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| Our Lady of Snow Church,Pallipuram Kerala. en.wikipedia.org |
The biggest ever flood known in the history of Kerala (in 1341) changed the topography of the area, including the famous harbor Muziris. This harbor and the surrounding area became submerged in the deluge, and later a new Island emerged called Vypin, near present day Kochi in the Vembanad Lake. Soon people began migrating to the new land. Later during the Portuguese rule, they built a fort in 1503 to secure their trading activities at Pallipuram and it is the the oldest existing European fort in India. With the growth of Portuguese settlement as there was a necessity for Christian services, they built a church for the Christian community living nearby and dedicated it to Our Lady.
During the the 18th century, Tipu Sultan of Mysore invaded Kerala, including part of Travancore state and damaged the churches and Hindu temples on his way. He was against the British rulers and the rulers who supported them. To avoid pain and death, the panicked people took shelter in this Church and prayed for their safety. Responding to their mass prayer a miracle had happened and from no where thick fog enveloped over the area, causing almost invisibility. Besides, the nearby river was suddenly in spate, threatening flooding. The invaders from Mysore, being unable to see anything farther, stood there dazed. Tipu who camped at Challakkudy left the place with his army.
It was the unexpected miracle, a sort of divine dispensation, that changed the name of Our Lady to Manjumatha (Our Lady of Snow).
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_Snows,_Pallippuram
