The Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam

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Edu & his new Companion -

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San-Paul-Ur - The Village of St. Paul

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Sampaloor, by the side of the Chalakudy River is known as the Goa of Kerala. Rightfully called so, this place, like Goa witnessed the arrival of a series of clergy. This comprised St. Francis Xavier, St. John Britto, Fr. Joseph Constantine Buski (Veeramamunivar) and Arnos Pathiri. Among them, the first to arrive at Sampaloor was St. Francis Xavier, who came via Marankuzhi, a place located in Kodungalloor (former Muziris). His visits, as per records, were in 1542, 1544, and 1548. At that time the Muziris harbour (present day Kodungalloor) connected India to foreign countries via the sea.

Sampaloor was an important center of Jesuits during the time of the Portuguese. Some of the structures still stand testimony to the works of the Jesuits in Sampaloor. They include the St. Paul's Seminary, the St. Paul's Monastery and the St. Paul's Press and a church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. Gradually San-paul-ur became Sampaloor. Half way through the 17th century St. John Britto, an Italian missionary, came to Sampaloor and lived there for nearly one year. He studied Tamil and Sanskrit and adopted an Indian name - Swamy Arulananda. The altar of St. Francis Xavier's church at which St. John Britto used to celebrate the holy mass is now a protected historical monument.

Another member of the clergy, who made his presence felt at Sampaloor after St. John Britto was Arnos Pathiri, who studied at the St. Paul's Seminary and later got ordained there. He made remarkable contributions to the Malayalam literature through his book 'Puthen Pana.' Next to follow was Fr. Joseph Constantine Buski (Veeramamunivar). He came to Sampaloor, while serving in Madurai Mission and later lived there. Fr. Buski's final resting place is also at Sampaloor.

The first printing in Malayalam was done at the St. Paul's Press in Sampaloor, which was set up by Jesuit Priests in 1663. The dictionary of 'Prinsa Pathiri,' Tamil grammar of Dacosta Pathiri, and the books of Dinobili were printed in this press. Sampaloor thus became a great centre for language-nurturing in south India.

The arrival of the clergymen to Sampaloor in the mid 16th century and the developments that took place all later became part of the ecclesiastical history of Kerala. Sampaloor also went through an unfortunate phase in the course of its history, when it was devastated in an attack by Tipu Sultan, who was fighting the British during the middle periods of the 18th century. Later, the church got reconstructed during the time of Bernadian Bechinelly, who was the vicar apostolate of Varapuzha in 1862. The present church was blessed in 1979.

Historical museum of Sampaloor

When samaploor was the centre of Jesuit Mission there were St. Paul's seminary, St, Paul's Press, St. Paul's Monastery and St. Francis Xavier's Church which were destroyed by Tipu the invader. the Cannon balls used during the time of Tipu, holy vestments of the priests of the Monastery, Tablets that describe the old liturgical order, instruments used to make the hosts, Tabernacle of the old church, statues of saints made of wood and metals, Lamps used for adoration, lamp-sticks, the Cross made of metal belongs to 15Th century and ''Vazhuthayodukal" of the same century are some of the attractions of this Museum.

Anglo-Indian Cultural museum

A sight of Anglo-Indian wedding ceremony, Anglo-Indian Traditional dress for women and men such as Kabaya, Madirasi thuny, a collection of coat, Suit, tie, bohatt, their traditional ornaments like Cothigna, Arulikka mala, Pinnu mala, Wedding ring, and their traditional foods are some of the sights inside this museum.

Contact details:

St. Francis Xavier Church

Sampaloor
Palayamparambu P.O.

Pin - 680 741

Ph: +91 480 2719079

Website: www.sampaloorchurch.org

Getting there

Nearest railway station: Chalakkudy, about 7 km

Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 25 km

The Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam

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The Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam is a famous centre of pilgrimage. People from all parts of Kerala and outside, irrespective of caste or creed go to the church to seek the blessings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, popularly known as "Vallarpadathamma".

