paraphernalia, illumined by multi-tongued oil torches, is a gorgeous spectacle, a delightful experience for the participants. Assisi Ashram Assisi ashramam, run by Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.) missionaries, is also situated here. This Renewal Centre has completed 34 years of praiseworthy service in providing spiritual assistance to numerous people. The first Malayalam Charismatic retreat was conducted here. This Renewal Centre publishes a Malayalam magazine named Assisi and they manage a publishing house named Jeevan Books. Educational institutions Bharananganam is famous for its elite institutions. St.Joseph's College of Engineering and Technology Alphonsa Residential School (ARSB) is the first ICSE syllabus school in Kerala and is named after Saint Alphonsa Sacred Heart Girls High School St. Mary's Boys High School Assisi, Institute of Foreign Languages: German, English, French, Italian(www.assisiinstitute.org) Saint Alphonsa's tomb This small town is known as the Lisieux of India after the birthplace of St Thérèse of Lisieux in France. The thousand year old St Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church here is one of the famous pilgrim centers of the St Thomas Christians in Kerala. St Alphonsa is the first woman to be conferred sainthood from the Kerala Church, which traces its origins to the evangelism of Thomas the Apostle around 2,000 years ago, and the second Indian to sainted after Gonsalo Garcia, a Luso-Indian born in Portuguese Bombay and Bassein. The death anniversary of St Alphonsa, which falls on 28 July is an important day for the devotees. Every year on this day, thousands of devotees visit this holy shrine, where the mortal remains of the saint is preserved, to pray and seek her blessings. St Alphonsa lived a godly life and was recognised as a such during her lifetime. Even at a young age she showed a great zeal for suffering and she used to pray fervently and longed for sacrifice and fasting as and when possible. She believed that she must endure all things that tests her will and offer them to the Lord. It is said that in spite of her painful diseases, she was cheerful to the last. It was her students who established the cult of St Alphonsa at first. After her death, they began visiting her tomb and making votive offerings of candles and flowers. The visits continued and multiplied, as they devotees began receiving favours. Ever since, her tomb has become a centre of pilgrimage and countless miracles. The first officially