Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
4.5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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4.5
156 reviews
Excellent
116
Very good
34
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Archana Rose
Bengaluru, India287 contributions
June 2023 • Couples
We travelled to Vailankanni to visit our Lady of Good Health Church. It is a magnificent structure with alluring atmosphere. Mass is in the mornings with timings and the languages put up on a board in front of the Church.
It is situated near the beach road and the Church premises are huge. Only cash is accepted for purchasing articles from the Church store. There is parking for your vehicles.
It is situated near the beach road and the Church premises are huge. Only cash is accepted for purchasing articles from the Church store. There is parking for your vehicles.
Written 10 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Khan Fotography
Tiruchirappalli, India27 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
A beautiful Church and place of pilgrimage, where people from all over the country come to pay homage to Mother Mary the Mother of Christ. The church is very beautiful and well maintained. A peaceful and blessed place of worship for Catholics and people of all communities. Had an opportunity to visit this church with my family and will definitely make another trip sometime soon.
Written 5 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GreenCarpet11
Hyderabad, India318 contributions
June 2012
Annai Velankanni Church, a Catholic Church is located on the Elliot's Beach,Besant Nagar, Chennai. It is a church devoted to Our Lady of Good Health. To know more about the history of the church and all the facilities it offers,kindly log onto to the site http://www.vailankannishrinechennai.org .
The church also has a centre for books, cards, rosary, photos, statues, church articles and the like.
The shrine will remain open from 6am for all those who would like to pray calmly in morning calm. There will also be a mass during the morning hours in the big church which is used specially for the purpose. During free time, it is open to all.
The Church has an Adoration chapel behind the shrine, opposite to the parish office. One can obtain blessings and prayers from the assistant parish office.
There is also a house of articles offered up by the devotees to show their gratitude for various prayers answered.
At the open entrance to the Car Parking Yard, onto the left, there is an office where the Parish Priest sits and also an office were special prayers with special intentions can be booked for a minimum amount.
On special days, the mass is celebrated outside where a platform has been erected. Added to this, is a small hall for functions like marriage, holy communion, and can also be used as a prayer hall for special occasions.
The most important feature about the church and the shrine, one should not miss is the face of Mother Mary. Look at those eyes for a few minutes and you will see it.
Pray for all those who need it.
The church also has a centre for books, cards, rosary, photos, statues, church articles and the like.
The shrine will remain open from 6am for all those who would like to pray calmly in morning calm. There will also be a mass during the morning hours in the big church which is used specially for the purpose. During free time, it is open to all.
The Church has an Adoration chapel behind the shrine, opposite to the parish office. One can obtain blessings and prayers from the assistant parish office.
There is also a house of articles offered up by the devotees to show their gratitude for various prayers answered.
At the open entrance to the Car Parking Yard, onto the left, there is an office where the Parish Priest sits and also an office were special prayers with special intentions can be booked for a minimum amount.
On special days, the mass is celebrated outside where a platform has been erected. Added to this, is a small hall for functions like marriage, holy communion, and can also be used as a prayer hall for special occasions.
The most important feature about the church and the shrine, one should not miss is the face of Mother Mary. Look at those eyes for a few minutes and you will see it.
Pray for all those who need it.
Written 3 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tapas Kumar D
Chennai (Madras), India200 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
The church is one of the oldest churches in India, but the premise is very clean and well maintained. I was speechless seeing hundreds of people walking on their knees to pay their respect to lord Mary. The compound is really big and lots pf places to sit and relax.
Written 27 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Profvns
Bengaluru, India545 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
The church of ‘Our Lady of Good Health’ is found in a tiny town of Velanganni in Tamil Nadu in India. This is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite Basilica and dedicated to ‘Our Lady of Good Health’ (locally called as Arokiya Mary). It is of 16th century. The people here attribute three miracles to her at the sites where the Basilica is seen. The events described as miracles, in brief, are that the Virgin Mary had appeared to a shepherd boy named Tamil Krishnannesti Sankaranarayan and he offered her milk to her child. A small shrine was built near the place where the boy met the lady who came to be called as ‘Matha Kulam’ (means Our Lady’s Pool). Subsequently she appeared and healed a crippled boy who gave her buttermilk. Hence a small thatched chapel was built in honour of ‘Our Lady of Health’ called in Tamil “Arokiya Matha.” The third miracle is of more importance than these two. During 17th century a group of Portuguese sailors were saved from a violent storm due to her intervention. Hence they constructed a larger chapel on landing in Vailankanni.
