1. Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

The Sacred shrine is devoted to Mother Mary, who is also known as Our Lady of Good Health and more popular as Lourdes of the East.

People state that the church was founded owing to three miraculous events that include the appearance of mother Mary to a shepherd boy, the survival of Portuguese sailors assaulted by a violent sea storm and the curing of a handicapped buttermilk vendor.

The Spot where Mother Mary appeared before the shepherd is known as Matha Kulam, where in Matha means mother and Kulam means pond in Tamil. Devotees would be amazed to see the main statue of mother Mary carrying baby Jesus. Travellers would appreciate the inspiring church built in Gothic style of architecture. Eighty two feet gothic domes on both the sides of the entrance add charm to the majestic church. Its interiors are adorned with the stories of Lord Jesus Christ.

The church building was raised to the status of Basilica in 1962 by Pope John XXII and it attained the status of a Parish in the year 1771 with Fr. Antonio de Rozario as the first Parish priest. People often write their wishes and put them in a small bag which is then tied with a yellow string in the church. They remove the bag once their wishes get fulfilled. Other practice of conveying their wishes to the god practised here includes putting a locked lock in the shrine seeking the welfare of their family.

Must see \ Things to do:Pay your obeisance to Mother Mary

2. Church Museum

Stroll through the Velankanni church museum as the next stop of our one day Chennai to Velankanni trip, to explore its interesting history. More popular as the Church of offerings it showcases several biblical incidents and the precious gold and silver offerings made by the devotees.

The Old museum features hundreds of letters, rock engravings and a cathedral made of coins. It also accommodates a book stall called the Annai Book Centre featuring several religious and other books.

Must see \ Things to do:Old ship wrecks and metal wares

3. Morning Star Beach

Head out to the newly built Morning Star Church with our one day Velankanni local sightseeing tour. The highly spacious church with a capacity to accommodate more than 10000 pilgrims was consecrated by the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Fernando Cardinal Filoni on 10th February 2013.

Get amazed with the beautiful paintings on the 20 feet long and 3.5 feet wide altar that depicts images of the Last Supper, the Host and wine, Virgin Mary of Velankanni, Five Bread and Two Fish. The 150 feet tall towers add charm to the majestic church that is 120 feet wide, 400 feet long and 40 feet high. The imposing church designed in the shape of a shell is worth a visit.

Must see \ Things to do:Take a look at beautifully designed interiors

4. Velankanni beach

Velankanni beach is a fascinating stop of our one day Chennai to Velankanni trip by private cab. Despite of the tsunami that hit the area adversely it is still a favourite sightseeing spot for the travellers taking a tour to Velankanni. An enchanting beach greets every visitor with its soothing swift winds from the Bay of Bengal.

Must see \ Things to do:Shop for silk and handicrafts at the shops located near the beach

5. Sikkal

Another interesting spiritual place of visit covered with the one day Velankanni tour is the visit to the Sikkal Singaravelan temple. Situated within the premises of Sikkal Navaneethswara Temple, it is considered to be a significant temple after the six abodes of Lord Muruga.

While Navaneeth Swara temple enshrines Lord Shiva as Sri Navaneetha Swara, Singaravelan Temple is dedicated to Singaravelavan the manifestation of Lord Muruga. Navaneeth Swara Temple is one among the famous temples that enshrines both Lord Shiva and Vishnu.

Legends state that the Sivalinga here was made by the renowned sage Vasishta using butter that was obtained from the milk of the divine cow Kamadhenu. When the Sivalinga was tried to be moved from this place it could not be shifted as such the place got its name as Sikkal.

It is also believed that worshipping the god here resolves all the problems of the devotees hence the name Sikkal which means problem in Tamil. The thousand years old temple welcomes the devotees with its magnificent seven tiered rajagopuram at the entrance. Pilgrims worship the goddess here who appears in a standing posture and is known as Velnedunganni .

This Sacred place also enshrines Ganapati, Mahalakshmi, Nataraja, the sixty three Nayanmars, Bhairava, Surya and Chandra. Other noteworthy attractions of the temple are the three holy tanks named as Ksheera, Gaya and Lakshmi Tanks.

According to legends Lord Murugan received the Vel from his mother Goddess Parvati at Sikkal. He used the weapon to kill Surapadman at Tiruchendur the next day. Visitors would be delighted viewing the Kartikai Mandapam built inside the temple showcasing marvellous paintings depicting legends related to Subramanya.

Must see \ Things to do: Worship Lord Shiva and Vishnu along with Lord Muruga