Devotees demand direct train to Vailankanni

Charlie Rosario,co-ordinator,Maharashtra Vailankanni Yatrekaru Sanghatana,along with other representatives gave a memorandum to Mamata Bannerji recently requesting a direct train from Bandra (T),Thane to Vailankani and from Dadar (CR) via Egmore to Vailankanni.

Rosario said,“Our sanghatana and other devotees have been fighting for this for over 10 years now. We want Railway ministry to at least provide us with two direct trains weekly from Bandra (T) and Dadar to Vailankanni,Nagapattinam.”

During the last Vailankanni annual feast,the Central Railway and Southern Railway had provided a direct train from Dadar to Nagapattinam and back thus benefiting thousands of Vailankanni devotees.

The Vailankanni Church authorities also paid Rs one crore to the Railways in June 1999 for Vailankanni Railway Project and had promised to pay another Rs one crore after the completion of the project. The work on the project was earlier delayed but the authorities say that it is in final stage now.

Every year,during the last week of August there is an annual feast of Mother Mary at Vailankanni in Nagapattinam,Tamil Nadu.