The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Arthunkal, India

On November 30, 1583—the Feast of St. Andrew—five hundred St. Thomas Christians gathered in this coastal village to be baptized into the Latin Rite by Jesuit missionaries. Among them was a Nair knight with twenty soldiers, all renouncing their former allegiances to enter the Roman Church. The converts became known as "Anjootikkar," the Five Hundred People, and the church built to receive them would grow into one of India's most remarkable pilgrimage sites. Today St. Andrew's Basilica faces the Arabian Sea, its white walls rising above the long stretch of white-sand beach. Within stands the miraculous statue of St. Sebastian, brought from Milan in 1647—the Roman captain pierced with arrows, his wounds still vivid after four centuries. Each January, millions descend on this small town for the Arthunkal Perunnal, a month-long feast during which eagles mysteriously appear to circle the statue as it processes from church to sea and back, recalling the legend that birds protected the wounded martyr.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

Christianity reached this Malabar coast centuries before the Portuguese arrived. The St. Thomas Christians who traced their lineage to the Apostle's first-century mission had worshipped here for generations. But in 1530, Jesuit missionaries began systematic work in the coastal villages, and in 1569 they established a thatched chapel dedicated to St. Thomas at Arthunkal. The pivotal moment came on November 30, 1583, when 500 members of the ancient Christian community accepted baptism into the Latin Rite—a mass conversion that included a Nair knight and his twenty soldiers. From this event, the village derived the name by which its original converts are still remembered: "Anjootikkar," the Five Hundred People. Fr. Giacomo Fenicio, S.J., an Italian Jesuit appointed vicar in 1584, transformed the mission. He obtained permission from King Veera Kerala Varma of Cochin to build a proper stone church, which was completed in 1591 after seven years of construction. Fr. Fenicio served the community for thirty-three years, earning the title "Apostle of Arthunkal." Devotees called him "Arthunkal Veluthachan"—the fair-skinned father—and attributed miraculous healing powers to his intercession. When he died in 1632, the faithful mourned a saint. Eight years after Fenicio's death, the church was rebuilt facing west toward the Arabian Sea and its long white-sand beach—an orientation it maintains today. In 1647, a statue of St. Sebastian was brought from Milan: the Roman captain pierced with arrows, executed on Emperor Diocletian's orders for embracing the Christian faith. This sculpture became the focus of an extraordinary devotion that transcends religious boundaries. The church passed to Carmelite missionaries in the eighteenth century. On November 29, 1829, a young man named Kuriakose Elias Chavara was ordained here—the future founder of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and the first canonized male saint of Indian origin from the Syro-Malabar Church. After decades of construction, a new granite church was blessed in 1967. Pope Benedict XVI elevated it to Minor Basilica status on May 21, 2010, making it the first basilica in the Diocese of Alleppey. The devotion to St. Sebastian at Arthunkal defies easy categorization. Hindus, Muslims, and Christians alike seek the martyr's intercession for healing—particularly for physical ailments, mental disorders, and disabilities. Pilgrims offer gold and silver representations of healed limbs. The distinctive "nercha" of bow and arrow—St. Sebastian's instrument of torture—drew over 200,000 participants in 2018. Some devotees perform "Urulunercha," crawling on their knees from the beach to the church in thanksgiving for healing. Even pilgrims returning from the Hindu shrine at Sabarimala stop at Arthunkal to pay homage before completing their journey home.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Arthunkal

St. Andrew's Basilica

The basilica blends Portuguese colonial architecture—Gothic, Baroque, and Roman elements—with traditional Kerala building traditions. The current granite structure, blessed in 1967 after sixty years of construction, features one of the largest teakwood altars in Kerala. The 2017 sanctuary renovation depicts the Last Supper behind the main altar. Teakwood pews fill the nave, which can accommodate thousands of pilgrims. The basilica faces west toward the Arabian Sea, its white walls visible from the long stretch of Arthunkal Beach. At its heart stands the miraculous statue of St. Sebastian brought from Milan in 1647: the Roman captain pierced with arrows, his wounds vivid and lifelike, before which pilgrims of all faiths kneel seeking healing. Address Arthunkal P.O., Cherthala, Alappuzha, Kerala 688530 GPS 9.654444, 76.281389 Map Google Maps Web arthunkalbasilica.org

Arthunkal Beach

The long stretch of white sand fronting the Arabian Sea serves not only as a scenic backdrop but as a sacred processional route during the January feast. Pilgrims performing "Urulunercha" crawl on their knees from this beach to the basilica in thanksgiving for healings received. The beach offers stunning sunset views and connects to Kerala's coastal highway (theeradesa highway) that links Alappuzha's seaside villages to suburban Kochi.

