St Andrew's Basilica_ Arthunkal

                         BASILICA ON OCTOBER 11          




      Arthunkal St Andrews Forane Church, the first Parish of the Diocese of Alleppey has been elevated to the status of Basilica on 9th of July 2010. Arthunkal Basilica will become the first Basilica in the diocese of Alleppey and the 7th Basilica in Kerala. It will become the 3rd Basilica on the Latin Catholic church of Kerala.

 The Arthunkal Feast refers to the annual grand celebrations held at the St. Andrew's Forane Church at Arthunkal that culminates into a big feast. Also known as St. Sebastian's Feast, this church festival of Kerala sees both Christians as well as people of other religious belies thronging to the Church.

  The Arthunkal Feast is celebrated over eleven days in Kerala. The highlights of the concluding day of the festival include a special ritual in which the devotees crawl on their knees all the way from the nearby beach to the church. Afterwards there is a ceremonial procession to the beach.

 Owing to the huge crowd on the ultimate day of Arthunkal Feast, in recent years, the the church authorities have instituted another minor feast on the 8th day after the principal feast. This is known as Ettamperunnal. Of late this feast also has attained as much importance as the principal feast

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