GRAHA MARIA ANNAI VELANGKANI
The magnificent Marian Shrine of Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni is dedicated to the Blessed Mother Mary who is known in India as Annai Velangkanni Arokia Matha (Our Lady of Good Health).
Graha means home or sanctuary or shrine in Sanskrit. Built in 2005, it is located on the outskirts of the city of Medan in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia. The shrine is two floors high and has a small seven-floor tower in the Indonesian style. It is located on Jl. Sakura III, beside Jl. Simatupang. It is an important pilgrimage site in Asia.
Built with an Indonesian touch, the architecture of this shrine is totally different from the norm and the uniqueness of this lofty and imposing structure lies in the originality of its Indo-Mughal
architectural blend, in its ornaments and display of colors done by amateur hands and above all in its Biblical content. Several religious symbols adorn the building, but these are in harmony with the structure of the shrine and form a beautiful unity. Aesthetic and religious values blend in to express the loftiness and the great mystery of the divine majesty.
Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni was built by the hands of amateurs and relied on funding from donors. But as it turned out, the fact that God was behind all these efforts to create such a beautiful church and community hall is plain for us to see.
