Lakshmi Travels, Chennai.

Dargha

The Dargha in Nagore
	The Dargha in Nagore of Meeran Sahib Abdul Qadir Shahul Hamid Badshah(the Lord of Andavar) is a holy place and is one of the popular pilgrimage centres for Muslims. The Dargah is located about 4km north of Nagapattinam and is visited by people from other religions also. So the Nagore Dargah stands as a symbol of religious harmony. The dargah sheltered thousands of people at the time of 2004 tsunami and buried a number of bodies of Hindus in their graveyards. Nagore DargahThe Nagore Dargah shrines are situated at three locations, Nagore, Vanjur and Silladi. The main campus is at Nagore. Dargah is situated in 5 acres of land surrounded by compound walls and four attractive entrances. Infront of the western gate, there is a large tower about 131 feet tall, called 'Periya Minara'. The golden dome building houses three tombs in three separate chambers, inside the compound of the main campus. In the tombs lay buried the mortal remains of Meeran Sahib, his son Syed Mohammed Yusuf and his daughter-in-law Saeeda Sultana Biwi. Adjacent to the golden dome building is the 'Peer Mandap' where the 'Peer of the Dargah' stays fasting for three days during festive season of the Dargah. A mosque is located some distance away from here where regular prayers are held. The Friday congregations in this Mosque are massive. The second part of the dargah, the Vanjur Shrine where Meeran Sahib reportedly stayed in meditation for 40 days inside an underground cave, is about 2 km from the main dargah. The third campus Silladi Shrine is loacted about a km east of the main dargah. The rituals and architecture in the Nagore shrine has strong Hindu influences. The main festival 'Kandhuri Urs' falls in the lunar month of Jumada al-Thani. The Festival: Every year, during the lunar month of Jumada al-Thani, the Nagore Dargah Shrines celebrate a festive season known as 'Kandhuri Urs'. Pilgrims, including non-Muslims, from far and wide come for 'Ziyarat'. It is obnoxiously painful to note that the votaries worship him, instead of respecting and revering him. Kandhuri Urs marks the death anniversary of Meeran Sahib. The Urs commences on the first of Jumada-al-Akhira' when pilgrims assemble at Meera Pally (17th century mosque) in Nagapattinam. They proceed towards Nagore in procession with a Rath that carries flags of the Dargah. On reaching Nagore Dargah Complex, the flags are hoisted marking the inauguration of Kandhuri Urs. Votaries of Meeran Sahib start performing their troth (pledged word). On the tenth day a grand procession again starts at Nagapattinam; this time from 'Koottadi', an open ground solely retained for this festivity. The procession carries Koodu, a pot containing Sandalwood paste. The procession ends at the tomb of Meeran Sahib and the sandal paste is spread over his tomb. On the fourteenth day the flags are quietly pulled down marking the end of the festive season.

Our Lady of Vailankanni
	Our lady of Good Health, popularly called "Our Lady of Vailankanni" is in the small town of Vailankanni (5000 residents) located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. It is located 150 miles south of Madras in Tamil Nadu and 5 miles south of Nagapattinam. Our lady chose this place to dispense her miracles to mankind. A strong oral tradition attests to Our Lady’s apparitions at Vailankanni(Velankanni). The tradition is built around the following three significant events: Sometime during the sixteenth century, Our Lady with her infant son appeared to a Hindu boy carrying milk to a customer’s home. While he rested under a Banyan tree near a tank (pond), Our Lady appeared to him and asked for milk for her Son and the boy gave her some. On reaching the customer’s home, the boy apologized for his lateness and the reduced amount of milk by relating the incident that occurred on his way. On inspection, the man found the milk pot to be full and realized that something miraculous had happened. That man, also a Hindu, wanting to see the place where the apparition occurred, accompanied the boy. When they reached the tank, Our Lady appeared once again. On learning that it was Our Lady who appeared to the boy, the residents of the local Catholic community became ecstatic. The tank where the apparition took place is called "Matha Kulam" or Our Lady’s tank. Some years later Our Lady appeared again. This time to a crippled boy who was selling buttermilk near a public square on the outskirts of the same village of Vailankanni. She asked him for buttermilk for her infant Son and the boy compiled. Our Lady asked the boy to inform a certain wealthy Catholic man in the nearby town of Nagapattinam of her appearance. Not realizing that his crippled leg was miraculously cured by Our Lady, the boy rose up and began his journey. The man also had a vision the previous night in which Our Lady asked him to build a chapel for her. Together, the man and the boy returned to the site of the miracle. This time Our Lady appeared to both. The man erected a thatched chapel for Our Lady at the site of Her second appearance. This chapel became a holy place of veneration to Our Blesses mother and She was called henceforth, Mother of Good Health ("Arokia Matha"). A few years later, Our Merciful Mother rescued a few Portuguese merchant sailors from a violent storm, which wrecked their ship. When the merchants reached the shore of Vailankanni they were taken by local fisherman to the thatched chapel. To give thanks and pay tribute to Our Lady, they built a small permanent chapel on their return trip. On subsequent visits they improved on it. The merchants dedicated the chapel to Our Lady on September 8th to celebrate the feast of her nativity and to mark the date of their safe landing to Vailankanni. Today, the celebration of this feast is an annual festival which lasts for 9 days and draws more than a million and a half pilgrims. Vailankanni attracts more pilgrims than any other sacred shrine in India. Not only do multitudes of Catholic travel there throughout the year but many non-Christians visit as well. Hundreds of miraculous cures are reported every year. More Church Click ...

Air	The nearest airport is at Trichy, at a distance of 150-km.

Rail	The nearest railway station is at Nagapattinam, at a distance of 4-km from the Dargah.

Road	There are regular buses to Nagore from Nagapattinam (4-km), Karaikal (12-km), Thanjavur (78-km), Chennai (90-km) and other neighbouring cities and towns.