The Church of Our Lady of Health is located at Velankanni. The place, known as the Mecca of South Asian Christianity is on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu. The place is famous for the church located near the sea shore. Legend is that in 1560 Virgin Mary had appeared to a shepherd, asking him for milk to quench the thirst of baby Jesus. Due to this reason a small chapel was built there. By the end of 16th century, Mary appeared again in front of a lame boy and regained the use of his limbs. It is also said that a Portuguese ship sailing from Macao to Goa was deposited on the shores of Velangani after being caught in a massive storm in the Indian Ocean. The outstanding feature of the shrine is the miracle angle attached to it.
[Source www.tamilnadutourism.org/naga.htm (121) 18-Jun-04]
