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Vembar is located near the district’s border with Ramanathapuram District, about 13 km south of Sayalkudi and around 7 km from Melmandai. Madurai is 97 km north-west while Tirunelveli is 85 km west.
The main source of income here is fishing and Palmyra tree climbing.
Geography
Distances from nearby towns:
Vilathikulam: 22 km.
Tuticorin: 45 km.
Madurai: 97 km.
Etymology
Palm sugar is one of the famous foods of Vembar. Vembar has a beach and lighthouse. Most of the peoples are fishermen, which is the Vembarian's identity. Unity is also their strength. Transport via Chennai - Vembar daily is serviced by Amarnath Travels. The Holy Ghost Church (Location: https://goo.gl/maps/55ADKookt9nbT4ez7) was built in 1915. It is one of the oldest churches on the Coramandel coastline. Every year during the month of January more than 10,000 Catholic devotees gather from all around the world to celebrate the feast. The church has been well maintained for more than one hundred years by the Paravar community who are the original native fishermen and ancestral forefathers of the land for more than 500 years. Another significant church is St. Antonys (Location: https://goo.gl/maps/7e7fRVi6pW7kDRPA6) which is also of equal importance and draws a crowd during the month of September.
During 1542 when Jesuit Priest Francis Xavier travelled through these coastal regions he asked people to build churches. Churches were built with walls made of clay and roofs made of thatched leaves. More than 40 churches were built in this way along the coastal regions and Vembar was one among them. During 1600 Jesuit records in Rome noted that Vembar’s church was the biggest and beautiful among the coastal churches built during that time.
Around 1658 Dutch explorers overtook these coastal regions from Portuguese. The Dutch who followed "Calvinism" started damaging Catholic churches in Vembar, Manappad, Virapandianpatanam, Tuticorin and Punnaikayal. These churches started functioning as the warehouses for the weapons possessed by the Dutch. Eventually the Paravars did not support the Dutch in their business and the Dutch faced heavy losses. In 1699 the Dutch called up all Paravars along the coast line and asked them to follow Catholicism without any fear. In fact the Dutch were instrumental in starting some churches for us and many of them turned to Catholicism. After 50 years since the Dutch came the church in Vembar started functioning again as a parish. In 1708 Vembar and Vaipar was a single parish. During the 1720s a second church was built and was named The Holy Spirit Church.
History records that in 1709 a terrible plague visited the people of Vembar. This plague took many lives and incapacitated many in this village which lasted for nearly 2 years. During this time people turned towards St. Sebastian, a warrior saint from Milan, Italy. 128He is known for curing plagues amongst several people all over the world. The people of Vembar prayed vigorously to St. Sebastian and many were cured by these prayers. Around 1711 – 1712 the people embraced St. Sebastian as the patron saint of Vembar. For more information on St. Sebastian please read the article "Vembar & St. Sebastian".
The second church built during the 1720s started deteriorating in the beginning of the 20th century. The construction of a new church began in 1908 and the stones and woods from the old church were used for this building. Paravars belonging to Vembar (within Vembar and outside of Vembar) contributed heavily to build this new church. Finally on 1 February 1915 the new church was blessed and dedicated to The Holy Spirit by Parish priest Fr. Swaminathar in the presence of Tiruchi Bishop Rev. Augustine Faisandier
Since 1876 Vembar had been a big mission with 25 substations; but from 1908 substations of Vembar were annexed with Tuticorin one after another. The church has a beautiful statue of Auxilium Mary (In Tamil known as "Sengol Matha") in the centre near the Eucharistic Tabernacle. The feast for Sengol Matha is observed on 30 October. On the left and right side of the Tabernacle are the statues of St. Joseph and St. Sebastian. St. Sebastian’s relic was brought from Rome to Vembar and this relic is used for blessing during St. Sebastian’s feast.After the few years vembar holy ghost parish has divided into two parish.another one is st.peter's parish.
Vembar Iyyanar temple is a very famous Hindu worship place among people from Tamilnadu. The Iyyanar called as Veeriya Perumal Iyyanar. This temple is very old and no one know when it was built. the location of the temple is https://goo.gl/maps/jGrimdtCgmA4ytpk9. People believe Iyyanar is guarding entire village and very powerful. Another Goddess Karuppasamy is the captain for Iyyanar to guard the people. Still the temple does not have any building or fencing as per the belief of people. 15000+ people will gather every year across world to celebrate the pooja for Ayyanar. During the festival time, the entire Vembar and near by villages, crowded with travelers and vehicles. You can see lot of Horse and Elephant idols at the Iyyanar temple looks cool to your eyes. The festival will be for 3 days. First day, people will go and worship Pathrakaali amman kovil which is 700 meter from Iyyanar temple. second day at Vembar Iyyanar temple. On third day festival will be at Veeriya karriamman kovil which is 900 meters from Iyyanar temple. The third day festival celebrated with lot of sugar canes and turmeric. Part of this festival will give you a very joyful feeling for you. This temple is managed and administered by a community of people from Tamilnadu.
Vembar Churches
Deva Sabai - God's Church (East Coast Road)
Deva Sabai - God's Church Vembar in 2022Deva Sabai - God's Church PulpitDeva Sabai - God's Church Prayer TimeDeva Sabai - God's Church in 1992Jesus – The Shelter (Deva Sabai) was founded by Pastor M.Xavier in Vembar on 10 Dec 1988 with wonderful visions in his heart. There are thousands of thousand people have been blessed by this ministry. The church strongly follows and believes in the Trinity God, the Word of God and the Love of God. Pastor M.Xavier (Senior Pastor) and Pastor Vino Xavier, the priest in-charge at Jesus The Shelter Ministries, Deva Sabai – Vembar. More Details just click https://jtsvembar.com/ Location https://goo.gl/maps/A2iCh19rxLVPnCAU8
India
