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🎉 Feast Festival: Arthunkal Perunnal
Celebrated annually from January 10 to 27, with the main day on January 20. A final “Ettam Perunnal” on the 27th marks the closure of the festivities .
The procession of the statue of St. Sebastian from the church to the beach and back draws massive crowds, including many pilgrims returning from Sabarimala shrine, who often stop here to pay respects to St. Sebastian, seen as a spiritual brother to Lord Ayyappa .
An intriguing sight during the procession is an eagle flying overhead, believed by locals to symbolically accompany the saint .
Historical & Architectural Significance
Originally built in 1581 as a simple wooden structure under permission from the local ruler, King Veera Kerala Varma .
In 1584, Italian Jesuit Fr. Giacomo Fenicio (fondly called “Arthunkal Veluthachan” or “fair-skinned father”) rebuilt it in stone and lime. He is revered for his spiritual guidance and reputed healing powers .
The current granite church, with its Gothic-style twin towers and cathedral layout, was inaugurated in 1967, after a 60-year construction period .
On 9 July 2010, Pope Benedict XVI elevated it to the status of a Minor Basilica, the first in the Diocese of Alleppey .
🙏 Spiritual Importance & Pilgrimage
Officially named after St. Andrew, it is renowned as one of the world's largest shrines to St. Sebastian, thanks to the miraculous statue from Milan (1647) depicting the saint pierced with arrows .
The parish has roots going back to the 7th century, long before Portuguese arrivals, and was actively evangelized by Jesuits starting around 1530 .
Devotees credit St. Sebastian with healing mental and physical ailments; pilgrim offerings include tiny bows and arrows (“Ambum Villum”) and even acts of crawling barefoot (known as Urulunercha) from the beach to the basilica .