Pani Matha

Pani Matha

Friday, January 15, 2010

HISTORY OF OUR LADY OF SNOWS


Our Lady of Snows Kallikulam



During seventeenth century, Kallikulam village was unoccupied. Some people from a near by village Kumbikulam, who used to go through this area, found that the land was unowned. They shared it amongst themselves and possessed it. After that, people from different communities came to Kallikulam and settled over there. They built houses in the village and did farming in the surrounded area. In the middle of the village they built a "Sudalaimadan" (a Hindu deity) temple for worship. The village leader conducted religious service in the temple.














People who wished to settle and build house in Kallikulam, offered Rs. 1 to the village leader and he allocated land to them. At that time, a dispute erupted between the owners and the local inhabitants, over the ownership of Kallikulam village land. A case was filed in the district court of Tirunelveli, which is 55 KM far from Kallikulam. At that time, there was no proper transportation between Kallikulam and Tirunelveli, and people used to go by walk to Tirunelveli.














In those days Vadakankulam and Anaikarai were the only Christian villages near to Kallikulam. Vadakankulam is situated 20 km far in the west side of Kallikulam and Anaikarai is situated 15 km far in the east side of Kallikulam. Once in a month a European priest from Vadakankulam parish went to Anaikarai by horse and conducted Mass. While going from Vadakankulam to Anaikarai the priest went through Kallikulam and developed a good relation with Kallikulam people.














Some time after, the village people got first summon from the court. Before they went to court, the village leader got a dream. In that dream, a lady with her child in her one arm and holding silver stick on the other hand, asked a particular part of land at Kallikulam to build a house. The village leader told his dream to his assistant and instructed him to give land to that lady if she came in his absence. After he returned from court, he asked his assistant about that lady and found that that lady had not come.














He got similar kind of dream at the time of second summon also. The same lady came in his dream and asked a particular part of land at Kallikulam to build a house. That time, the village leader very much confused about his dreams and told his dreams to village elders and asked their opinion. They discussed about the dreams and assumed that the lady might be their "Amman" (a Hindu deity) and she wants them to build a temple at Kallikulam for her. So they went to see the part of land pointed out by that lady. It was a cotton field, and the location of the "Sudalaimadan" temple. In that hot summer season, that part of land was wet with dew. They amazed at that marvel and discussed the events amongst themselves.














At that time the European priest of Vadakankulam, on his way to Anaikarai came there and saw that wet land. He amazed, and asked them how that land got wet at that hot summer season. They told him about the dreams and their wish to build a temple for Amman. Then the priest told them that that kind of miracle can be performed neither by Amman nor by any spirit and that can be done only by one lady, Mary. He told the miracles of Mary to them and said that Mary would help them in their battle to get the ownership of the land of Kallikulam. They laughed at him and said that he was trying to preach Christionity, and that was the reason he was giving different meaning to the dreams.














After some days the village people got the third summon. By that time the case came to the end of the trial. The village people and the leader were worried about the final verdict and their future. Before they went to court, the village leader got a dream. In that dream, the same lady came and told him that 'You go in the front and I will be with you'. At once the village leader called the village elders and other people and told his dream. They remembered the words of the European priest, and believed that the lady was Mary and she would help them in their trial.














The village leader and other people went to court for the final verdict and there they got judgment in favour of them. The court declared that the people who were living in Kallikulam were the real owners of the land. They were very happy about the verdict and believed that Mary helped them to win that trial. With more gratitude they decided to build a church for Mary at the land pointed by her. They moved the "Sudalaimadan" temple from the marked land to east side out of the village and build a small thatched church for Mary on 1770. They met the European priest during his visit and got babtised.














On 1884, the village people decided to build a new church for Mary. They were undecided about the size and boundary of the church. On a hot summer morning, they found a part of land wet with dew, marking the boundary of the church. On 1885, a magnificent church was constructed on that place and consecrated to Our Lady of Snows.














On 29th March 1939, Mary appeared on a small hill near to the church. She appeared in the middle of bright light. Six young people saw that apparition. A Grotto was constructed on the apparition site and dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.