A HOLY ABODE OF ST. XAVIER – HOLY CROSS CHURCH AT MANAPAD !!
Manapad is roughly 13 KM from Alanthalai. We took the Thoothukudi – Tiruchendur – Kanyakumari road and reached Manapad around 4’0 clock. As it was already time, we couldn’t go anywhere else and went directly to Holy Cross Church.
The pristine beaches of the fishing town of Uvari offers serenity, besides the renowned Kappal Matha Church and Uvari Anthoniyar Church. The radiant façade of Punniyavalanpuram Velankanni Church and the lost Church of Athisaya Manal Matha behold the perfect goodness of God!
On the way to the cliff, the Holy Cross church shines in white armor. The holy cross is believed to be made from a fragmentary remnant of Jerusalem’s True Cross.
The church that rests by the sea with fluttering waves and the lighthouse peeking from behind, along with the beautiful St. Xavier Grotto cave facing the sea makes Manapad a picture- postcard place. From the cliff, it’s picturesque and the view is magnificent…. The steeples and the spires of the Gothic churches stand tall opposing each other, from afar amid the red-roofed, white-washed houses and the glimmering blue lagoons with the fishing boats docked that glint in the evening sun!
It’s just beautiful… I love this place!! It’s like finding solace at the end of your sojourn…
Manapad Church History :
It all began in 1542, when St. Xavier – the Spanish Jesuit and the missionary of Jesus Christ – visited Manapad, India – was preaching over a cliff and took his holy abode here in the sandstone cave facing the seashore. Inside the cave, there’s a small well with blessed waters that tastes sweet, considered to have healing powers…
Manapad Beach:
The beach here is shallow and best suited for kids to enjoy. It’s just like Radhanagar beach with small tides. It’s safe! We spent almost an hour and a half there.
There are two large water wells that are facing opposite to the sea. The water in the well is unbelievably sweet and not salty. It’s yet another shallow coastal aquifer and close to the sea. You could pour a pail of fresh water after swimming. The other well serves for drinking purpose for the whole village.
There are no shops or changing rooms nearby. We had to loiter around the shorelines to air-dry our clothes before we could board the cab…
There are two other churches, St. James church and Holy Spirit church which we missed in our trip.
It was almost dark when we started from there. We reached home around 9 PM.
Take a look at our second day trip to Padmanabhapuram Palace, Mathoor Thottipalam and the silvery Thirparappu waterfalls in Kanyakumari.
Here’s our 3 Days Kanyakumari Itinerary covering the major tourist places in Kanyakumari to plan your trip efficiently !
With luv,
