BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF SNOWS
Basilica is a Greek term signifying a Royal Hall, which in time has come to mean a large and beautiful hall. It is the greatest honour for a church to be raised to the status of a Basilica. The 400th Anniversary of the Our Lady Of Snows Basilica, Tuticorin was marked by Paul John Paul Il raising it to the status of Basilica through his apostolic letter dated 30th July 1982. Paniya Matha Church, also known as the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Snow is no doubt the most famous tourist attraction of Thoothukudi. Its popularity among the tourists can be understood from the fact that it is believed to be visited by the great St. Francis in 1542. The church is located in Thoothukudi and is visited by many all around the year. The church is located at a mere distance of about 7 Km from Thoothukudi and takes around 10 minutes to reach the place. The history of Our Lady Of Snows Basilica, Tuticorin is closely connected with the history of the conversion of the PARAVARS (Tuticorin), the indige