Back in 2011 I spent 2 months in the small port town of
Tuticorin for work . On the weekends I used to go exploring the villages and
beaches close to Tuticorin with my camera. I visited Ettappan Palace, the
famous Tiruchendur temple, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram and Manapad during my stay. Out of all
these places I visited Manapad stood out for its History, Gothic styled
churches, virgin untouched beaches and the beautiful Portuguese villas.There are 3 iconic churches in Manapad as shown in the image below
History of Manapad
In the year 1540 a Portuguese trading ship travelling around the Cape of Good
Hope , on its way to the East got caught in a terrible storm .The hind mast of
the ship was damaged and the sales were torn ; fearing for the lives of his
crew the captain of the ship made a vow that he would construct a cross from
the broken mast and plant it on the shores of where ever they landed .After
drifting for several days the ship washed up on the shores of Manapad.
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| Holy Cross Church built on top of a Cliff |
St.Francis Xavier
St. Francis visited Manapad in 1542 and he took abode in a cave .He had trained
2 youngsters (Anthony and Augustine) to assist him in performing Holy Mass. One
day Augustine found Anthony lying on the beach motionless frothing from the
mount and a cobra slithering away from his body .Feeling no pulse he called out
to St.Francis who came and bless Anthony’s lifeless body and asked him to get
up .Much to the amazement to all who had gathered Anthony got up and went to
assist St.Francis as if nothing had happened.
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| Altar of the Holy Ghost Church |
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| The Holy Cross Church with the Lighthouse in the background |
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| Holy Spirit Church and the Manapad Lighthouse |
Surfing In Manapad
Manapad has an unique coastline that is formed by multiple layers of lava accumulated over hundreds of years. This gives Manapad the rare distinction of witnessing the best wave formation throughout the year.So, Manapad is one of the best surfing sites in India.
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| Bay Of Manapad |
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| Fisherman Mending His Net |
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| Chapel By The Sea |
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| Excited to get their picture taken |
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| The Town Centre and Little Samson |
When I visited Manapad in 2011 other than the beautiful churches and beaches there was nothing else in Manapad . But now I hear that surfing has really picked up and there is a nice B&B for travellers to stay (Villa de Joseph). If you are travelling to popular destinations in South India like Chennai, Madurai , Kanya Kumari etc come down to Manapad; you wont be disappointed !
Places of interest around Tuticorin
Amazing collection of pictures, Which you have shared here about the Manapad. These pictures are very beautiful and I liked all of these. If anyone looking for the Best international Tour operator in Madurai, Merajtravels is the best choice.
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