More here http://joegoauk-pointofview.blogspot.com/2017/09/vailankanni.html
Our Visit to Vailankani by Special train from Vasco da Gama on 6th Sept 2017 Village: Velankanni, District: Nagapattinam, State: Tamil Nadu, India We left on 6th Sept 2017 at 11.20am train from Vasco da Gama and arrived Vailankanni next day at 2pm. Our hotel check-in timing was 7.30pm so we kept our bags at the reception counter and set out for sightseeing etc. Starting with the beach, restaurant/lunch fish curry thali followed by the Church / Shrine tour. The entire Vailankani tour was meant for 1.5 days but for me it was like half day only as I was down with high fever the whole night and the next full day. We left the hotel at 7.30pm to take return train to Vasco at 11.45pm from Vailankani station. Back at Vasco 2am (as against 11.45pm) To find hotel or accommodation there was very tough, somehow we managed to book one triple room online with two extra mattresses for Rs.3,600 (A/c). There was one hotel that was showing Rs.5000 per non- A/c room and the final figure for two rooms with taxes was showing up around Rs.13,000. We were 6. It was crowded there and people / pilgrims seen squatting all over. It was like Old Goa Novena / Feast scene where we see pilgrim sleeping in the convents and Churches etc but here it was out in the open be it in the roads, garden or passages or corridors. Everything there was expensive or sold at premium rates. Even Vasaichim like bananas were sold for Rs.130 per kg or Rs.60 half kg (6pcs), we saw lot of banana plantations from our train though! Fish curry rice thali Rs.150 (pic) but it did not come with fried fish, had to pay extra for fish. At Church Canteen, the thali was cheaper i.e. Rs.70 + GST and that did not come with fried fish too. We paid Rs.40 a piece + GST (See menu pic) Many devotees were offering tray full of puja items including coconuts and flowers. Yet some were offering coconut sapling inside the main Church. Sadly, photography/videography is prohibited inside the main shrine. Masses in all languages including Konkani mass, I missed 10’clock mass in the lower cathedral as I was sick. Another thing we noted, despite the place being touristic (Church and beaches) the vendors/hawkers speak no other language than Tamil. During the Car Procession at night, one has be very cautious or best to avoid with kids and elderly. A simple false alarm could trigger a catastrophic stampede like situation. There is simplly a mad rush and half of the crowd are those who already witnessed the Car procession on previous days. On our way back, our train had no water in most of the washrooms, saw some using mineral water . Water tanks were only filled up once the train reached Mangalore junction around 5.30pm that’s after 18 hours from Velankani station departure. Our special train, apart from special fare had no security personnel nor any TC on both sectors. Whilst going the train was about 70% empty and coming back it was full to the capacity Video1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snfDnxt2Htc Video 2 night https://youtu.be/GyCP1hXNnP4 Video 3 - Car Procession https://youtu.be/uSRYdnI-8X4 More pics and videos https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/36376553444/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37041442242/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37071171781/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/36815840090/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37041513812/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/36398482243/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/36376662734/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37023380576/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37071265321/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37071272021/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37071277071/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37041582272/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37041591562/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37041596712/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37023425266/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/36399320773/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/36376725114/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukindia/37023461886/in/photostream/ More pics and video here http://joegoauk-pointofview.blogspot.com/2017/09/vailankanni.html joego...@yahoo.co.uk for Goa & NRI related info... http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/GOAN-NRI/ For Goan Video Clips http://youtube.com/joeukgoa In Goa, Dial 1 0 8 For Hospital, Police, Fire etc
