Latest news with #BasilicaofOurLadyofGoodHealth
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Daily train service from Kerala to Velankanni to be a reality soon
KASARGOD: The possibility of a daily train service to Velankanni from Kerala would soon become a reality. MPs from Kerala have been constantly demanding daily train connectivity to Velankanni considering the huge population of Christians going on pilgrimage from the state to the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Velankanni in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the important pilgrimage centres of Christians, especially Catholic denominations, of Kerala and Karnataka. However, the shrine is poorly connected by Railways despite having a railway station in the town. Mavelikkara MP Kodikunnil Suresh, who has been communicating with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw regularly on the matter, recently received a positive response from the latter. In a letter dated August 7, 2025, the railway minister assured the MP that the concerned directorate has been asked to examine the possibilities of operating train no. 16361/16362 Ernakulam-Velankanni-Ernakulam Express on daily basis. Following which, the MP's office is optimistic that the daily train to Velankanni would materialise soon. The annual festival of the shrine is held every year on September 8, the birthday of Mother Mary. Thousands take out a pilgrimage to Velankanni starting from the last week of August. From Kerala, the shrine can be reached by rail through train no. 16361 Ernakulam Junction-Velankanni Bi-weekly Express starting from Ernakulam at 1pm on Mondays and Saturdays to reach Velankanni at 5.40am the next day.
Hindustan Times
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sobhita Dhulipala heads on spiritual sojourn to Velankanni Church, Nagore Dargah during Tamil Nadu visit. See pics
Actor Sobhita Dhulipala took to Instagram on Thursday to share a glimpse of her recent trip to Tamil Nadu with fans. While there, she visited the famous Velankanni Church and Nagore Dargah, dressing up in traditional outfits for her spiritual sojourn. Take a look at what life has been like for her lately. Sobhita Dhulipala seemed to have fun during her trip to Tamil Nadu recently. Sobhita Dhulipala's spiritual trip Sobhita took to Instagram to share a photo dump with the caption, 'Life lately #VelankkaniChurch #NagoorDargah #GuruPournami #AnitaWeddingDay #TamilNaduBeauty.' In the pictures, she can be seen dressed in white as she visits the Velankkani Church and in black at the Nagore Dargah. But that's not all Sobhita did because she also posted pictures of her enjoying the waves at the beach, attending a friend's wedding while dressed in a gold saree and more. She also shared the quote, 'Whatever comes, don't push it away. When it goes, do not grieve,' by Mooji. Numerous fans left comments under her post, calling her a 'beauty' or leaving just heart emojis. For the uninitiated, Velankanni Church, also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, is a prominent Catholic shrine located in Velankanni. It is a major pilgrimage site, as is the Nagore Dargah, which attracts followers of Sufi Islam and Hinduism. It is the tomb of the Sufi saint Nagore Syed Abdul Qadir Shahul Hamid, located in Nagore, Tamil Nadu. Recently in the news Sobhita got engaged to Naga Chaitanya in August last year, after rumours of the two dating for a couple of years. They married in a close-knit ceremony at Annapurna Studios the same year, in December. The couple kept their relationship under wraps until they announced their engagement. In 2024, Sobhita starred in Dev Patel's Monkey Man, which was not released in India. She also starred in the Zee5 film Love, Sitara. She has yet to announce her upcoming projects.
