Destination guide
Discover Vallarpadam Basilica
At a glance
Why this place stands out
Vallarpadam Basilica is the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom on Vallarpadam Island, Ernakulam, Keralam, a major Marian pilgrimage centre known for Vallarpadathamma devotion and its September feast.
Vallarpadam Basilica, formally the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, stands on Vallarpadam Island in Ernakulam district, Keralam. Keralam Tourism records the shrine as a major Christian pilgrimage centre and notes the deep devotion to Mary under the local name Vallarpadathamma. The church’s history is linked to Portuguese missionaries, with an early church established in the 16th century and a later structure built after the older building was lost to flooding.
The shrine developed into a nationally important pilgrimage destination and today attracts visitors from Keralam and beyond. Its most prominent annual celebration is the Feast of Vallarpadathamma in September, when special prayers, processions and religious observances draw large gatherings. For travellers, the basilica offers both a living place of worship and a significant stop in Kochi’s layered Christian and maritime heritage.
Its island location also places it close to Bolgatty, the Vallarpadam waterfront and other central Kochi attractions.
Nammude Keralam