Present Vallarpadam Church

This is an ancient Christian Church built in 1524. Portuguese merchants headed by Vasco da Gama enthroned this miraculous picture of Our lady of Ransom at the shrine. The church was dedicated to the Holy Spirit, which was the first of its kind in Asia. The beautiful church was however destroyed by a heavy flood in 1676. The church was re-established in 1676 and the famous picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected by Portuguese who brought it from their native land. The picture is believed to have miraculous powers. The Portuguese built the first church on the site of the present church in 1524. It was destroyed in a flood in the late 17th century and a new church was built on the same spot in 1676. It was declared a special church by PopeLeo XIII in 1888 and in 1951 the Union Government declared it a major pilgrim centre.

Old Vallarpadam Church 

Vallarpadath Amma is believed to have miraculously saved her devotees several time from violent storms. The feast of Vallarpadath Amma is held every year on September 24 with much fanfare. The celebrations, which last for more than a week, are accompanied by an unusually big fair. 

The Roman Catholic Church has raised the historic Marian pilgrimage destination on the Vallarpadam Island to the status of a National Pilgrim Centre.

Vallarpadam is situated next to Bolgatty Island on the west, and linked to the Ernakulam mainland via the new Goshree bridges. It is about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 mi) in length in the north-south direction and hosts a population of 10,000 people. Vallarpadam is about one kilometer (½ mile) away from the Ernakulam mainland.

A short history the magnificent and miraculous picture of Mary and Infant Jesus, installed at the top of the main altar of the Vallarpadam Church, was brought by Portuguese merchants under the leadership of Vasco Da Gama in 1524. In 1676 the old Church, which was known as the Church of the Holy Spirit, founded by the Portuguese missionaries, was destroyed by the heavy flood and the picture of Our Lady was found floating in the backwaters. Nobody except Paliyath Raman Valiyachan, the Prime Minister of Maharaja of Cochin, could recover it. The beautiful church at Vallarpadam which you see now is built on the land which was donated by Paliyath Raman Valiyachan. He is gratefully remembered in Vallarpadathamma and his generosity towards the church, by lighting the Sanctuary lamp, which he himself donated and which has been burning day and night from 1676 onwards.

Madubaha At Vallarpadam Church

In May 1752, there occurred a great miracle which made Vallarpadam a famous Pilgrim Centre. In Vallarpadam there was a young Nair Lady named Meenakshi Amma, who was a member of a noble family called Palliyil Veedu. Together with her son, she was going to Mattancherry in a non-mechanised boat. There arose a storm and the boat capsized. Meenakshi Amma and her son went deep down into the backwater. While they were in danger Meenakshi Amma promised Vallarpadathamma that if they were rescued by her they would be her Adimas (servants) until their death. On the third day, as per instructions in a dream, the parish priest asked the fishermen to cast net in the river, and Meenakshi Amma and her son were rescued. This incident is depicted in the picture mentioned above. From that day onwards, people, especially those who travel by boats and ships, come to Vallarpadam and pray for their safe journey. Meenakshi Amma and her son received baptism and became Christians and were named Mary and Jesudas respectively. They were living in the Churchyard itself adoring the Lord and thanking Our Lady and proclaiming the "good news" to all those who came here. Her family is still living, which is quite near to the church. Due to its spiritual importance, His Holiness Pope Leo XIII elevated its main altar to the status of Altare Privilegiatum in Perpetuum Concessum in 1888.

Hotel Ganpat Grand - best hotel @ Palani (Tamil Nadu)

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Introduction

Hotel Ganpat Grant 

Last day I had my pilgrim visit to Palani Hill Temple with my family. During this visit I stayed at Hotel Ganpat a fine and clean hotel in the surrounding of Palani Temple. I settled at Temple faced room, which gave me an exceptional experience with my family.

Hotel Ganpat

I reached, Palani about 8.30 PM on 30^th July 2016 with my cute family. Palani is Famous for Lord Palaniandavar’s shrine on the hills; the town of Palani is one of the most ancient and sacred pilgrimage spots in South India.

By the first impression itself I decided to stay my “Palani Days” at Hotel Ganpat. The Hotel is conveniently located at the foot of palani hills, provides comfortable and functional accommodation. The hotel is situated at Adivaram, Poonga road enroute to the Palani hill temple and it provides an ideal accommodation in the pilgrim city, with a mere 1 Km distance from the bus terminal and 2 km from Railway station.

