the
Diocese of Mylapore. During that period the Diocese of Mylapore was
administered under the Portuguese 'Padroado' (patronage). Under the Padroado
system, the king of Portugal in Europe met all the expenses incurred by the
Diocese of Mylapore, which remained under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of
the Roman Pontiffs.
Until 1847 the priests of
St. Franciscan Missionaries who had looked after the province of Goa and
Mylapore also looked after Nagapattinam and Velankanni. The Franciscan origin
and ownership of the Shrine was also perpetuated, by giving the place of honor
to two Franciscan saints, St. Anthony of Lisbon and St. Francis of Assisi, on
either side of the miraculous image of 'Our Lady', on the High Altar until
1961. Besides the last parish priest, Miguel Francisco Fernandez, who was of
the Franciscan order, controlled the parish of Velankanni till 1889. In 1890
the parish was handed over to diocesan priests.
Thereafter, the diocesan
priests of the Diocese of Mylapore were in charge of Velankanni. In 1952, when
the new Diocese of Thanjavur came into being, and Velankanni became a part of
the new diocese, the priests of Thanjavur Diocese became the custodians of the
Shrine. The administration of the new Diocese was imagesorarily placed under
the apostolic administration of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Louis Mathias, S.D.B., who was
then the Archbishop of the new Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore.
On March 19, 1953, His
Excellency the Rev. Dr. R. Arokiasamy Sundaram, DD., L. C. L., M. A., a priest
of Mylapore Archdiocese was appointed as the first Bishop of the new Diocese of
Thanjavur. He assumed charge of his Diocese on March 24, 1953.
Velankanni being situated
in the Thanjavur District came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of
Thanjavur. The Rev. Dr. R. Arokiasamy Sundaram showed keen interest in the
development of Velankanni Shrine and granted special spiritual privileges. 'Our
Lady of Health Velankanni' became the second patroness of our newly erected
Diocese.
Elevation of the Shrine to the status of a Basilica:
The greatest honour that
can be conferred to a Church is to elevate it to the status of a Basilica. The
word ‘Basilica’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Basilike’ and it originally
signified a Royal Hall. In course of time this word has come to mean a large
and beautiful hall. In ancient times kings from all over the world in general,
and from Rome in particular, constructed large hall for administrative
purposes. The first hall bearing the name of Basilica existed in Athens.
Jesus Christ being the
King of Kings, and His Churches being His audience halls, the larger Christian
Churches in Rome came to be called Basilicas.
Today, a Basilica is a
consecrated Church usually built with the front facing the East, and generally
constructed in one of the classical styles of architecture. It is oblong in
shape with a broad nave ending in an apse. It is now stipulated that a church,
in order to be called a Basilica, should contain some work of art, or it should
contain some work of art, or it should house the body of a saint or a
celebrated image much venerated in the land, or be a pre-eminent place of
pilgrimage.
His Excellency, Dr. R.A.
Sundaram D.D., L.C.L., M.A., the first Bishop of the diocese of Thanjavur,
earnestly petitioned Pope John XXIII to raise the Shrine of Velankanni to the
Status of a Basilica and also requested His Holiness to enrich it with all the
privileges attached to a Basilica for the spiritual benefit of the pilgrims.
In 1962, when Bishop
Sundaram went to Rome to attend the second session of the Second Vatican
Council, he reiterated his request to the Holy Father personally to raise the
Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni to the lofty status of a Minor Basilica. After
examining the request carefully, His Holiness Pope John XXIII, of saintly
memory, issued orders raising the Shrine to the exalted status of a Minor
Basilica. Thus the Shrine of Velankanni became the Shrine Basilica of Velankanni
in November 1962 and was linked to the St. Mary’s Major Basilica in Rome
Architecture
Layout
of the Basilica complex:
1.
Basilica,
2.
Nadu Thittu shrine, site of second apparition,
3.
Adoration & Reconciliation chapel,
4.
Our Lady's Pond, site of first apparition,
6.
Stations of the Rosary
The Basilica is built in
the Gothic style of architecture. The southern side was
extended in 1928 and the northern in 1933. The Shrine Basilica contains
three chapels, as well as Our Lady's Tank, Church Museum, Priests' Residence,
Offering Center, Stations of the Cross, Stations of the Rosary, Shrine Mega Mahal and Velankanni Beach. The building
is painted in white, except for the roof that is made of tiles of striking red
color.
