Tharagumalai - A Hill with a church

Tiruchendur - A holly place for Lord Muruga

Uvari - Nice Fishing village with Church in Ship and Boat model

Uvari is a coastal village with about 3,000 households and a population of 10,000 in the Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is 75 km from Tirunelveli and 45 km from Kanyakumari.

In ancient Tamil history, the people were called Paravas of the Neithal (ocean) land. The sister town of this village is known as Kezha Uvari which is famous for an ancient Shiva temple, Sri Suyambulingaswamy Thirukovil. Today little is left except the remnants of gate arches carved out of rock and an abandoned temple, a little away from the newly constructed main temple.

More recently, in the 1530s, Portuguese and Spanish missionaries from Goa had a strong influence when the Paravas converted to Christianity en masse. The priests, acting as godfathers, gave surnames such as Fernandes to most of the villagers.

According to local tradition, the crew of a Portuguese ship sailing near Uvari about 450 years ago contracted cholera. In an attempt to avert death, the ship's carpenter carved an image of Saint Antony of Padua from a block of wood. Soon after, the entire crew regained its health. When the ship docked at Uvari, the sailors set up the statue inside a hut in the village. In the 1940s, the villagers built a church with the original statue of St. Anthony holding the infant Jesus in his hand on the altar. St Anthony is said to perform many miracles daily, and Uvari is visited by pilgrims of different religions from all over South India.

The Kappal Matha Church (our lady of health), with the form of a ship carrying an airplane, is also well known and worth a visit. The original church of St. Mary was damaged by sea erosion, and replaced by this one built in 1974. There are three shrines and many grottos.

Manapad - A rare place in Earth to visit

This is also located on the sea-shore at the Bay of Bengal about 18 Km, from Tiruchendur. An ancient Roman Catholic Church is here where the Cross is said to have been brought from Jerusalem. This Church is also associated with St. Xavier, the famous missionary from West. Since there are other small temples here this place is called as "Chinna Jerusalem" (Small Jerusalem).

The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated annually by the Catholic Church on 14 September, as one of thanksgiving for the recovery of the True Cross from the Persians by the great Emperor Heraclius. Fragments of the True Cross were in due course brought from Jerusalem to many churches dedicated to the Holy Cross in the East and West. These churches sought to imitate the solemn ceremonies in use at Jerusalem in order to do homage to the Holy Cross. Possibly one of the earliest dedications to the Cross in India was the Church of the Holy Cross in Manapad. Throughout the year many pilgrims visit the church and thousands congregate during the festive season from first to fourteenth September.

Sathuragiri Hills climbing with friends

Sathuragiri Hills or Chathuragiri otherwise known as Sivanmalai is situated 5 km from Watrap (Vathirairuppu) near Srivilliputhur. The name Sathuragiri came from Chathur (4) Veda (Vedas) Giri (Hill), where all the four Vedas met and formed the hill. Another meaning is that the whole mountain is in square (Chathuram) in shape so the name Chathuragiri. Sathuragiri is the Abode of God. It is otherwise also called as Mahalingam Hill.

This is a mysterious hill where it is believed that siddhars still worship the lord Shiva.

For the first timer, it takes nearly 4 to 5 hours to climb to the Top of the hill. Rest, can reach the top within 2 to 3 hours. On the hill there is no electricity, no telephone connection, no range for cell phones no shops, no hotels, and no lodges. Annadhana is going on from morning to evening near both the temples and stay in the shelter provided there before dark falls. Basic amenities are provided at the hill. Devotees are requested not to spoil the natural gifts in the hill. Everybody can avoid plastic covers and intoxicant materials.

There are two temples in the hill

* Sri Sundara Mahalinga Swamy Temple and

* Sri Santhana Mahalinga Swamy Temple

One more sanctum of Lord Siva is also there in the top of the hill which is called as "Periya Mahalingam" (Big Mahalingam). This is worshipped by Siddhars and only those who are destined to see it will be able to go there. Most dangerous place!

The Akasha Ganga (river) which flows from above the Santhana Mahalingam temple, separates the two temples in to two sides of the banks. The distance between these two temple is hardly 15 minutes walk.