The Lourdes of the East
What is the allure of Our Lady of Vailankanni that makes Catholics and people of other religions throng to her shrine? Is it only the hope of having problems solved and intentions answered? To many it may seem just that and perhaps their understanding of religion and spirituality is so vague that it limits them to a narrow outlook of what a site of pilgrimage represents. Vailankanni is a tiny town in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu and it has earned the title of ‘Lourdes of the East’ for its intentional resemblance to the world renowned pilgrimage centre of France. The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is built in the Gothic style of architecture with a high dome and majestic Gothic spirals. Goans make up quite a considerable number of the pilgrims besides people from other Indian states. The construction of the basilica is based on the premise of three miracles which do not have the approval of the Holy See and were carried forth through oral tradition. Nonetheless the mirac