Traders do brisk business at Velankanni annual fete

Candle makers here have come up with new designs to woo pilgrims visting the Shrine Basillica at Velankanni where the 11-day annual festival is on.
Pilgrims visiting the church offer candles to the Lady of Good Health as a mark of thanksgiving.
Around the church, hundreds of small shops are selling candles in various shapes, sizes and colours.
The festival, which commenced on August 29, ends on September 8 and it is estimated that about 30 lakh pilgrims will visit the church during this period.
Candles are being prepared in shapes like cars, buses, buildings, and other forms.
Local traders say some 35 tonnes of wax has been converted as candles for sale during the festival season here.

Depending on the size, shape and colour, the cost of candles vary from Rs one to even Rs 350 per piece.
Candle making is an important cottage industry in Nagapattinam district and hundreds of families are dependent on candle making.