MY CHETTHUPATTU TRIP - POONDI MAADHA (MARY) FESTIVAL

John Francis - 1971

Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica

Chettupattu (Tamilnadu)

I might have been probably 5 years old when my grandparents who used to live in Kaniyambadi used to go to Chettupattu Poondi Maadha Festival. My mother and me used to go to my grandparents house in Kaniyambadi and from there my grand father took his bullock cart and we packed all our baggage and also we took all cooking utensils and we left to Poondi Church Festival.

It used to be a covered bullock cart and my grandfather used to ride the bullock cart and we used to sit inside. At least 10 of us went, my mom, me, my grandpa, my grandma, my aunt, her children. The festival used to be a day long festival and we used to travel for one full day to reach the church. 

I remember this from the time I was young that my mother who is a strong believer of Mother Mary. We also used to go to Velankanni Mother Mary's Church in Nagapattinam. I will be writing a separate blog about this and the trips and the joy we used to have and cooking we used to do their at Nagapattinam church. But, this was something I remember very vaguely and I still remember it very well that my cousins and my aunt and my mom with my grandparents went to this place and my mother even had a road side shop that she had put up. I remember, I used to have lot of skin tags on both my hands and my mother prayed to this church that if it is gone she will come to the church and prayers. So, this was one incident I remember very well. 

Kaniyambadi - Chettupattu

Total Distance - 49.5 Kms

Travel Time by Bullock Cart - 1 day

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/02/our-lady-of-lourdes-shrine-chetpet.html

Additional Info about this shrine

http://www.vellorediocese.org/chetpet-shrine