Although all three apparitions ultimately resulted in the erection of a shrine to Mary, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that was the proximate cause of a permanent edifice being built at Velankanni. The chapel was dedicated on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the nine-day festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 2 million pilgrims each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni, also known as the "Lourdes of the East,"[2] is one of the most-frequented religious sites in India.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_Good_Health)
