VETTUKAD CHURCH - MADRE DE DEUS

Located along the coast, 7 km west of Thiruvananthapuram, the beautiful Madre de Deus (Mother of God) Church, built in 1934 and more commonly known as the Vettukad (or Vettucaud) Church, attracts thousands of devotees of all religions. The Spanish missionary St. Francis Xavier (Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta) is said to have visited Vettukad between 1543 and 1547 to evangelize the region. Its annual celebration is called the Feast of Christ the King.