Thursday 19 February 2015

Manapad - The Hidden Treasure

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 
Manapad Church

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.
Holy Cross Church Manapad
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.

Tamil Nadu Travel Blog
Altar of the Holy Ghost Church
Holy Cross Church Manapad
The Holy Cross Church with the Lighthouse in the background
Manapad Lighthouse
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.

Bay of Manapad
Bay Of Manapad
Fisherman Mending His Net
Chapel By The Sea
Excited to get their picture taken 
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

2 comments:

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm very impressed with your innovative ideas that are really amazing. You have good knowledge on this topic. Keep sharing your amazing article with us . best white label travel portal. Thanks for sharing your article

    ReplyDelete