Southern Side:
The early part of the 20th
century marked rivalry between Jesuits and Franciscans regarding their influence on missionary work in
Velankanni. In 1928 a solution was found to this problem. The Church of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary (managed by the Jesuits) was demolished and the
statues were brought to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health; in 1933 the
Shrine was expanded with two new wings, to the right and to the left of the
'Main Altar', meeting the nave at right angles.
Northern Side:
A spacious vestry was
provided immediately behind the altar. Thus the entire sacred edifice began to
assume the shape of a Latin
cross. Right over the center of
the ancient main altar was the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Health.
Shrine Altar:
In 1956, a new welcome
arch was blessed and opened by Bishop Sundaram. The illuminated arch stood to
show the way to eager pilgrims who sought the protection of Mary. In January
1961, a new central altar, delicately executed in spotless white marble, replaced
the former one made of cement concrete.
Extension Basilica: Altar
In 1974-75, an extension
of the basilica was built behind the existing central altar to accommodate the
multilingual pilgrims. The extension included a two-storied church with 93 feet
(28 m) high dome and 82 feet (25 m) high gothic
spirals. It was designed to resemble the Basilica in Lourdes, France.
Detailed Velankanni Layout
Details of the
Velankanni Sketch
|
1. Shrine
Basilica
2. Our Lady of Dolours Church 3. Museum of Offerings 3A. Blessed Oil Counter 3B. Book Stall-Museum Upstairs 4. St. Antony's Qts 5. Shrine Depot (presbytery-ground floor) 6. Presbytery 7. Car & Sapparam Shed 8. Stores 9. Little Flower Qts 10. Fountain 11. Home for the Aged 12. Adoration & Reconciliation chapel 13. Generator Room 14. St. Luke's Qts 15. Infant Jesus Qts 16. Christu Raja Qts with Open Mahal 17. Jubilee Qts 18. Missionaries of Charity Convent 19. DMI Convent 20. Retreat House 21. Institute of Mariology 22. Shrine Public Lavatories 23. Canteen annexes 24. Pilgrims rest shelter
25. Our Lady's Tank Church Tower
26. Hall for distribution of holy water 27. Our Lady's Tank Church 28. Our Lady's Tank 29. Depot for religious & Plastic goods 30. Kamarajar road 31. IHM Convent 32. Our Lady of Health Hospital 33. St. Joseph's Church 34. Hr. Sec. School for the Handicapped & High School for the Hearing-impaired 35. Jesus Convent 36. Karunai Illam 37. Boys Hostel 38. Our Lady of Health Hr. Sec. School 39. St. Joseph's Qts 40. St. Sebastian's Church 41. Tourist Bus Stand 42. State Express Bus Stand 43. Cemeteries 44. Main Road from the Arch Entrance 45. Town Bus Stand 46. Govt. Primary Health Centre 47. Panchayat Office 48. Market 49. Stations of the Cross 50. Stations of the Rosary 51. Holy Path 52. Shrine Dispensaries 53. St. Xavier's Ground 54. Seven Sacraments 55. St. Xavier Qts 56. Railway Booking Office 57. Shrine Rooms Booking Office 58. Naduthittu Church 59. Our Lady of Health Primary School 60. Indian Overseas Bank 61. Police Station 62. Shrine Community Hall 63. Bon Secours Convent 63A. Girl's Hostel 64. Shrine Road on the west 65. Shrine Open-Auditorium 66. Don Bosco Qts 67. Post Office 68. St. John's Qts 69. Uthariamadha Tourist Hall 70. Uthariamadha Road 71. Uthariamadha Bachelor's Qts 72. Way to the Sea 73. M.M.Qts 74. St. Thomas Qts 75. St. Thomas Annex & Tourist Hall 76. Road on the East of the Shrine 77. Shrine Canteen 78. Shrine Tonsure Hall 79. Road to the Sea 80. Cloak Room 81. Vennaru River 82. Bay of Bengal |
List of parish priests
The basilica first became
a parish in 1771. The list of parish priests from 1771 till
now is as follows:
·
1777 Jul - Rev.Fr. Antonio
de Rosario, Commissary
·
1779 Sep - Rev.Fr. Luis
dos Remedios
·
1783 Jan - Rev.Fr. Antonio
de Rosario, Commissary
·
1788 Dec - Rev.Fr. Antonio
do Jesus Maria Jose
·
1789 Sep - Rev.Fr. Antonio
de Rosario Commissary
·
1792 Sep - Rev.Fr. Jos
Roza de Giterbo Commissary & V. F.
