Village

Arthunkal is a small seaside village, about 8 kilometers west of CHERTHALA and 22 kilometers north of the sleepy Alappuzha town, in the ALAPPUZHA district of KERALA state, SOUTH INDIA. Primarily a fishing village, this serene neighborhood has witnessed fast development since the late nineties, in sync with CHERTHALA, a small satellite town of Kochi, the biggest city in Kerala.


A large open space between the local school and the church, is the heart of Arthunkal. The school, with buildings sprinkled on both of the road that leads from the church to the beach, has recently added a higher secondary division. The village also has a fairly equipped hospital, a movie theater "Swapna", and a small shopping center near the school comprising about two dozen shops leased by the church to local businessmen. The church owns bulk of the non-resident land-bank in the village. There is another church in the village, which hosts St.George as its patron saint, about half-mile away from theArthunkal church. The theeradesa highway or the beach highway, still in project stage, is expected to better connect the seaside villages of Alappuzha, including Arthunkal, with suburban Kochi. A fishing harbor is also being built in Arthunkal.

St Andrew's Forane Church - St Sebastian's

     Arthunkal St Andrews Forane Church, the first Parish of the Diocese of Alleppey has been elevated to the status of Basilica on 9th of July 2010. Arthunkal Basilica will become the first Basilica in the diocese of Alleppey and the 7th Basilica in Kerala. It will become the 3rd Basilica on the Latin Catholic church of Kerala.


BASILICA ON OCTOBER 11 / 10 / 2010 /3 Pm

Arthunkal St. Andrews forane church has been elevated to Basilica. Arthunkal St. Andrews Forane church is a famous pilgrimage center of St. Sebastian. Arthunkal is located at a distance of 22 Km from Alleppey and at a distance of around 8Km from Cherthala. It is a small sea side village. Arthunkal St. Andrews Church celebrates the feast of St. Sebastian in the month of January every year. The most important feast day is the 20th of January.

Arthunkal Church elevated to the status of Basilica on the 9th of July 2010. It is the first Basilica of Alleppey  diocese and the 7th Basilica in Kerala. The upgrade to Basilica is an important mile stone in the history of Arthunkal church. It was the first parish in Alleppey diocese.

The feast of St. Sebastian attracts lots of tourists from   of the world, not just Christian devotees. Arthunkal is an important tourist destination in Alleppey en route the coastal road to Kochi. The scenic beauty of villages on the shores of calm Arabian sea will adore the minds of travelers. Through a tour of the coastal route, you can experience the charm of village life in all its purity. You can enjoy local delicacies offered by the local restaurants here. On the coastal route from Alleppey to Kochi, there are famous

!22 km north of Alappuzha ! The St. Sebastian's Church here is an important Christian pilgrim centre. The annual festival, Arthunkal Perunnal is celebrated in January. start in 17 day's