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{{morefootnotes|date=July 2020}}
{{citation style|date=April 2026}}
{{Orphan|date=April 2016}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox church
| name = Manal Matha Shrine
| fullname = Athisaya Manal Matha Shrine
| image =
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| coordinates = {{coord|8.336972|77.953286|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = India
| denomination = [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]]
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| founded date = First century AD
| founder = [[Thomas the Apostle]]
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| diocese = [[Diocese of Tuticorin|Tuticorin]]
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'''Athisaya Manal Matha Shrine''' ({{langx|tam|அதிசய மணல் மாதா |translation= Our Lady of Red Sands}} ) is a shrine in southern [[Thoothukudi district]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The shrine belongs to the Sokkan Kudierappu Parish of the [[Diocese of Tuticorin]]. The shrine is surrounded by red sands and palm trees. A small lake (known as Tharuvai in by the local people) is located near the shrine. It was once known as Kanakkan Kudieruppu, where a number of families lived in the [[Pandya dynasty|Pandya kingdom]]. It's said that, as a result of the unjust in the kingdom, through a poor widow who was killed by the king, the whole village was covered by red sand by sand storm. It is considered as a punishment given to the people and the king by God. Later in 1798, the church was discovered by a shepherd boy with the help of the people of Sokkan Kudieruppu.

Today, the Shrine is one of the sixteen [[shrine]]s in of the Diocese of Tuticorin. It is administrated by the Sokkan Kudierappu parish. Saturday devotion is famous in the shrine, receiving visitors from southern Tamil Nadu and from some parts of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka visit the shrine. Blessed Holy Meal is served to all the people, irrespective of caste and religion on every first Saturday of the month. Ten days of feast is celebrated every year in the month of September. It starts with the flag-hoisting on the Friday followed by [[Feast of the Cross|The Feast of the Cross]] and ends with a grand [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Holy mass]] on the tenth day of the feast.<ref>[http://connectgalaxy.com/pages/view/183552/%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%AF-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%A3%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BE-%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D Connect Galaxy.com]</ref>

==Church history==
In the first century AD [[Thomas the Apostle|Saint Thomas]] spread [[Christianity]] in the state of [[Kerala]], on the west coast of India. By preaching about Lord [[Jesus]], he started to draw the Indian people towards Christianity. During that period Saint Thomas started healing many people from deadly diseases. By performing miracles, his fame spread across Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

During the first century AD, the southern tip of India was under the regime of the [[Pandya Kingdom|Pandya]] ruler Kandappa Rasa. The king and his family suffered from various diseases. During this period, he learned of Saint Thomas' miracles through the traders who visited [[Kerala]] to sell spices. On hearing about Saint Thomas, the king went to Kerala, described his sufferings, and brought Saint Thomas to Tamil Nadu.

With the blessing of Lord Jesus, Saint Thomas healed the king and his family, to the king's amazement.

Saint Thomas preached Christianity to the king and his followers and they soon started following Christianity. Saint Thomas renamed the King as "Sabor".

As a mark of respect, the king donated 3 cents of land to Saint Thomas to build a church for [[Virgin Mary|Mother Mary]]. As per tradition in those days, Saint Thomas built the church with palm leaves. This piece of land was the first in India to be donated to Christianity.

In the church, Saint Thomas set up a holy cross made of wood and instructed the people to pray at the cross. Saint Thomas marked the letters [[INRI]] on the top portion of the cross. The church built on 3 cents of land donated to Saint Thomas is the "Athisaya Manalmatha Church".<ref name=connectgalaxy/>

===St. Xavier's visit===
In the 16th century, [[Francis Xavier|Saint Francis Xavier]] started preaching Christianity in southern part of Tamil Nadu. During that time he was preaching in Manapadu Malai, and learned of the church of Manalmatha in Kanakkan Kudieruppu and that the Christians in Kanakkan Kudieruppu were all followers of Saint Thomas and he was eager to visit the Athisaya Manalmatha church.<ref name=connectgalaxy>{{Cite web|url=http://connectgalaxy.com/pages/view/183553/athisaya-manal-matha-shrine|title = Athisaya Manal Matha Shrine : Connectgalaxy}}</ref>

==Athisaya Manal Matha Songs - Audio Jukebox==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyJnKl9iYU Audio Jukebox - Part I]
**{{lang|ta|அதிசய மணல் மாதாவே}}
**{{lang|ta| அம்மா உம்மை புகழுகின்றோம்}}
**{{lang|ta| ஜெபமாலை பலம் உனக்கு}}
**{{lang|ta| அதிசய மணல் மாதாவே சரணம்}}
**{{lang|ta| திருச் செந்த்தேரியில் வீற்றிருந்தாய்}}
**{{lang|ta| செம்மலை ஆளும் ராணி}}
**{{lang|ta| எந்தன் குறை தீரும் அம்மா}}
**{{lang|ta| செம்மணல் தேரிக்கு வாருங்கள்}}
**{{lang|ta| செம்மணல் குன்றினுள் கோவில்}}
**{{lang|ta| தேரி மண்ணில் வந்து}}
**{{lang|ta| மாதாவே உம் பாதம் வந்தோம்}}
**{{lang|ta| செந்தமிழ் பாமாலை நின்}}

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyJnKl9iYU Audio Jukebox - Part II]
** {{lang|ta| அதிசய மணல் மாதாவே}}
** {{lang|ta| மணல் மாதா எங்கள் மணல் மாதா}}
** {{lang|ta| அலங்கார மாமரியே வாழ்க }}
** {{lang|ta| பாலகனாம் இயேசுவை உலகிற்கு தந்த}}
** {{lang|ta| மணல் மலை மாளிகை}}
** {{lang|ta| செக்க சிவந்தது செக்க சிவந்தது தேரி}}
** {{lang|ta| மணலுக்குள் இருக்கும் திருக்கோவில்}}
** {{lang|ta| சொக்கன் குடியிருப்பு மணல் மாதாவே}}
** {{lang|ta| உன் திரு பாத மலரில் }}
** {{lang|ta| செம்மணல் தேரிக்கு வாருங்கள்}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.getjar.com/categories/religion-apps/Manal-Matha-870685 Getjar.com: Manal Matha]
* [http://www.getjar.com/categories/religion-apps/Manal-Matha-Songs-890665 Getjar.com: Manal Matha songs]
* [http://tuticorindiocese.org/parish-sokkankudiruppu-st-james.htm Parish website]
* [https://www.athisayamanalmathashrine.org/ Shrine website]
* [https://facebook.com/manalmatha Facebook]

{{morecat|date=April 2026}}
[[Category:Roman Catholic church buildings in Tamil Nadu]]

Manal Matha Shrine - Revision history

Ankitchadha: new