Flag hoisting (kodiyetram) 2027: date and time
Sunday 29 August 2027, at the Basilica. The flag hoisting opens the feast every year on 29 August. The shrine announces the time closer to the date; we will add it here once it is published.
The flag is lowered on the evening of 8 September, which closes the feast.
What Happens During the Annual Feast?
The Annual Feast of Our Lady of Good Health is an 11-day Catholic festival celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health. It concludes on September 8 - the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
Each of the days is sponsored by a different diocese from across India and internationally. The sponsoring diocese leads the day's processions, masses, and prayers in their language. Each day features a solemn High Mass, outdoor processions, and special devotions.
The feast culminates on September 8 with the Grand Procession - the image of Our Lady of Good Health is carried through the streets in a grand chariot procession. This is the spiritual highpoint of the entire festival and attracts the largest crowds.
Car procession (ther)
The statue of Our Lady of Good Health is taken out on a decorated car (ther) and drawn through the streets around the Basilica by pilgrims. The car procession is held on the vigil, the evening of Tuesday 7 September 2027, and the statue is carried in procession again on the feast day itself.
The streets on the route are packed well before it starts. If you are with children or elderly family, watch from a spot near the edge of the crowd and agree on a meeting point.
Masses during the feast
During the feast the shrine adds many Masses to the regular schedule, starting before dawn and running into the night, in several languages. The 2027 feast Mass schedule is published by the shrine closer to the date.
Until then, see the regular Velankanni Mass timings, or check the shrine's own site, vailankannishrine.net.
How Crowded Is It?
During the Annual Feast, Velankanni transforms from a quiet coastal town into one of India's most crowded pilgrim destinations. Expect:
- Very long queues for confession - sometimes hours long
- Roads from Nagapattinam, Karaikal, and Mayiladuturai experience heavy congestion
- Packed accommodation within 5 km of the basilica
- Extra buses, trains, and share taxis from all major cities
- Temporary toilets, medical posts, police assistance points, and water distribution stations deployed
- Candle stalls, food vendors, and religious goods shops operating 24/7
- Strict security and crowd management around the basilica complex
If you have mobility limitations or are travelling with young children or elderly parents, consider visiting in the weeks before or after the feast - the shrine is open and beautiful year-round.
Walking pilgrims and the novena days
Many groups walk to Velankanni for the feast, some from 50 to 200 km away over several days, and the largest numbers arrive in the first week of September. If you are coming by road, arriving before 2 September avoids the worst of the traffic into town.
Each novena day is led by different dioceses, and the novena prayer is said at the Masses. You can pray along with the Velankanni novena prayers.
Accommodation - Booking Priorities
How the walk-in counter works: shrine room booking guide. Diocesan guest houses usually take bookings by phone rather than online, so if your diocese has one in Velankanni, call it directly. If Velankanni is full, Nagapattinam is the usual fallback, with buses and autos to Velankanni.
What to Bring to the Annual Feast
Hotels Fill Up Months Before the Feast
Budget guesthouses near the basilica typically sell out by June–July for the August feast. AC hotels on the beach road sell out by May. Don't wait - book now.
Planning Checklist for the Annual Feast
- Book accommodation 3–6 months in advance - rooms within 1 km of the basilica sell out fastest
- Book transport early - TNSTC special buses and private operators add services but fill up quickly
- Pack modest clothes - enforce strict dress code; bring a shawl even if it's hot
- Budget extra for food - feast-season prices are higher at restaurants and street stalls
- Carry enough cash - ATMs get very crowded and can run out during peak feast days
- Plan for the Grand Procession (Sep 8) - arrive at least 2–3 hours early for a good viewing spot
- For families with children or elderly - use side shrine entrances; medical post provides first aid
- Keep children close - crowds on Sep 8 can exceed 1 million; designate a meeting point
Special Information
Families & Elderly
- Arrive by 4:00 AM on September 8
- Use side shrine entrances if main queues are long
- Wheelchair and elderly access available
- Medical post provides first aid; nearest hospital in Nagapattinam
- Keep children close in dense crowds
Vow Fulfilments
- Barefoot final stretches (popular approach)
- Hair offerings / tonsure (designated areas)
- Lighting specified candles at the shrine
- Presenting wax or silver/gold votive objects
- The spiritual heart is your devotion to Our Lady
Before you travel
- First-time pilgrim guide: how the shrine works on your first visit
- Pilgrimage itinerary: a day-by-day plan
- Dress code and etiquette inside the Basilica
- Packing checklist for the heat and crowds
- Shrine map: Basilica, beach shrine, tank and procession grounds
- Vow fulfilment and prayer intentions
- Why the feast is kept: the first, second and third apparitions