Velankanni: From history to religion
Mary, mother of Jesus, is believed to have appeared in Velankanni more than once. According to the traditional account, the first apparition took place sometime in the 16 th century, usually dated to around 1570. The story goes that a young Hindu boy was carrying milk from Velankanni to Nagapattinam for his employer. On the way, he stopped to rest beneath a tree near a pond. A beautiful woman carrying a child appeared before him and requested some milk for her child. The boy willingly gave her some. When he reached his destination, his employer questioned him about the shortage of milk. The boy explained what had happened. According to the story, the milk pot then became miraculously full. The employer accompanied the boy back to the place where the encounter had occurred. There, the woman reportedly appeared again. The place became associated with the name Matha Kulam, meaning Mother’s Pond. There is no contemporary 16 th century written record establishing this app...
