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Church by the sea

`Chinna Jerusalem' that is replete with stories about miracles, says SOMA BASU

HOARY PAST Manapad is dotted with several churches PHOTO: SOMA BASU

Manapad is a nondescript, coastal village, roughly two km from Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi District. But what makes this hamlet important for Christians is the belief that Catholicism originated here in South India.

As I drive along the Tiruchendur-Thoothukudi road, a spectacular view arrests my attention. The area is dotted with churches and their red and white steeples of varying heights paint a beautiful picture, with the sky forming a blue backdrop. I can feel the sea breeze on my face as I draw closer to the shore.

The calm water lashes against the shore and retreats silently. In the distance, small boats appear like tiny specks riding the waves. The beach is clean and silent; the absence of stalls is conspicuous. It is not difficult to imagine the peace that descends in the stillness of the night here.

Annual fete

The fisher folk, living nearby, are perhaps the only regular visitors. Except during the first fortnight of September, when thousands congregate at a 425-year-old Roman Catholic church for the annual feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The feast is described as a thanksgiving for the recovery of the True Cross.

The church, built in 1581, is associated with the missionary St. Francis Xavier. The story goes that the saint came to Manapad in 1542 and lived in a cavern on the seaward face of a cliff. He initiated missionary activity on the coast, preaching the Gospel to the fisher folk, from this cave, roughly 10 feet from the sea. Known as Valli's Cave, it is said that a well inside provides sweet water. At the entrance is a stone tablet with an inscription that reads: "This dwelling of a Saivite sanyasi has been sanctified by the prayers and penance of a lonely hermit, St. Francis Xavier, who had a thirst for austerity and renunciation."

Today, Manapad is dotted with several churches, big and small, so much so the place is often referred to as `chinna (small) Jerusalem'. There are many stories about miracles associated with the place. The church houses what is believed to be a fragment of the True Cross of Jerusalem.

According to legend, in 1530, a Portuguese trading vessel, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, got caught in a storm. The captain, who was devoted to the veneration of the Holy Cross, entrusted the safety of the vessel to Jesus Christ. He vowed to construct a Cross from a portion of the splintered mast and have it installed wherever they alighted safely.

After drifting for several days, the vessel found a haven in Manapad. The captain had a Cross planted atop a hillock, reminiscent of the last journey of Christ on Mount Calvary.

Another popular story is about a traveller who cleansed his dirty foot on a nude log cut from the broken mast and immediately felt pain and swelling. He dreamt he had defiled the log meant for a sacred purpose. Next morning, he cleaned the log with oil and applied the same oil on his foot and was immediately cured of his pain.

Locals say victims of cobra bite and the leprosy-afflicted have been cured by touching the Cross, which stands tall on an elevated platform on the hillock and is visible from a distance.

Manapad also makes for a memorable visit to the sea where one can be part of Nature at its tranquil best.

How to get there: Manapad is 18 km from Tiruchendur, about 40 km from Thoothukudi and 71 km from Tirunelveli. It is well connected by road and rail. If taking a train, Nazareth is the railway station between Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Thoothukudi district.

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