Old Church Ruins

The foundations and fragments of the 1584 church built by Fr. Fenicio can still be seen near the present basilica, offering pilgrims a tangible connection to the original mission that received the "Anjootikkar" converts.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Arthunkal Perunnal (Makaram Perunnal) — January 10-27

The eighteen-day festival honoring St. Sebastian transforms this coastal town into one of India's largest pilgrimage gatherings. The celebrations begin with the flag-hoisting ceremony on January 10, announcing the feast to the surrounding villages. On January 18, the basilica gates open and the miraculous statue of St. Sebastian—brought from Milan in 1647—is placed for public veneration. Pilgrims stream through day and night, seeking the martyr's intercession for physical and mental healing. January 20, the Feast of St. Sebastian, brings the main procession. The statue is carried from the basilica through the town to the beach and back, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of the faithful. During this procession, a phenomenon that devotees consider miraculous occurs: eagles appear in the sky and hover over the statue as it moves. This recalls the legend that eagles cared for the wounded Sebastian after Roman archers left him for dead, pecking at his wounds to keep them clean until Christians could rescue him. So great are the crowds that the church instituted a second major celebration: "Ettam Perunnal" (the 8th Day Feast) on January 27, which has become equally important. At midnight on January 27, the basilica doors close, the miraculous statue is secured in its vault, and a smaller image remains for the forty days until the celebrations fully conclude. A distinctive tradition links Arthunkal to the famous Hindu pilgrimage at Sabarimala. Many Sabarimala pilgrims visit St. Andrew's Basilica to receive the sacred Mala (garland) before their journey to Lord Ayyappa's shrine; others stop on their return to pay homage to St. Sebastian before going home.

Novena to St. Sebastian — Daily at 10:30 AM

Throughout the year, the basilica holds a daily novena to St. Sebastian, with confession available at 9:30 AM. The devotion draws steady streams of pilgrims seeking the martyr's intercession.

🏨 Where to Stay

Ramada Resort by Wyndham Kochi ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Backwater resort property in Kumbalangi, offering traditional Kerala hospitality between Kochi and Arthunkal. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel Lake Palace Resort Alleppey ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Backwater property on the shores of Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha, 21 km from Arthunkal. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel Pagoda Resorts Alleppey ⭐⭐⭐ — Budget-friendly property in Alappuzha town with easy access to Arthunkal via coastal road. Reserve this hotel

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Cochin International Airport lies approximately 65 km from Arthunkal. Taxis and app-based cabs are available for the journey along the coastal highway. By Train: Cherthala Railway Station is the nearest station, approximately 7.5 km from the basilica. Auto-rickshaws and taxis connect the station to Arthunkal. By Road: The coastal highway (theeradesa highway) connects Arthunkal to Kochi's suburbs in the north and Alappuzha in the south. The town lies 40 km south of Kochi and 21 km north of Alappuzha. Buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws serve the route.

📚 Further Reading

Online Resources: St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal — Official basilica website with history, feast information, and visiting details. (Arthunkal Basilica) Diocese of Alleppey — Diocesan website with parish directory and pilgrim resources. (Diocese of Alleppey)

🔗 Useful Links

Arthunkal Basilica — Official website with history, feast schedules, and Mass timings. Diocese of Alleppey — Diocesan resources for pilgrims and visitors. Kerala Tourism — State tourism board with travel planning resources.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Vallarpadam (60 km) — The National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, known as the "Lourdes of Kerala," houses a miraculous portrait brought from Portugal in 1524 and draws over one million pilgrims annually. Velankanni (450 km) — The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health on the Tamil Nadu coast, often called the "Lourdes of the East," draws millions during its September feast. Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple (15 km) — Famous Hindu temple renowned for its palpayasam (rice pudding) offering, illustrating the religious diversity of Kerala's pilgrimage landscape.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"The martyrs are witnesses to Christ's victory over death. Following in his footsteps, they have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel."

— Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, February 11, 2009