·
1814 May - Rev.Fr. Constantine
de Jesus Maria Commissary
·
1819 May - Rev.Fr. Thomas
de Piedade
·
1822 Feb - Rev.Fr. Francisco
Xavier Masearenhas
·
1822 Aug - Rev.Fr. Francisco
Das Dores
·
1824 May - Rev.Fr. Felipe
de Jesus
·
1825 Sep - Rev.Fr. Francisco
Dos Dores
·
1828 Jun - Rev.Fr. Felipe
de Jesus
·
1829 May - Rev.Fr. Clemente
Das Dores
·
1847 Oct - Rev.Fr. Isidore
Manuel Alimao
·
1858 Apr - Rev.Fr. Jose
Felis Fernandez AG.PP
·
1863 Nov - Rev.Fr. Felipe
Nery Joaquim Dias
·
1876 May - Rev.Fr. Ignacio
Antonio d' Andrade
·
1886 Aug - Rev.Fr. Miguel
Francisco Fernandez
·
1890 Dec - Rev.Fr. Joaquim
Jose Ag. P. Vic. Nagapattinam
·
1891 Feb - Rev.Fr. Cuilherme
Jose Dias
·
1892 Dec - Rev.Fr. Joaquim
Jose Luis Ag. P. Vic. Nagapattinam
·
1893 Mar - Rev.Fr. Martinho
Valeriane de Sa
·
1899 Sep - Rev.Fr. Joaquim
Francisco da Fiedade Dias
·
1900 Aug - Rev.Fr. Camilla
Fernandez
·
1910 Aug - Rev.Fr. Sebastio
Xavier de Noronha
·
1942 Sep - Rev.Fr. M. V. Rodriguez
·
1963 Jun - Rev.Fr. S. Mariasusai
·
1980 Sep - Very Rev. Msgr.Thomas
Vaz
·
1982 Sep - Rev.Fr. S.L.Gabriel
·
1990 Dec - Rev.Fr. M.M.Sammanasu,
Rector & Parish Priest
·
1997 Jun - Rev.Fr. G. Arul
Irudayam, Rector & Parish Priest
·
2003 Jun - Rev.Fr. P. Xavier,
Rector
·
2003 Jun - Rev.Fr. F. Antonisamy,
Vice-Rector & PP
·
2008 Jun - Rev.Fr. B. Arokiadoss,
Vice-Rector & PP
·
2009 Jun - Rev.Fr. A.
Michael, Rector
Mass Timings at Shrine
Basilica
Week Days:
5.40
am
: Morning Prayer in
the Main Shrine
6.00 am : Mass in Tamil in the Main Shrine
7.00 am : Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
8.00 am : Mass in Telugu in the Upper Basilica
9.00 am : Mass in Malayalam in the Lower Basilica
10.00 am : Mass in English in the Lower Basilica
11.00 am : Mass in Hindi in the Upper Basilica
12.00 noon : Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
6.00 pm : Rosary and Litany in Tamil followed by Mass in
6.00 am : Mass in Tamil in the Main Shrine
7.00 am : Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
8.00 am : Mass in Telugu in the Upper Basilica
9.00 am : Mass in Malayalam in the Lower Basilica
10.00 am : Mass in English in the Lower Basilica
11.00 am : Mass in Hindi in the Upper Basilica
12.00 noon : Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
6.00 pm : Rosary and Litany in Tamil followed by Mass in
Tamil in
the Lower Basilica
All Sundays:
7.30
am
: Mass in Tamil in
the Lower Basilica (Instead of at 7.00 am during the week)
5.00
am
: (Additional) Mass
in Tamil for the Parishioners of Velankanni in the Lower Basilica
6.00
pm
: Rosary, Novena Prayer, Benediction and Mass in
Tamil in the Lower Basilica
All Saturdays:
7.00
am
: Mass in Tamil at
Our Lady’s Tank Chapel
5.45
am
: Car Procession of
Our Lady of Health around the Shrine
Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
First Friday:
6.00
pm
: Mass in Tamil
Eucharistic
Procession around the Shrine
Sermon and Benediction from the front view of the Upper Basilica
Sermon and Benediction from the front view of the Upper Basilica
First Saturday:
5.30
pm
: Car Procession of Our Lady of Health thought
the Beach Road
Blessing of the Sick with the Blessed Sacrament
Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
Blessing of the Sick with the Blessed Sacrament
Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica
9.00
pm
: Three-Hour Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament
in the Main Shrine
Second Saturday:
9.00
am
: A Healing and
Fasting Prayer Service from 9 am to 4 pm at Velankanni Retreat House
Third Saturday:
One Hour Intercessory Prayer Service at Our Lady’s Tank
Chapel after 7.00 A.M Mass
Fourth Saturday:
6.30
am
: Mass in Tamil at
Naduththittu Chapel
8.00
pm
: Children’s Evangelization Programme in front
of the Presbytery
Month of May:
Our Lady’s Car Procession around the Shrine on all the
days
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 29th August and ends on the day of the
feast. The feast day prayers are said in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Konkani, Hindi and English.
