Sunday, December 28, 2008

Kottar St.Xavier's Church - 3

Burial Place of a missionary inside the church



Christ

Main altar


The Chair where the priest hears the penitent in a traditional confession





The annual festival was celebrated for 10 days in the month of December.

The annual procession passes through Xavier street, Asarimar Street,
Kambolam Road, Railway Road, Cape Road and reach the church premises.

With traditional fervour and offerings of salt and pepper, thousands
join to celebrate the feast of St. Francis Xavier in Kottar diocese

District administration has declared Local Holiday for the Festival


Backside of the church


With inputs from
The Hindu dated 4-12-07
Family & Friends Download As PDF

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Kottar St.Xavier's Church - 2

Inside view of the church

The main altar is seen here

St.Xavier



Worship place for Devasahayam Pillai

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Friday, December 26, 2008

Kottar St.Xavier's Church - 1

Place : Kottar St.Xavier's Church, Kanyakumari District

Location : Kottar is a part of Nagercoil town and situated
on the Nagercoil - Kanyakumari Highway.

St. Xavier, an outstanding and dedicated priest visited the
coastal areas of Tamil Nadu from Goa and he did not miss
the opportunity of visiting Kottar in Kanyakumari district,
which was a commercial centre at that time. During his stay
at Kottar, he used to worship St. Mary in the small temple.


He was popularly known as ‘Valiya Pandaram’ among the
people of Kottar. While he was in Kottar, he averted the
invasion of Padagas on the people of Venad, which was
appreciated by the king, who became closer to the priest.


In recognition of Xavier’s services, the king allotted a land
for him for the purpose of constructing a Catholic church at Kottar.

In 1942, in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the
arrival of St. Xavier in India, a beautiful tower to the saint,
a grotto to Our Blessed Mother and a small shrine to St. Ignatius,
who sent him to India, were constructed in the Cathedral premises.

In 1955, the church was further extended and the chapel
of Our Lady was incorporated into the enlarged church.

The Church of St. Xavier enjoys a great fame as a place of
miracles from early times.



Board having the Picture of Devasahayam Pillai who was buried in the
St.Xavier's church


Front view of the Church





Stone hall


Flower sculpted in stone



Side view Download As PDF

Monday, December 15, 2008

Devasahayam Pillai Mount - 5

A view of the shrine




The parish church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Aralvaimozhi


Statue of Christ the king


With inputs from
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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Devasahayam Pillai Mount - 4

It is believed that at the moment of martyrdom, most of the rocks
were broken into pieces and one piece that fell down rang
like a church bell



Stone Board having details about the Bell Rock





Even now it sounds like a bell when hit by a stone


View from the Mount - Smoke coming out of the nearby Brick Kilns


Western Ghats as seen from the Mount Download As PDF

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Devasahayam Pillai Mount - 3


The place where Devasahayam Pillai was shot dead on jan 14 , 1752



His final prayer is written in Tamil, Malayalam and English


The place where he knelt down for his final prayer



Devasahayam Pillai knelt down here with his elbows on the rock and
offered his final prayer to God. The marks seen on the rock are
impresses made by his knees and elbows.


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Friday, December 12, 2008

Devasahayam Pillai Mount - 2




After the martyrdom his body was rolled down and this is the place
where his body was lying. A wooden cross is seen there.


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