Chennai, Apr 2 (IANS): The Christian community celebrated 'Palm Sunday' ahead of Easter at the Basilica of 'Our Lady of Good Health' at Velankanni in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district

Velankanni is a prominent pilgrimage centre for Christians of South India and most of the devotees reach there ahead of Easter celebrations.

Special services were held for the devotees in English, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi at the Velankanni church on Sunday during the 'Palm Sunday' celebrations.

Palm Sunday is observed as the last Sunday ahead of Easter celebrations.

The Christian's believe that 2000 years before Jesus Christ returned to the City of Jerusalem mounted on a mule and people lined up on both sides of the road carrying olive branches in their hands as a sign of accepting him as their lord. This tradition is now carried across the world and celebrated as 'Palm Sunday'.

Palm Sunday was celebrated in Kerala churches also with the faithful reaching the Churches in the morning. Mar Cardinal George Alenchery led the prayer meetings at Kochi and called upon the believers to stick to the ideals and belief in Jesus Christ and to think about the ordeals through which he has gone through. He called upon the believers not to wilt during adverse times and instead be strong on their beliefs.