This is how Annai Velankanni shrine makes everybody feel welcomed

Besant Nagar is a classy neighbourhood with its beach, and mostly affluent retired community. It is a peaceful locality year round; except for ten days in a year when lakhs of devotees throng here for the annual Velankanni festival at the Besant Nagar church. This is the time when Besant Nagar plays host to a crowd of the size of a gathering at Tirupathi.

The 10-day programme starts with a flag hoisting on August 29 and ends with a symbolic ‘crowning of Mary’ and a grand car procession around Besant Nagar’s neighbourhood on September 7 and the 8th, the Mother Mary’s birthday.

The Mother’s birthday is observed with a feast for Mary. The church and its precincts are filled with millions of grateful pilgrims of various creeds. There is a perceptible air of thanksgiving; for prayers answered and sickness healed. There are countless tales of miracles and healings.

Annai Velankanni church began as a tiny shrine on the Bay of Bengal shoreline in 1971. It is believed that Mary appeared in Father PT Arulappa’s dream and directed him to build a shrine. A small church was built in 1973 and it has expanded over the years to accommodate millions of pilgrims – they come from all parts of Tamilnadu and even other Southern states – who swear by the Lady of Health and put a deep faith in her healing powers.

Pilgrims walk or cycle from their homes to the church, sometimes covering over hundreds of miles. You could also observe pilgrims dressed in saffron, as a symbol of their devotion. Some even shave their heads and smear it with sandal paste as part of a religious vow.

People who pray for health often come back and offer a model of the cured body part — like the hand, heart, brain, foot — covered in gold or silver. Prayers offered by girls for their marriage, and students and businessmen for their successes, are generally written on a paper which is then tied to the shrine wall. Then you have the couples who wish for a child, who can be seen tying wooden cradles and baby dolls.

The night before the feast, Besant Nagar wears a festive look as crowds throng the road leading to the Velankanni Church. The entire stretch is full of shops on either side of the pavements. Various items from candles and puffed rice to toys and trinkets are sold. The crowd creates an illusion of a jam-packed Ranganathan Street during this time.

The entire beach was packed with devotees who  slept out, under the open skies. There were hundreds of food stalls. But the place was in dire need of sanitation.

Father Francis Michael, rector and parish priest, explains that over 60 per cent of the people who visit this Catholic shrine are from other religions and faiths. A lot of rituals resemble those from temples, including offering flowers and garlands and coconuts.

Fr. Francis observes, “The Roman Catholic faith has assimilated local cultural practices which have made it more open for people of all faiths to be a part of it. We don’t try to convert people, but we welcome them to come and find their peace.”

This is a unique Indian festival. Anyone with gratitude and faith can come here. This Catholic feast is a sight to behold. It tells you that religious rallies don’t matter. What matters is pure faith.

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