CHENNAI: Ahead of the Easter weekend, Christians took the 'Palm sunday' procession at the popular pilgrim site --- Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Nagapattinam's Velankanni. Thousands of pilgrims took part in the procession, singing hymns while carrying palm leaves.

Also, the parish priests and the devotees participated in the special Mass led by the Chancellor of the Archdiocese. Subsequently, special services were held in Telugu, Malayalam, English, Hindi and Tamil. The faithful prayed for peace.

"Palm Sunday" is observed as the last Sunday of Lent ahead of the Easter celebration.

According to the Christian faith, 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ returned to the city of Jerusalem mounted on a mule and the people along carrying olive branches in their hands as sign of accepting him as their Lord, and sung "Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord". This tradition is the basis of "Palm Sunday" celebration across the world.

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