The hotel staffs were very professional in dealing and fulfilling the requirements of guests comes to the hotel. They provide me a fine and comfortable room at 2^nd floor which is faced to Palani Hill Temple. The view of the temple from the hotel room is so marvelous and incredible.

Accommodation Facilities at Hotel Ganpat

Reception Area of Hotel Ganpat Grand

There are 52 well appointed rooms, including 35 deluxe, 10 Air-Conditioned, 6 Family and 1 Suite, the rooms are compact, aesthetically designed with all the necessary comforts. The room’s features Colour television with cable channels, en-suite bathrooms, a/c, and intercom.

Other Facilities at Hotel Ganpat

Experience the privileges of being a Hotel Ganpat guest with great services and facilities. The hotel facilities are 24*7 Checks- in, 24hrs checkout, Room service, House-keeping service, Travel Assistance and Car parking. Sree Baalaji bhavan the Ganpat Group concern resturant located near to hotel offers authentic south Indian flavours.

Restaurants 

There are two restaurants;

one is “Aaharam Multi Cuisine A/C Restaurant” which is a wonderful rendezvous for visitors to palani to celebrate any occasion with guest or colleagues with a great dining experience. Fine dining experience extends from food to the details like ambience, crockery and cutlery. Aaharam serves extensive veg. multi cuisine a la carte menu and complementary buffet breakfast for room guests. The restaurant will be active from 6:30 A.M TO 10:30 P.M.

The other one is

“Balaji’s Food Court” which is a Quick Service Restaurant serves varieties of dosa, south Indian specialties, north Indian dishes, special combos, traditional meals, hot beverages, fresh juices and mouth watering desserts. It will be open from 7:00 A.M. TO 10:30 P.M.

Travel Desk

Temple View from my Room

Hotel Ganpat is one amongst the reliable travel agencies in South India, operating from Palani and enjoys a high reputation for providing reliable personalized and professional services. The Ganpat Hotel Group has a big team of professional, who provides services at tour offices in Palani to assist guests in all travel needs.

This team of professionals takes care of all the requirements of the devotees for the various pilgrimage tours. The highly proficient staffs in the team provide their expertise to the devotees with effective support services to make the pilgrimage a comfortable one. Among this team there are specialist tour guides who, have a vast experience in their domain and are aware of difficulties faced by the pilgrims. Thus they strive hard to ensure that the devotees have a hassle free Pilgrimage Tour.

Distance to rope car: 0.5 KM Distance to winch station: 0.5 KM Distance to steps: 200 mts.

Athirapilly Waterfall - The Niagara of India

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Trips Complete video on Athirapilly Waterfall, Thrissur, Kerala, India

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Thenmala, India’s First Planned Eco-Tourism Destination

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It is India's first planned eco-tourism destination, which is gaining popularity due to its unique vistas, bio-diversity and functioning. Situated about 72kms from Thiruvananthapuram, in the District of Kollam, the Thenmala Eco-Tourism shares its resources with the famous Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary at the foothills of the Western Ghats.

The word Thenmala in the local language Malayalam has an interesting meaning. 'Then' means honey and 'Mala' means hill; and they combine to mean 'Honey Hill'. It is believed that the honey collected from this region is of very good quality owing to its unique biological settings. Managed by Thenmala Eco-Tourism Promotional Society, which is an undertaking of the Government of Kerala, Thenmala Eco-tourism is a unique destination from a visitor's point of view. It has equal opportunities for fun, adventure, leisure and for learning the significance and necessity of eco-friendly measures for promoting tourism related activities.

At Thenmala Eco-Tourism, a visitor is taken care of by its well-trained staff providing guidance and information about the various attractions and facilities, enabling one to move about, explore and experience every bit of this remarkable destination. There are well-placed signboards, direction pointers, and information boards to facilitate one's movement inside the project area. Divided into different zones with a particular theme, the project area currently has three major zones viz. Culture Zone, Leisure Zone and Adventure Zone.