·
Feast is celebrated from
29th August to 8th September - 8th September the Birth Day of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
·
More than 20 lakh pilgrims
from all the corners of India and from other Countries throng the Shrine.
·
Holy Mass is celebrated in
six languages, fourteen times a day during the Feast.
·
Car Procession of Our Lady
of Health takes place at 8.00 p.m.
·
Everyday hoisting of the
Our Lady's flag, takes place at 12.00 noon.
·
The Grand Annual Feast
commences with the hoisting of Our Lady's Flag at 6.30 p.m. on 29th August. The
Bishop of Thanjavur is the main celebrant on this day.
·
The Feast concludes with
the dismounting of Our Lady's Flag at 6.00 p.m. on 8th September. The Rector
& Parish Priest is the main celebrant on the concluding Mass.
·
The Feast Mass is
celebrated on 8th September at 6.15 a.m. in the Shrine open-air auditorium,
presided over by the Bishop of Thanjavur.
Other Facilities
Office:
The Shrine office
functions from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. with a break for lunch between 12.30 noon
to 2.00 p.m.
Sundays, New Year Day,
Good Friday and Christmas are holidays for the office.
The office is a prime help
to the Rector and Priests; backbone of the administration besides dealing with
Sacramental records.
Museum:
Open from 6.30 a.m. to
8.00 p.m. every day.
Offerings of gold, silver
other metals and kinds, received from pilgrims, are displayed here. The Museum
stands as a live-witness to Our Lady's blessings upon her devotees and to the
gratitude of pilgrims.
Depot:
The depot is at the ground
floor of the parachial house, displays religious articles, statues, audio &
video cassettes. It has a branch at Our Lady's Tank. In the beginning, it was
known as Legion of Mary book depot.
Book Centre:
A book stall known as
'Annai Book Centre' is located in the museum with its branch down the
museum.
School:
·
Our Lady of Health Higher
Secondary School
·
Our Lady of Health Middle
School
·
Our Lady of Health
Elementary School
·
Infant Jesus Primary
School (English Medium)
· Christ the King High
School special school for handicapped and Deaf & Dumb Children.
Charity Institutions/ Homes:
· Karunai Illam - A Home for
physically handicapped and Deaf & Dumb Children - run by Sisters of Jesus
Congregation.
· 'Nirmal Hriday Home' - a
home for mentally retarded children - run by sisters of 'Missionaries of
Charity'.
·
St.Joseph's Home for Aged'
(for men and women)
Hospital:
Our Lady of Health
Hospital with a dispensary.
Tsunami
Velankanni town was among
the worst hit by the massive 26 December tsunami that was triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The tsunami struck at around 9.30 am on that Sunday,
when pilgrims from Kerala were inside the church attending the Malayalam Mass. The water did not enter the shrine as it was built on
high ground, but the receding waters swept away hundreds of pilgrims who were
on the beach.
The shrine's compound,
nearby villages, hundreds of shops, homes and pilgrims were washed away into
the sea. About 600 pilgrims fell victim to the tsunami. Rescue teams
extricated more than 300 bodies from the sand and rocks in the vicinity and
large number of unidentified bodies were buried in mass graves.
Movie
A Tamil language movie was
made in honor of Our Lady of Good Health with the title Annai
Velankanni in 1971. The movie was directed by K. Thankappan, starring
major stars of Tamil cinema including Gemini
Ganesan, Kamal
Haasan, K. R. Vijaya, and
Padmini.
