Vailankanni (Tamil Nadu), December 25
Not many attended the midnight mass at the Church of Shrine Basilica last night following last year’s tsunami here in which 615 pilgrims died while taking a holy dip in the sea. The district of Nagapattinam within which Vailankanni falls witnessed the largest number of deaths in mainland India, which stood at 6065.
The church here which is located only 300 metres from the sea was spared by tsunami which destroyed all homes and shops located on the coastline.
Said Nagapattinam SP A. Abdul Rauf. “Last year during Christmas eve this area was teeming with people and we had a tough time controlling the crowd. This year probably because of the tsunami fear there is hardly 25 per cent of the crowd which usually comes from all over India.”
As Rector P. Xavier conducted the mass in Tamil, which ended around 2.30 am today, there were only 2,500 people listening to him.
Despite the scare of tsunami, people did come from various parts of the country.
Said Ms Winny De’Melo a 42-year-old woman from Pune, “We are not scared of tsunami. “We come here every two years with our family.”
Added her brother Wensley De’Melo.“Our Lady of Health, Ave Maria will protect us from everything, at present and in future. So tsunami or no tsunami, we will be here.”
Large number of people could be seen praying before the shrine with folded hands, more common among Hindus. In fact, most of them are first or second generation coverts to Christianity.
Said Mr. David Yesudas, a 35-year-old taxi driver from Chennai who was tonsuring his hair at a nearby barber shop. “I am sacrificing this for Our Lady of Health. It will bring good luck to my family.”
Concurred his friend Thom Arul, also a cab driver. “This might look like a Hindu tradition of tonsuring, but we consider this as a sacrifice in South India. Our family will be protected by Ave Maria.”
Among those who witnessed last year’s tsunami here but dared to come again this time was an elderly couple, the Youngs from Mumbai.
Mr Hurbert Young, a 68-year-old former train driver said: “We have been coming here every year for the past 15 years. Last year I was getting ready for the morning mass on December 26 when I heard a roaring sound and cries of people around 9.15 am
“When I came out of my hotel after 15 minutes, there was water everywhere but it did not enter the church premises. There were bodies floating around the shrine.”
Said his 64-year-old wife Laureen Young: “Last year after the
tsunami struck, we had to wade through waist-deep water for 3 km to get out of this area. This year we feel the crowd is less, but it is quiet and peaceful.”For 19-year-old Haja Sheikh, a Muslim college student from nearby Nagore: “I came here for the first time to see and pray on behalf of my girlfriend who is Christian but studying in the Gulf.”
The shops, around 500 of them which were razed in last year’s tsunami, have been rebuilt and are doing brisk business.
Said 28-year-old tea vendor Anbu Anbazhagan, “This year, I have sold 200 cups of tea. Other years by
midnight I would sold more than 2000 cups of tea.”
The church has a long history. According to the local legend, a small chapel appeared on the spot after a lame boy had a vision of Mary. Later in the 17th century, Portuguese sailors who had survived sea storm, built a church there in fulfilment of a vow they took while struggling for their lives.
