Pullichira

Immaculate Conception Church

The famous Marian pilgrim centre, Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception also known as Pullichira Church is located at a distance of 12kms from Kollam. The shrine, situated in scenic surroundings on the banks of Pullichira lake in Mayyanad Panchayath, is the most ancient diocese of Kollam.Pullichira’s Immaculate Conception Church has a statue of Our Lady that washed ashore in 1520. The church now stands by the Pullichira lake and is open on all days between 6am and 9pm. The history of the church dates back to 16th century AD. The original church was built by the Portuguese in 1572, and a miraculous statue of our lady was installed at the top of the beautifully carved wooden altar. It is believed that this statue was washed ashore in a box. In 1974, a new church was built here, preserving the altar. The church was declared a Marian pilgrimage shrine in 2004. The feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception church, held every year during the second and third week of December, attracts thousands of devotees irrespective of their faith and religion. This is a 10 day long festival and during the last three days of the feast, the miraculous statue of Mother Mary is brought down from her position above the alter and taken around the church in a procession. Besides this, other feasts celebrated here are St. Sebastian’s feast (January), Lourdes Matha feast (February), St. Joseph’s feast (March), St. Antony’s feast (June), Carmelite Matha feast (September) and Fathima Matha feast (October).