ChurchFree entry

St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

#6of 6 places to visit in AlappuzhaAlappuzha, Kerala

Also known as Arthunkal Basilica · St. Sebastian's Church Arthunkal

Quick answer

Opening hours: 06:00–20:00. Entry is free. Allow 45 min. Best time: Mid-morning on a weekday outside Mass hours.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

Get directionsOfficial site

Photo: Prince Mathew Kallupurakkan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 06:00–20:00; Generally open 06:00–20:00 daily outside the five daily Mass services; sightseeing visitors should avoid entering during active Mass.
Entry fee: Free
Time needed: 45 min
Best time of day: Mid-morning on a weekday outside Mass hours
Best months: Nov – Mar
Address: Arthunkal, Cherthala Taluk, Alappuzha District, Kerala 688540

About St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

St. Andrew's Basilica in Arthunkal holds a 1647 statue of St. Sebastian pierced with arrows, carved in Milan and shipped to this fishing coast some 21 kilometres north of Alappuzha town, where it remains the focus of a month-long January feast that Kerala's Catholic community calls Makaram Perunnal. Portuguese missionaries built the first church here in the 16th century, and Pope Benedict XVI elevated it to basilica status on 9 July 2010, making it the first parish in the Diocese of Alleppey to receive the honour. The building functions as an active parish rather than a monument, with five daily Mass services and a working sacristy, so visitors arrive alongside a resident Catholic congregation rather than into an empty heritage space.

Best time of day: Mid-morning on a weekday outside Mass hours. For a quiet look at the statue and the church's Gothic-influenced interior without festival crowds.

St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal timings

Opening hours: 06:00–20:00; Mon–Sun 06:00–20:00; Generally open 06:00–20:00 daily outside the five daily Mass services; sightseeing visitors should avoid entering during active Mass.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	06:00–20:00

Good to know: The month-long St. Sebastian feast (Makaram Perunnal) runs through January, during which the basilica and surrounding village become a continuous festival ground with restricted vehicle access.

Opening hours compiled from keralatourism.org and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal ticket price

Entry fees for St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	Free
Foreign visitors	Free
Children	Free
Camera	Free

No entry fee; the basilica is an active parish church rather than a ticketed monument. During the month-long St. Sebastian feast in January, the parish welcomes voluntary offerings for festival arrangements, as of 2026. Located approximately 21 km north of Alappuzha town — note the distance before planning same-day combination with in-town sights.

Prices compiled from keralatourism.org and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

06:00 – 08:00
Morning Mass
Resident congregation gathers for the day's first services. Sightseeing visitors should wait outside or step into a side aisle.
Moderate
08:00 – 17:00
Ordinary WeekdayBest time to go
Outside the January feast, the basilica sees only scattered visitors and a handful of pilgrims between Mass services.
Quiet
17:00 – 19:00
Evening Mass
Local congregation returns for evening services; the church fills again briefly before quieting for the night.
Moderate
January (feast month)
Makaram Perunnal
Pilgrims arrive from across Kerala and neighbouring states for the month-long St. Sebastian feast, with the village, approach roads, and church grounds packed for the duration.
Very busy

History of St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

Portuguese missionaries established the first church at Arthunkal in the 16th century, part of a chain of coastal parishes the Portuguese crown sponsored along Malabar's fishing communities it hoped to administer through its ecclesiastical patronage arrangements with Rome. The Italian Jesuit vicar Jacomo Fenicio rebuilt the church in 1584, and the parish reoriented its main structure to face west toward the Arabian Sea in 1640, a change local tradition ties to the fishing congregation's daily view of boats setting out to sea. The statue of St. Sebastian arrived from Milan in 1647, carved with visible wounds from the arrows of his Roman martyrdom, and quickly became the parish's central devotional object for a Catholic fishing population that identified with a saint associated with protection from plague and sudden death at sea. The church's Gothic-influenced structure was expanded and reinforced repeatedly over the following centuries as the congregation grew, culminating in the 2010 basilica designation that formally recognised Arthunkal's standing within Kerala's Latin Catholic community.

Rules & etiquette at St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

St. Andrew's Basilica holds five Mass services daily, and sightseeing visitors should avoid entering the main nave during active services, stepping instead into the side aisles or waiting outside until the service concludes. Modest dress is expected, covering shoulders and knees, consistent with churches across Kerala's Latin Catholic parishes, and loud conversation or flash photography during any service is discouraged by resident clergy. During the month-long St. Sebastian feast in January, vehicle access to Arthunkal village is restricted for long stretches of most days, and visitors driving in should expect to park well outside the village and walk the final distance alongside the pilgrim crowds. The statue of St. Sebastian is not touched or garlanded directly by visitors; offerings and candles are placed at a designated stand near the shrine rather than at the statue itself.

Tips for visiting St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

1
Arthunkal sits roughly 21 kilometres north of Alappuzha town, far enough that combining the visit with in-town sights in a single morning is unrealistic; treating it as a half-day trip on its own, ideally paired with Marari Beach along the same coastal road, makes better use of the drive. Outside the January feast, the basilica and village are quiet enough that a weekday visit rarely involves any crowd beyond the resident congregation, and the church's cool, dim interior offers a genuine break from the coastal heat. Travellers visiting during Makaram Perunnal should expect the entire village economy to shift toward the festival — food stalls, temporary accommodation, and religious goods vendors line every approach road — and should book any nearby stay well in advance, since the feast draws pilgrims from across Kerala and neighbouring states. The coastal road connecting Arthunkal to Alappuzha passes several smaller fishing villages worth a slow drive rather than a direct highway run.

How to reach St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal

The red star is St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal; the numbered pins are the 1 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Arthunkal, Cherthala Taluk, Alappuzha District, Kerala 688540Directions in Google Maps

From Alappuzha Town (KSRTC Bus Stand)
₹500–700
21 km · 35–40 min
Auto-rickshaw); ₹700–900 (taxi).
From Cherthala Railway Station
₹150–200
8 km · 15 min
Auto-rickshaw).
From Cochin International Airport (COK)
₹1,400–1,800
62 km · 75–90 min
Prepaid taxi).

Nearest airport

From Cochin International Airport (COK)

approximately 62 km, around 1.5 hours by road.

Nearest railway station

From Cherthala railway station

approximately 8 km.

St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal FAQs

Is there an entry fee for St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal?

No. The basilica is a free, active parish church rather than a ticketed monument. Visitors are welcome to offer a voluntary contribution, particularly during the January feast, but there is no admission charge.

How far is Arthunkal from Alappuzha town?

About 21 kilometres north, roughly 35–40 minutes by road. The distance makes it a dedicated half-day trip rather than a quick stop combined with in-town Alappuzha sights.

When is the St. Sebastian feast at Arthunkal, and how big is it?

It runs through January and lasts about a month, known locally as Makaram Perunnal. The feast draws pilgrims numbering in the millions over its full duration, making it one of the largest Catholic festivals in Kerala.

When did the church become a basilica?

Pope Benedict XVI elevated it to basilica status on 9 July 2010, making it the first parish in the Diocese of Alleppey to receive that designation.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places