What is the Velankanni Festival? Check out All the Details Here!

More than a million pilgrims attend the nine-day celebrations each year. The festival marks the dedication of the Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni in Tamil Nadu. Velankanni is a small town on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, 350 km south of Chennai.

Public flag-raising ceremonies will be held at noon each day from August 30 to September 7 and will be broadcast live. The festival will end on September 8 with the celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin.

significance

Velankanni Basilica is one of the largest Catholic pilgrimage centres in India, attracting around 20 million visitors every year (religious tourism – stadium and cathedral) and even more during the 9-day festival “Fridays of the Great Festival”. It is known as the “Lourdes of the East”.

The Virgin Mary is venerated here as Our Lady of Health. The present-day basilica is more than 16 centuries old.

A series of important events will be held during the Velankanni Festival, culminating in the Festival of Our Lady of Health.

Important Events

Here is a list of the main events during the Velankanni festival:

Flag Raising Ceremony

Other highlights of this popular festival include the Assumption of Mary and the flag-hoisting ceremony on August 29, followed by litanies, blessings and mass in Tamil at the Shrine Hall.

Daily Mass

It is an important spiritual food for the pilgrims who attend daily masses in different languages ​​like Tamil, English and Konkani Marathi during the festival.

Rosary and Novena

Special Rosary prayers and novenas are held before the feast day, especially on September 7th.

Motorcade parade

A highlight is the procession of cars carrying statues of the Virgin, illuminated every evening at 8 pm from the main temple. The grand procession on September 7 is particularly significant as it represents the climax of the festival celebrations.

Holiday Celebrations

The festival culminates on September 8 with the Feast of Our Lady of Health, with a hidden Mass and flag-lowering ceremony at the end of the day.

These events not only reflect the religious significance of the festival, but also foster a sense of community among the thousands of pilgrims who attend each year.

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