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Velankanni, the famous Christian pilgrim centre known as the 'Lourdes of the East', is located in:
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Answer: Option B — Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu
Detailed Solution
Velankanni (Vailankanni) is a coastal town on the Bay of Bengal, in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.
About Velankanni:
- It is famous for the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health (Arokia Matha), dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
- It is called the "Lourdes of the East", after the famous pilgrimage site of Lourdes in France.
- According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to local people at Velankanni in the 16th and 17th centuries, including to a shepherd boy and a lame buttermilk seller, who was healed.
Another tradition says that Portuguese sailors caught in a storm prayed to the Virgin Mary and landed safely at Velankanni. They built a chapel there in thanksgiving.
The church was raised to the status of a "Basilica" by Pope John XXIII in 1962.
Its architecture is in the Gothic style, with white walls and tall spires.
The annual feast is held for ten days, from 29 August to 8 September (the feast of the Nativity of Mary), and attracts lakhs of pilgrims of all religions.
Many pilgrims come to pray for healing and offer models of body parts made of wax or silver.
On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Velankanni and killed many pilgrims and residents.
Other important Christian places in India:
Basilica of Bom Jesus (Goa): holds the remains of St. Francis Xavier; part of the UNESCO site "Churches and Convents of Goa" (1986).
St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica (Santhome, Chennai): built over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle.
Se Cathedral (Goa): one of the largest churches in Asia.
St. Francis Church (Kochi): one of the oldest European churches in India.
Malayattoor Church (Kerala): associated with St. Thomas.
Other places in Nagapattinam district:
- Nagore Dargah: the shrine of the Sufi saint Shahul Hamid.
- Point Calimere (Kodiakkarai) Wildlife Sanctuary: famous for blackbucks and flamingos.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Goa has the Basilica of Bom Jesus.
Kochi has St. Francis Church and the Santa Cruz Basilica.
Mangaluru has the Milagres Church and St. Aloysius Chapel.
Quick tip
Remember: Velankanni = Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu (Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health; "Lourdes of the East"; basilica status 1962; feast 29 August-8 September); Bom Jesus = Goa (St. Francis Xavier).
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This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.