The coastal town of Arthunkal- the satellite city of Cochin- is best known as a great pilgrimage center rather than a tourist spot. A must-visit church in South India, ideal for spirituality fanatics, and a beautiful beach that is ideal for water activities, are situated here. Known as the land of “Veluthachan”, the place is much famous for its ritual namely “Urulunercha”. The shrine sets forward a perfect example of peace and harmony among mankind. Even though this is a Christian church, people of different faiths flock to this holy center and are seen respecting each other’s religion. Located in the Alappuzha (Alleppy) district, the church is nearer to the city of Kochi by just 40 kilometers. Even though the church is in honor of St. Andrew the Apostle, the city got its fame because of the grand feast held every year for two weeks in January, in the name of St. Sebastian- the patron of this church. The feast of St. Sebastian is a much-celebrated grand occasion for devotees. People from far away come to attend the holy ceremonies that take place during the two-week feast celebrations.
The procession carrying the statue of St. Sebastian is valued by the devotees and many pilgrims visit the feast just to see this procession. The eagle which is seen roaming the sky during the procession is a miracle that has not yet been clarified for the scientific reasons behind its timely appearance every year. The local lore is synonymous with the unbelievably believable concept that it is the indication that their patron St. Sebastian is still existing as a guardian saint for the area. Apart from this, another belief that a pilgrim to this holy land will cure serious ailments is also widespread among spiritual devotees. For this reason, many come to the church seeking blessings from the saint to cure illnesses. Not only to gain blessings but also for offering thanks and small metal replicas of bows and arrows, people come here. A famous form of expressing gratitude and devotion to the saint- renowned as Urulunercha- is observed here. In Urulunercha, the devotees crawl on their knees, on the road from the beach to the church. And anyone who sees it will be stunned by this difficult form of thanksgiving.
History
The St. Andrew’s Basilica church belongs to the 16th century and was built by Portuguese missionaries. It was rebuilt in 1586 under the supervision of the then Vicar, Jacoma Fenicio. There was a strong belief that this vicar was a person with magical religious powers. This vicar has a significant space in the religious fables- he was known as “Veluthachan” which translates to fair-skinned father. After eight years of his death, the church got rebuilt again facing the white sand beach on the Arabian sea.
Arthunkal St Andrews Forane Church- also a Basilica- is considered the first Basilica in the diocese of Alleppey and the 7th Basilica in the state. It is regarded as the 3rd Basilica on the Roman Catholic(Latin Rite) church of Kerala.
Getting there
Nearest railway station: Cherthala, about 8 km
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 68 km