Contact
Address:
|
Very
Rev. Fr. A. Michael
Rector, Shrine Basilica
Velankanni
- 611 111
Nagapattinam District Tamilnadu, India |
Contact Numbers:
|
+91-4365
: 263 530 (Father's personal)
+91-4365 : 263 625 (Father's Fax) +91-4365 : 263 423 (Shrine Number) +91-4365 : 263 584 (Shrine Number) +91-4365 : 264 890 (Shrine Number) |
Email:
|
Connectivity
Velankanni is well
connected by Road and Rail to the rest of the country. The East
Coast Road (ECR) that runs from
Chennai to Cuddalore connects the town to the rest of the country. The nearest
operational airports are Tiruchirappalli International
Airport, 165 kilometers
(103 mi) away and Chennai International Airport, 300 kilometers (190 mi) away.
By Road
Due to the large number of
pilgrims that visit this town, the Tamilnadu State Transport
Corporation (TNSTC), State
Express Transport Corporation (Tamil Nadu) (SETC) and several private bus
operators ply to cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Madurai, Nagercoil, Salem, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Trivandrum.
Even Kerala State Road
Transport Corporation runs daily bus service to Changanacherry from here.
The TNSTC – Kumbakonam region operates short distance buses to Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Tiruvarur, Kumbakonam, Pondicherry, Karaikal and Nagapattinam from Velankanni.
Bus Timings:
SETC - State Express
Transport Corporation
( Formerly Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation ) |
||
864
|
Bangalore
|
17:30 (s)
|
864
|
Bangalore
|
18:30 (s)
|
771
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
18:00 (s)
|
770
|
Ernakulam
|
18:30 (s)
|
724
|
Coimbatore
|
20:00
|
560
|
Marthandam
|
19:30 (s)
|
324
|
Madras
|
8:00, 8:15 (s),
9:30,10:30, 20:00, 20:30 (s), 21:30, 22:00
|
(s) - Super Deluxe
Where there is no
indication, the service operated is Semi Deluxe
Buses to and from Nagapattinam and other nearby localities are operated round the clock between 21:00 and 5:00 the buses are available on an hourly basis only.
Buses to and from Nagapattinam and other nearby localities are operated round the clock between 21:00 and 5:00 the buses are available on an hourly basis only.
By Train
Velankanni railway station is the nearest railway station on the 10 kilometer
long Nagapattinam - Velankanni broad
gauge line. The foundation
stone of the line was laid in 1999 and it was completed in 2010 at a cost of
Rs. 48 Crores. The line is part of the Tiruchirappalli railway
division of Southern Railway zone of the Indian
Railways.
The Velankanni – Chennai
Egmore Link Express runs
daily with only four coaches from Velankanni, which then is coupled with Kamban
Express at Nagapattinam Junction for its journey towards Chennai. The weekly Velankanni Express between Vasco da Gama, Goa and Velankanni is operated by South Western Railway zone. Apart from the express trains, two passenger
trains are also operated daily, one each to Karaikal and Nagapattinam. Special trains are operated from places like Chennai, Mumbai, Vasco
da Gama, Trivandrum and Nagercoil during the months of August and September for the
annual church feast.
Velankanni Railway
Reservation Booking Office
Working Hours: 9.00 to 12.00 & 14:00 to 17:00
Working Hours: 9.00 to 12.00 & 14:00 to 17:00
Railway Timings:
Trains operating from Nagapattinam
|
||||
671
|
Nagore - Thanjavur
Passenger
|
Nagapattinam (D) 6:40
|
Thanjavur (A) 9:30
|
|
677
|
Nagore - Trichy
Passenger
|
Nagapattinam (D) 13:55
|
Trichy (A) 19:20
|
|
675
|
Nagore - Thanjavur
Passenger
|
Nagapattinam (D) 18:05
|
Thanjavur (A) 21:00
|
|
Trains operating to
Nagapattinam
|
||||
672
|
Trichy - Nagore
Passenger
|
Trichy (D) 4:20
|
Nagapattinam (A) 9:30
|
|
678
|
Thanjavur - Nagore
Passenger
|
Thanjavur (D) 10:00
|
Nagapattinam (A) 15:20
|
|
676
|
Thanjavur - Nagore
Passenger
|
Thanjavur (D) 18:15
|
Nagapattinam (A) 20:37
|
|
By Air
·
Nearest Airport is Tiruchirappalli
(4 Hrs by Bus)
·
Next nearest Airport is
Chennai (9 Hrs by Train)