Thirukalyana Matha Shrine

Pothakalanvilai, also known as ‘Porpai Nagar’, finds itself in the Taluk of Satankulam in the District of Tuticorin (Thoothukudi). It is a parish attached to the vicariate of Satankulam in the diocese of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, South India. The Church at Pothakalanvilai is dedicated to our Lady of Holy Marriage (Thirukalayana Matha). It is commonly believed that there are in the world only three churches, including the one at Pothakalanvilai, dedicated to our Lady of Holy Marriage. One is in France and the other in Pondicherry. The Church of Our Lady of Holy Marriage (The Church of Thirukalyana Matha) was raised to the status of a diocesan shrine by the Most Rev. Dr. Yvon Ambroise, the Bishop of Tuticorin on the 12th of May 2013. Although there are many opinions as to how this place came to be called by its present name ‘Pothakalanvilai’, only two of them seem to be reasonable and tenable. Several years ago, there lived a man, rich and powerful, in this village. He had large land holdings so much so that he nearly owned the entire village. He was afflicted with the disease called ‘elephantiasis’. As a result, he had swollen limbs (legs). He was nicknamed as ‘Pothakalan”. Since this powerful landlord owned almost the entire village, the village was named after him as Pothakalanvilai. There is one other reason why this village got its present name. A couple of centuries ago, the missionaries from the West – both Roman Catholic and Protestant – were involved in evangelizing this region. Mudalur, a nearby village and also the only substation at present of the Pothakalanvilai parish, got its name because it is believed that it was the first village in this area to become Christian thanks to the strenuous efforts made by the Protestant preachers. There is another place in the vicinity called Polaiyarpuram. The tradition holds that Polaiyarpuram is named after one ‘Paul Iyar’ (Pastor Paul). As for Pothakalanvilai, there is a well-documented tradition according to which a Catholic preacher by name Helen was hugely instrumental in the conversion of the people of Pothakalanvilai. To honour the memory of Helen, the village came to be named as ‘Pothagar Helen Vilai’ which eventually became Pothakalanvilai. There is a recorded statement found in the log-book of the parish of Sokkankudiyiruppu to which Pothakalanvilai was a substation until 1935 when it was erected as a separate parish. The statement recorded by one of the parish priests of the past reads thus: “I am going to Pothagar Helen Vilai to celebrate mass.” In the past, Pothakalanvilai was a substation at different times to three different parishes, namely Anaikarai, Periyathalai and Sokkankudiyiruppu. When it was a substation of the Sokkankudiyiruppu parish, the latter was bifurcated in 1935. Thus Pothakalanvilai became a separate parish. Rev. Fr. Bangar was appointed the first parish priest of the newly created parish of Pothakalanvilai by the Most Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Tibursius Roche. Fr. Bangar served as parish priest of Pothakalanvilai for fourteen years (1935-1949). Until 2013, the parish of Pothakalanvilai had three substations, namely, Kolunhthattu, Nava Mudalur and Valathur. In 2013, it was bifurcated and Kolunthattu carved out of it and became an independent parish with Valathur as its substation. Substation Nava Mudalur The Succession of the Priests 1 Rev. Fr. Bangar (1935-1949) 2 Rev. Fr. Mascarenhas (1949-1953) 3 Rev. Fr. M. Siluvai Antony (1953-1965) 4 Rev. Fr. Lourdumani (1965-1970) 5 Rev. Fr. Alphonse Maria Kagoo (1970-1972) 6 Rev. Fr. Rajareegam (1972-1976) 7 Rev. Fr. J. Rathinaraj (1976-1978) 8 Rev. Fr. S. Francis (1978-1979) 9 Rev. Fr. Aloy M. Navamony (1979-1982) 10 Rev. Fr. Lourdumani (1982-1985) 11 Rev. Fr. Peter Rajah (1985-1991) 12 Rev. Fr. A. J. Rex (1991-1994) 13 Rev. Fr. V. Xavier Arulraj (1994-1999) 14 Rev. Fr. M. Irudayaraja (1999-2004) 15 Rev. Fr. Arul Dhanaseelan (2004-2009) 16 Rev. Fr. T. Fabian Joseph, M.S.W. (2009-2014) 17 Rev. Fr. R. Joseph Ravi Balan (2014-2019)

Pothakalanvilai - Satankulam Tk., Tuticorin Dt., - 628 702