8 Beautiful Basilicas in India
Basilicas are important Catholic churches; important by virtue of their architectural structure, or canonical status, and India boasts of twenty three of them. The Pope himself confers the title to these churches. A basilica attains its title under certain conditions like architectural similarity to the Roman times, and on traditional surroundings like an oblong, east-facing building, a broad nave that ends in a large apse. Also, a basilica must maintain one or more of the following to attain its status -
- Body of a saint
- Relic of a saint
- Venerated image
- Be a prominent pilgrim centre
India is home to most basilicas in Asia, all of them being extravagant, aesthetic marvels.
Here’s a list of some of the most distinguished Basilicas in India.
1. Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra
Dedicated to Mother Mary, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount is located at Bandra, Mumbai, and dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests came in from Portugal and constructed a chapel here. The most attractive feature of the basilica is its magnificent quasi-Gothic structure. Unfortunately the original statue of Our Lady suffered disfigurement when Arab pirates tried to destroy it in 1700. Later, in 1761, attempts were made to restore the statue and a detachable structure of infant Jesus was placed in Mother’s arms again.
Pope Pius elevated this shrine to the status of Basilica in 1954. The Basilica threw warm welcome to two Popes — Paul VI in December 1964 and Pope John Paul II in February 1986.
2. Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located at Velankanni, about 12 kilometres South of the Nagapattinam town in Coromandel Coast.In the local language,Tamil, the church is called “Arogya Matha”.
It is believed that Portuguese sailors who were rescued from a violent storm built the church to pay their obeisance to Our Lady. The locals have witnessed the divine presence of the Mother here. Our Lady also appeared before a shepherd boy and the area has now been marked as Matha Kulam or “Our Lady’s Pond”.
Over the years, the Basilica grew, and new additions and artifacts have been added with lessons from the Bible. The church is built in an impressive 16th century Gothic style architecture and has a huge and imposing white building with impressive red tiles. The structure and its colors certainly are a peaceful sight, giving us more reasons to visit this place.
3. National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam
Our Lady of Ransom, also known as Vallapadathamma at Vypin Island in Cochin, Kerala is a stunning Basilica built by the Mahajara of Cochin, Paliyath Raman Valiyachan. It was Valiyachan who restored the old shrine that was washed away in the flood of 1676 and built the church. He was a devotee of Our Lady of Ransom and donated his land to construct the church and erected a Kedavilakku (sanctuary lamp). The Paliyath descendants continue this tradition till date.
The first shrine was built by the Portuguese missionaries who came with Vasco Da Gama in 1524 and dedicated it to the Holy Spirit, and installed a picture of Mother Mary and Infant Jesus at its pinnacle. This basilica is the first such shrine in Asia dedicated to the Holy Spirit. This is a must visit church in Kerala for all the pilgrims and tourists.
4. Basilica of the Holy Rosary, Bandel
The Basilica of the Holy Rosary is one of the oldest churches in Western Bengal and bears testimony to the Portuguese settlements in the state. It is situated in Bandel and is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary or Nostra Senhora di Rozario. The church itself was built in 1660, after the Mughal Emperor gave permission to the Portuguese to build a town in Hooghly.
The Basilica has several altars and a shrine dedicated to Mother Mary. In front of the church stands a ship’s mast to honour the belief that Mother Mary saved a sinking ship here. There are several miracles associated with the building of this church. An annual festival is held every year to celebrate these miracles and if you visit during the time, you can tune yourself to the wonderful stories attached to the church.
5. St. Lawrence Minor Basilica Shrine
St.Lawrence church, also known as Sao Lawrence, is located in Udupi district of Karnataka. This church was also built by the Portuguese in the early 18th century, in honour of St. Lawrence, the patron of the downtrodden, ill, poor, orphans and destitutes.
The church was once attacked by Tipu Sultan and razed to the ground. Later, when Christians returned to the area, they placed the statue of St. Lawrence under a thatched roof. Eventually, a small church was rebuilt and it became a popular pilgrimage spot. On May 2016, the Pope issued a Papal decree declaring the shrine to be a minor basilica.
6. St. Andrew’s Basilica, Arthunkal
The Portuguese Missionaries in the 16th century used coconut leaves and wood to build an imposing structure known as the Basilica of St. Andrew at Cherthala. It was rebuilt in 1884 by the Portuguese priest Fr. Jacoma Fenicio S.J, also known as Arthunkal Veluthachan (fair skinned) and had powers to cure both physical and mental illnesses.
The priest was an authority on Hindu culture and tradition, and a friend of the Hindu God, Ayyappa. The church was rebuilt again after the priest passed away in 1632, and a statue of St. Sebastian was brought in from Milan. It depicts a martyred St. Sebastian, who was killed by the Romans for embracing Christianity. This church is an important place to visit in Alappuzha,the venice of the East.
7. Basilica of Bom Jesus
Goa is the hub of churches, but there is one that comes in the category of Basilica. This is the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Panaji, the capital city, built in 1594. The magnificent structure reflects a perfect Renaissance culture and the Basilica is integrated with intricately gilded altars with stunningly crafted basalt embellishments. The columns of the church are covered in marble and inlaid with precious stones. The frescos and the artwork add to its magnificent veritable structure.
Bom Jesus, means Good Jesus in Portuguese. It houses the sacred relic of St. Francis Xavier, has an altar with life sized gold gilded state of Our Lady of Hope and another altar with St. Michael housed in it.
8. St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai
San thome Basilica is situated in Chennai, and was built to honor St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus Christ who was martyred in 72 AD. The present Basilica is built over the tomb of St. Thomas. The Virgin Mary statue was brought in from Portugal and enshrined within the Basilica. The church was named a Cathedral in 1890 and gradually Basilica in 1956.
The Basilica is known for its typical Gothic style structure and stained glass windows depicting stories of St. Thomas, wooden plaques depicting the last days of Jesus Christ and the relic of St.Thomas.
Conclusion
We hope you found the history and origin of Basilicas intriguing.They are an even splendid sight in reality, what with their fine architecture and artwork.
So what are you waiting for? Don those touristy hats and get exploring!
