Photo: Infocaster at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

Nagercoil & the Pass · Church

St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Kottar

கோட்டாறு புனித சவேரியார் பேராலயம்

A church tied to Xavier in an ancient market town

Move across the photo, or drag it on a phone, to look around.

You arrive

Kottar is the old heart of Nagercoil, a bazaar district that was trading long before the city around it existed. The streets are full of commerce, and then a church rises above them, and its forecourt gives you room to breathe. You will likely see people arriving with candles or standing quietly with their heads bowed. The market noise is still audible behind you as you walk toward the doors and go in.

Tomb of Devasahayam Pillai, inside the cathedral · Photo: Kumbalam · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Through the market streets

Approach on foot if you can, because Kottar's bazaar is half the experience. This area remains the main commodities market of the district, and goods and people press close along the road. It was an ancient trade centre of the Pandyas and Cheras, and it has never entirely stopped being one. Keep your eyes open and your bag secure, and let the crowd carry you gradually toward the church.

Statue of Devasahayam Pillai, inside the cathedral · Photo: Kumbalam · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Inside the cathedral

Step inside and the street falls away. The building has been added to across centuries, with records of enlargement in 1865, and further additions in 1942 and 1955, so its layers are not all from one time. Walk slowly along the side rather than down the centre if a service is going on. People come here for its reputation for miracles, and you may see that faith expressed very openly.

Statue of Devasahayam Pillai, inside the cathedral · Photo: Kumbalam · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Remembering Xavier

Find a seat and stay for a few minutes. Tradition holds that St Francis Xavier worshipped at Kottar, where people knew him as Valiya Pandaram, and that the king gave him land for a church. If you come during the ten-day festival in November and December, expect the quiet to be replaced by crowds and celebration. At any other time the bench and the stillness are yours for as long as you like.

Being here

You see

A tall church rising above a crowded market district.

You hear

Bazaar noise outside and hushed prayer within.

You smell

Candle wax and, outside, the mingled goods of the market.

You feel

The relief of shade and quiet after a busy street.

The story

Kottar is the original town around which Nagercoil grew. Its history reaches back to the Sangam period, and the 7th-century poet Sambandhar praised its natural beauty and business. Tradition holds that St Francis Xavier worshipped here and was known as Valiya Pandaram, and that the king granted him land for a church. District records say the church was built in 1600, enlarged in 1865, and raised to cathedral status in 1930, with more additions in 1942 and 1955. Trawell calls it the oldest cathedral of the Roman Catholic diocese in the district. Its annual ten-day festival in November and December draws large numbers of pilgrims.

Sources: Kanniyakumari district: temples, churches, masjids (updated 04.07.2018) · Wikipedia: Kottar · Trawell: places to visit

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