Manapad
Manapad is a coastal village in far south India, 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Tuticorin and 18 km (11 mi) south of Tiruchendur.[1]
Manapad Manavai | |
|---|---|
village | |
  Manapad Location in Tamil Nadu, India  Manapad Manapad (India) | |
| Coordinates: 8°22′39″N 78°3′8″E | |
| Country |  |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Tuticorin |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 628 209 |
| Nearest city | Tuticorin |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Tuticorin |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Tiruchendur |
| Website | www |
St. Francis Xavier came to Manapad in 1542, when he began missionary activity on the Fishery coast.[1][2] He lived in a grotto cavern on the seaward face of a cliff and held mass at a chapel of the Captain's Cross, built from a ship's mast after a storm in 1540. Holy Cross Church, built close to the sea in 1581, has a relic fragment believed to be from the True Cross of Jerusalem. From 1 to 14 September, every year, the cross is publicly displayed for thousands who attend the festival season.
History
Traditional stories say that in 1540, a Portuguese trading vessel, while sailing around the Cape of Good Hope on its way to the East, encountered a violent storm splitting its sails and snapping the hind mast, leaving it at risk of foundering. The captain, who was devoted to the veneration of the Holy Cross, implored and entrusted the safety of the vessel and that of the crew to the crucified Christ. He also made a vow that he would construct a cross from a portion of the splintered mast and have it planted on the shore where they alighted in safety. By chance, the vessel, after having drifted for several days, sought haven in the then well known port of Kulasekharapatnam.
Valliamman cave is located nearby.[3]
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The festival of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated annually by the Catholic Church on 14 September. It is the tradition of Portuguese to lay the cross in the places where they live.
Cinema shoot
The movie Neethaane En Ponvasantham had a climax shoot out from the shores and the coverage exposed the place to many Tamil people. The place is a remarkable location which suited the story ad screenplay of the movie in an excellent projection.
Major part of Maniratnam's Kadal movie has been shot in Manapad.
Singam II has some parts pictured at this church premises, apart from these many short film also been shot here
Notable people
Francis Savio Rodrigo (State Transport Commissioner) Tamilnadu
Lawrence Xavier
Eusebius OFM Cap
References
- Land and people of Indian states and union territories, Gopal K. Bhargava, S.C. Bhatt, 2006, 575 pages, p.411, wy.
- Engaging South Asian Religions, Mathew N. Peter Schmalz, Peter Gottschalk, 2011, 256 pages, p.116, web: UC.
- Pillai, J.M. Somasundaram. "Valli's Cave or Dattatreya's Cave". tiruchendur.org.