Things to do in Tuticorin

Tuticorin, originally known as Thirumandhira Nagar and also known as Thoothukudi or the ‘Pearl city’ is a port city situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. This city is known for Pearl fishing, Shipbuilding industries and serves as one of the Sea gateways of Tamil Nadu.  Tuticorin is a city that is growing very rapidly in terms of industries because of the availability of Salt and Copper.

The city also offers some beautiful sight-seeing spots and it has a natural harbour. There are Temples, Mosques, Churches and Cathedrals for the religiously driven tourists who come to find peace and calm in this small city.

Some of the must see places in Tuticorin are:

Sankara Rameshwarar Temple: It was made in the devotion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi and attracts a lot of devotees because of its historical background.

Sankara Rameshwarar Temple (Photo Courtesy: http://tamilaham.com)

Kalugumalai: Popular for its Jain temple, Kalumugai is also a famous tourist attraction. The temple is carved in a rock.

Kalugumalai Temple (Photo Courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org)

Kalakadu Wildlife Sanctuary: Spread in a huge area, this sanctuary comprises of a wide variety of Flora and Fauna.

Kalakadu Wildlife Sanctuary (Photo Courtesy: http://www.indianholiday.com)

Roche Park: Situated around 4 km from the city, Roche Park is an ideal place to get rid of all the stress and tiredness.

Roche Park (Photo Courtesy: http://wikimapia.org)

PaniyaMatha Church: Also known as the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Snow, this is a very old church and holds a lot of importance for a lot of devotees and Pilgrims.

PaniyaMatha Church (Photo Courtesy: http://www.nativeplanet.com)

There are a lot of other places including temples, statues, parks that can be visited while reaching the neighbouring cities too.

One major attraction of this city is the Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica festival which takes place in August. In the festival, the devotees take the magnificent statue of the Lady of snows around in a golden car during her feast day. This festival is very unique and tourists from all around the world come to witness it.

Shrine Basilica festival (Photo Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com)

For food lovers, Tuticorin is famous for its ParottaSalna Set and also a wide variety of Snacks and Sweets. The city also has its own version of Macaroon and is worth trying. It has special places for mouth-watering non vegetarian as a well as vegetarian food.

The summers in Tuticorin are very hot and humid and extend between March and June. The best time to visit this city is November to January as it is the winter time.

Tuticorin flights connect the city to Bangalore and Chennai by SpiceJet flights. Tuticorin airport is situated about 14 km from the main city. One can also take flights from the Madurai airport.

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Shrine Basilica festival in Tuticorin

Tuticorin or Thoothukudi is a port of Tamil Nadu, also known as “Pearl City”, it’s famous for pearl fishing and diving. Shipbuilding is also another thriving industry here. Tuticorin is a stunningly beautiful city, and being a port city, has historically been home to many foreign visitors such as the Dutch, the Portuguese and of course, the British.

While these are the industries Tuticorin is famous for, one of the big events that draws scores of people to Tuticorin every year is the eleven day long Shrine Basilica festival. As it is a family celebration, people flock in from all corners of the world to spend this time with their families in Tuticorin.

Speaking volumes about the rich colonial past of the city, the Shrine Basilica festival is hosted in Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica. The Shrine name is a reference to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, where legend has it, it snowed during the summer. The church was built in the sixteenth century and the history of the shrine is associated with the mass conversion of the paravar community to Christianity.

The shrine reflects a Gothic style of architecture, which is what the Portuguese (and all of Europe) were influenced by between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. One can see the pointed arches, the ribbed vaults and buttresses, which are telling of this form of architecture. Walking into the shrine, you will see the entire structure is covered with rib vaulted ceilings and high arches. Larger windows are covered with coloured glass and there are paintings depicting traditional Catholic beliefs on the dome above the altar. A statue of Our Lady of Snows stands at the altar with elegant screens hanging on either side in buttress style. The Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica is colourfully decorated for the festival.

It is fascinating to watch the celebration unfold, and impressive to see the kind of crowd this festival draws. The festival of Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica is definitely a sight to see, and worth taking any of the Tuticorin flights for. 

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