Villianur Shrine

Villianur - This Marian shrine, a small town located about 13 km from Pondicherry, is a unique destination, being the sole shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes outside its namesake city in France. A remarkable artifact within this shrine is the life-sized statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, commissioned by Fr. Tarbes, the Parish Priest of Villianur. Notably, Fr. Tarbes was the cousin brother of St. Bernadette Soubirous, who experienced a series of 18 Marian apparitions in Lourdes between February 11 and July 16, 1858.

During these visions, St. Bernadette reported that the Holy Virgin identified herself as the "Immaculate Conception", a title later affirmed by the Catholic Church. Fr. Tarbes commissioned a life-sized statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1877, which he then brought to Villianur, thereby establishing it as an important pilgrimage site where devotees could pay homage to the Blessed Virgin and reflect on the significance of St. Bernadette's Marian apparitions.

Our Lady of Lourdes refers to the Marian apparitions which occurred in 1858 in Lourdes, France. The main elements are:

• Apparitions: Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, a 14-year-old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous reported 18 visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near Lourdes.
  
• The Virgin's appearance: Bernadette described seeing a young woman dressed in white with a blue sash and a golden rose on each foot.
  
• Messages: The Marian apparition asked for prayer and penitence, and requested that a chapel be built at the site.
  
• The spring: During one vision, Bernadette was instructed to dig in the ground, revealing a spring that has healing properties.
  
• Church recognition: After a thorough investigation, the Catholic Church officially recognized the apparitions as authentic in 1862.
  
• Shrine: A shrine was built at the site, which has become one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the Catholic world.
  
• Healings: Many pilgrims visit Lourdes seeking physical or spiritual healing. The Church has officially recognized 70 miraculous healings associated with Lourdes.
• Global influence: The devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes spread worldwide, with many churches and shrines dedicated to her around the globe, including the one in Villianur, India.
  

In the annals of history, the year 1877 marks the arrival of this life-sized embodiment of Our Lady of Lourdes to the sacred precincts of Villianur. Its presence, however, has not been limited to mere aesthetic contemplation; rather, it has stirred the hearts of countless pilgrims, who have borne witness to a tapestry of miraculous occurrences attributed to this ethereal figure.

Several miracles have been attributed to this Lady of Lourdes statue which soon attracted multitudes of devotees.
In 1877, a life-sized statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was transported from Lourdes, France to Villianur, with the assistance of St. Bernadette herself and her cousin, Fr. Tarbes. The statue, renowned for its connection to miraculous events, arrived in Puducherry on April 4th, 1877.
Adding a layer of profound significance to this hallowed site is a small relic—a stone from the very grotto where St. Bernadette first beheld the divine apparition. Positioned gracefully beside the original statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, this stone serves as a tangible link to the origins of this spiritual sanctuary.

A picturesque pond, masterfully crafted by a French Priest during the same period, is an integral facet of the mystical allure surrounding Our Lady of Lourdes. It is here that the sacred waters of the original Lourdes spring find their way, with great reverence, as devotees convey pots of holy water to blend with the pond's crystalline depths. This act not only symbolizes a profound connection but also invokes the transcendent essence of Lourdes, rendering this shrine a sanctuary of unparalleled sanctity and grace.

There is a school within the premises of this Shrine, a small center where you can buy religious artifacts like Rosaries, small statues and the like. There is a votive center with a life size statue of Our Lady behind a glass wall. If you come on a working day, you can have a peaceful prayer session in this miraculous shrine.