Thousands of pilgrims and devotees from all over the country are expected to attend the first day prayer, blessing and holy mass in Tamil. At the main shrine of the church, people who are sick and suffering from diseases, tries to acquire holy blessings from "Our Lady of Health". Apart from holy mass, special 'high mass' are also organized in varied languages like Tamil, Marathi, English, Konkani, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindu during the Annai Velankani Festival. These mass starts in the morning and lasts till evening. However, the holy mass is held at 6 'o' clock in the morning at 'Our Lady's Tank'. The festival ends with feting the birthday of 'Blessed Mother Shrine'. To accommodate such a huge gatherings, the police provide special facilities. Transport, sanitation, protected drinking water supply are given due emphasis. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and private operators organize exclusive bus services connecting numerous parts of the Tamil Nadu state. |