At the Culture Zone one can indulge in a variety of activities like trying few traditional Kerala dishes at the restaurant there, a bit of shopping for memento sake, a peep on Kerala's art and culture, an amphitheatre etc. But the highlight of the Culture Zone is the open air Musical Dancing Fountain, which is a big attraction among the visitors. There is also a Tourism Facilitation Center in the Culture Zone to provide information on a wide range of tourism products available at Thenmala.

Step into the Leisure Zone here and try the boardwalk leading to the dam. The sway bridge here could be an exciting proposition, especially for children. Adding more variety and elegance to the landscape here is the Sculpture Garden, which has Man & Nature as its theme.

For those with an overdose of adrenalin and those willing to test their adventure spirit would find the Adventure Zone here quite a thrilling experience. Take the elevated walkway for a journey that winds through the canopy of trees and going over rocky terrains bringing one close to life at different heights. And still those who don't mind to give their body muscles a real work out can go for mountain biking, rock climbing and river crossing.

Besides the zone-based activities for a visitor, Thenmala Eco-Tourism also offer other attractions, like an invigorating boat ride in the Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary; a visit to the Deer Rehabilitation Centre, where one can have a look at a group of spotted deer, the sambar deer and the barking deer, which have been given protection after straying out from the forests. The project area also has tree top huts and children's eco-park, riverside treks, and battery powered vehicle rides through the forest, enabling one to sight wildlife from a close distance.

For a visitor to Thenmala Eco-Tourism, some of the nearby attractions are also worth exploring. One may visit the picturesque Palaruvi waterfalls, about 16 km away, on the way to Shenkottah. Thenmala Eco-Tourism is open round the year and there are conducted tours organized by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation from the Capital City of Thiruvananthapuram and also by the District Tourism Promotion Council of Kollam District.

Information Desk

Thenmala Eco-tourism Promotion Society,

Thenmala Dam Junction,

Thenmala PO 691308 Kollam District,

Kerala, India.

Phone:91-475-2344800
E-mail: info@thenmalaecotourism.com
Website: www.thenmalaecotourism.com  

 

Getting there

Nearest railway station: Shenkottah, about 29 km and Kollam, about 66 km away
Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport, about 72 km away

# A Faraway Land Four Hours Away #

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With the onset of the outbound tourism season in the Middle East, Kerala Tourism has rolled out a high-octane promotional campaign in Dubai targeting Arab travellers and showcasing the state’s spectacular features via colourful visuals draped on a bevy of taxis moving through the bustling metropolis. As many as 200 Kerala-branded taxis will ferry the message of ‘A Faraway Land Four Hours Away’– with eye-catching visuals featuring hill stations, backwaters, waterfalls as also Ayurvedic therapies – through the streets of Dubai, the throbbing heart of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The campaign will see the cabs take to the streets sporting wrappings aimed to promote the state’s Monsoon getaways, offering respite from the tortuous sizzle of the Arabian summer.

“Apart from the favourable climate, the relative proximity and excellent air connectivity between Kerala and the cities of the Middle East make it easier to attract holiday makers to the state,” said Dr Venu V, Principal Secretary (Tourism). “Dubai, being the hub for air travel in the region, was the logical choice of location for the marketing campaign. The exposure and footfalls gained by Kerala will bear this out.”The campaign, inspired by the previous highly successful branding efforts on London taxi cabs and the Mumbai metro, will run until August 15. Besides serving to augment Kerala’s destination pull, it is an acknowledgment of the growing importance of the Middle East outbound tourist market – the world’s fastest-growing segment with a nine per cent rise inoutbound trips in 2015. Arab tourists are also the biggest spenders. Kerala received more than one lakh visitors from the region in 2015, with some 20,506 tourists from the UAE alone. The majority came from Saudi Arabia with 51,149 Saudi nationals visiting last year, while Oman accounted for 18,763 footfalls.“As the holiday season in the Middle East coincides with the Monsoon season here, Kerala is well-positioned to benefit from the influx of travellers looking to trade in the sizzle and dust for cooler climes and greener pastures,” said Shri U.V. Jose, Director, Kerala Tourism.