Devasahayam Mount (Kattadimalai), Aralvaimozhi,
Kanyakumari
Devasahayam
Mount is a Christian Pilgrimage center located at Aralvaimozhi in Kanyakumari
District of Tamilnadu. It is situated on the Nagercoil - Thirunelveli highway
in Tamilnadu. Devasahayam Pillai was an 18th century convert from Hinduism to
Christianity in the southern part of India. He may have been an
official in the court of the Travancore king, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, during
which time he came under the influence of the former Dutch naval commander,
Captain Eustachius De Lannoy.
Some
people believe that the soldiers went up the forested hills and tried to shoot
Devasahayam, but were unable to fire; after which he took the gun in his hands,
blessed it and gave it back to the soldiers to shoot him to death, if they
wished to. The soldiers took the gun back and fired at him five times. His body
was then carelessly thrown out near the foothills at Devasahayam Mount
(Kattadimalai). It was at Kattadimalai in Kanyakumari district that Devasahayam
Pillai died on 14 January 1752.
There is
a Catholic church located in the hill of Kattadi malai where Devasahayam Pillai was martyred. His mortal remains were interred near the altar inside
St. Xavier's Church, Kottar, Nagercoil, which is now a Cathedral. Devasahayam's
tomb has been restored and beautified in view of the declaration of martyrdom
and beatification. At that spot on the hillock (called Kattadimalai), devotees
believe that rocks fell and were broken at that moment. One rock at the place
makes bell-like sounds when knocked with a stone.
Life
Story of Devasahayam Pillai
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Connectivity
Devasahayam
Mount is located at about 2.5 Kms from Aralvaimozhi, 2.5 Kms from Aralvaimozhi
Railway Station, 2 Kms from Aralvaimozhi Bus Station, 2.5 Kms from Thovalai,
3.5 Kms from Thovalai Railway Station, 16 Kms from Nagercoil, 12 Kms from Boothapandi,
29 Kms from Kanyakumari and 94 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway
Stations are located at Aralvaimozhi and Thovalai. Nearest Airport is located
at Thiruvananthapuram.
