Velankanni Church (Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health) Tours and Tickets

There’s no fee to visit Velankanni Church as it’s an active place of worship and not a major tourist attraction. While it’s customary to leave a small donation in a donation box, especially if you light a prayer candle, doing so is never required.

Mass takes place daily at the Velankanni Church, with services held as early as 5:45am and as late as 6:30pm. Most services are in Tamil, but an English mass takes place at 10am each day. Additional English services take place at 6am and 8am from August 29 to September 8 to celebrate the Annual Feast of Our Lady of Health.

Velankanni Church is famous because of its association with Mother Mary and miracles. According to legend, Mother Mary appeared here around the turn of the 17th century with the baby Jesus in her arms. The news spread and Vailankanni became a major Marian pilgrimage site, sometimes referred to as the “Lourdes of the East.”

Vailankanni is located around 217 miles (350 kilometers) south of Chennai, not far from the town of Nagappatinam. The easiest way to get there is by hiring a driver and car, but taking a bus between the two cities is a more affordable option. Overnight bus service is available.

Yes, visitors can attend services at Velankanni Church, and many services take place every day in Tamil, Malayalam, and English. The church is open from early in the morning until well into the evening, so you can also visit outside of service times if you’d prefer to walk around while things are quieter.

While you can expect celebrations honoring all major Catholic holidays and feast days at Velankanni Church, the biggest annual celebration is the Feast of Our Lady of Health, which takes place every year between August 29 and September 8. It draws more than 2 million pilgrims and features special services and a procession.