The Nagapattinam district administration and church authorities have stepped up arrangements for the annual festival of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, which will commence on Friday with flag hoisting.
The Basilica expects over 10 lakh pilgrims and devotees from all over the country to attend the first-day litany, benediction, and the Holy Mass in Tamil. The festival will commence with a flag procession followed by the blessing and hoisting of Our Lady’s Flag by Most Rev. T. Sagayaraj, Bishop of Thanjavur Diocese.
Services will be held in Tamil, English, Marathi, East Indian Marathi, Konkani, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. They will be conducted in the Basilica from morning to evening and Holy Mass in Tamil at Our Lady’s Tank at 6 a.m. during the festival days.
Amenities such as drinking water, sanitation, resting halls, dormitories, and cloakrooms are made available to pilgrims. A 24-hour pilgrim assistance booth will function to address the queries of the pilgrims.
Meanwhile, the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth celebration of the festival. As many as 200 special buses are made available on the day of flag hoisting, 120 special buses during the festival days, and 250 special buses during September 6 to 8, for those who are attending the Feast Day. Bus services are to be operated round the clock, and bus timings are displayed at all shelters. School vehicles are to be operated without any hindrance during the festival period.
Medical camps will be set up in more than 10 locations with 12 doctors and 40 medical staff, and 40 nurses staff to provide round-the-clock service to pilgrims. Eight ambulances will be stationed at the venue.
As many as 425 sanitary workers, 70 sanitary supervisors are deployed to maintain cleanliness inside the Shrine premises. About 12 sanitary inspectors are deployed to check the chlorine level in the water and chlorinate the water at three locations. Officials from the Food Safety Department have been deployed to inspect eateries and restaurants to ensure the safety and hygiene of food.
To prevent children from getting lost, water-resistant identification tags with parents’ contact numbers will be issued. Boundaries will be set to restrict public access to the beach, and bathing in the sea will be prohibited during the festival days. Rubber boats, life jackets, and expert divers are kept ready to meet emergencies.
The district police have deployed over 2,000 local policemen for security and traffic management during the festival days.
A local holiday has been declared for the Nagapattinam district on September 8 in view of the concelebrated feast mass. All State government offices, schools, and colleges will remain closed on Monday. To compensate for the local holiday, September 20, Saturday, will be a working day in the district, said Collector P. Akash in a press release.
Published – August 28, 2025 06:47 pm IST
