Pilgrims walk to Velankanni for annual feast
Thousands of devotees are undertaking a traditional foot pilgrimage to the Velankanni shrine in Tamil Nadu for the annual festival of Our Lady of Good Health. While the event is a significant cultural and religious tradition, it has raised safety concerns due to pilgrims walking along busy highways.
Why it matters
The pilgrimage highlights the intersection of religious tradition and public safety infrastructure in India, where large-scale pedestrian movements often conflict with modern traffic patterns.
Devotees from Tiruchi, Thanjavur, and neighbouring districts have begun their traditional pilgrimage on foot to Velankanni in Nagapattinam district to attend the annual festival of Our Lady of Good Health.
The festival is being celebrated from August 29 to September 8 and is expected to draw thousands of devotees from across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States.
Wearing ochre-coloured clothes and carrying flags bearing the image of Our Lady of Good Health, groups of devotees are walking to Velankanni via Thanjavur. In some places, pilgrims are pulling the chariot of Our Lady as part of the pilgrimage.
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