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 this area. The church that started as a thatched chapel in 16th century became a parish church in 1771 when Catholics in India were under persecution from the Dutch. During 1962 a Special status was granted as a Minor Basilica by Pope John XXIII, then subsequently it was elevated to the status of Major Basilica of Mary (Mary majore) in Rome on 3 .11. 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Thus the cathedral is built in the Gothic style of architecture and extended from time to time. There are 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 Vailankanni Beach. The structure is painted in white and its roof is covered by tiles of striking red colour. It gives a beautiful and pleasing look to the viewers. In order to enjoy its loveliness you must view it from a distance.
The welcome arch is illuminated to show the way to eager pilgrims seeking the graceful protection of Virgin Mary. The central altar is of spotless white marble. The visitors speak in their own language. There is a separate hall behind central altar to accommodate the multilingual pilgrims. Some disciples say that to make this church to resemble the Basilica in Lourdes of France it is so designed and to make it so appear a two-storied church about 90 feet high dome and 82 feet high gothic spirals is constructed.
After more than 500 years the nine-day festival and celebration are observed, which attract more than two million pilgrims each year. Thos church is also called the "Lourdes of the East". This is one of the most frequented religious shrines in India, not only for Christians but also for all other persons of varied faiths.
Vailankanni is at a distance of 350 km to Chennai and 14 km from Nagapattinam . It is connected by Road and Rail to the other parts of country. There are number of buses plying from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka every day. The nearest airports are Tiruchirappalli (165 km) and Chennai (300 km). There is no dearth for food and accommodation
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 this area. The church that started as a thatched chapel in 16th century became a parish church in 1771 when Catholics in India were under persecution from the Dutch. During 1962 a Special status was granted as a Minor Basilica by Pope John XXIII, then subsequently it was elevated to the status of Major Basilica of Mary (Mary majore) in Rome on 3 .11. 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Thus the cathedral is built in the Gothic style of architecture and extended from time to time. There are 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 Vailankanni Beach. The structure is painted in white and its roof is covered by tiles of striking red colour. It gives a beautiful and pleasing look to the viewers. In order to enjoy its loveliness you must view it from a distance.
The welcome arch is illuminated to show the way to eager pilgrims seeking the graceful protection of Virgin Mary. The central altar is of spotless white marble. The visitors speak in their own language. There is a separate hall behind central altar to accommodate the multilingual pilgrims. Some disciples say that to make this church to resemble the Basilica in Lourdes of France it is so designed and to make it so appear a two-storied church about 90 feet high dome and 82 feet high gothic spirals is constructed.
After more than 500 years the nine-day festival and celebration are observed, which attract more than two million pilgrims each year. Thos church is also called the "Lourdes of the East". This is one of the most frequented religious shrines in India, not only for Christians but also for all other persons of varied faiths.
Vailankanni is at a distance of 350 km to Chennai and 14 km from Nagapattinam . It is connected by Road and Rail to the other parts of country. There are number of buses plying from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka every day. The nearest airports are Tiruchirappalli (165 km) and Chennai (300 km). There is no dearth for food and accommodation
Written 8 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Surupalli K
Vijayawada, India2 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
one of the best holy church ,good behavier, good location, big shrine near to the beach so crowded, if mass prayers are happening outside..it will be audible.Language mass prayers time should be mentioned at outside board.........................
Written 19 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annaleo594
Chennai (Madras), India88 contributions
This is a very beautiful church near the beach side.This church is believed to have stayed without any damage when tsunami hit and the surroundings got washed out.There is a beach at walkable distance,but it's not cleanly maintained.There is a lighted candle procession during weekends at 9pm.It's a heavenly experience.If ur a believer,do attend the same.
Written 30 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sanjeewa Anthony
Colombo, Sri Lanka360 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
You will receive any thing you ask with faith. Very very powerful Shrine. Only requirement is trust and faith.
Written 15 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vkumarnair
Chennai (Madras), India39 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
One can club the visit along with their Besant Nagar beach visit, and its a big shrine near to the beach. Always crowded.
Written 27 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AntoSavarirajan
Hyderabad, India126 contributions
July 2014 • Family
the church is one of the Basilicas in India. I have visited here for nearly 30 years. Pilgrims from all parts of India and the world come here.
you will be amazed by the faith that brings people from all corners of the earth!
great place to meditate and pray. Highly recommend it.
you will be amazed by the faith that brings people from all corners of the earth!
great place to meditate and pray. Highly recommend it.
Written 1 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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