Meenakshi amma's account of the miracle

To the crowed who came to her, Meenakshi-Amma recounted her experience. "just as I prayed to Vallarpadathamma for help and vowed our allegiance by becoming her servants, the boat capsized and I, together with my son sank into the deep. We want straight to the bottom of the sea and found ourselves at peace in the presence of Vallarpadathamma. We were in such a serene and beautiful place that we did not feel the passing of time. We were just gazing at the face of Our Lady and her son. Now we find our selves at the feet of same vallarpadathamma". All those who heard it glorified God who saved her and praised Vallarpadathamma for her power full protection. Meenakshi-Amma and her son used to sweep the church and the entire courtyard every morning and evening with broom. even now, devotees bring brooms and sweep the church floors and courtyard clean as a sign of their commitment and their gratitude to Our Lady of Vallarpadam.

It was a real rebirth to Meenakshi-Amma and her son and they expressed their indebtedness by not only baptizing themselves as Mary and Yesudas (servant of Jesus), but also becoming staunch devotees of Our Lady of Vallarpadam. Faithful to her promise they lived the rest of their life at the church-yard praising God who has done marvelous things for them. According to the elders of the land, Yesudas expired in his 16th year of age but Meenakshi-Amma lived her eternal reward at the ripe age of 72 .In order to make this miracle ever fresh in the minds of the people a local painter, with the permission of the Church authorities, added the picture of Meenakshi-Amma and her son to the Portuguese portrait at the shrine. The portrait of Vallarpadathamma was thus made complete. The generations of her lineage, most of them even now Hindus, surrender their new born babies as adima of Vallarpadathamma and offer butter milk or sambaram in a wooden boat to the devotes on the days of the annual feast of Our Lady of Ransom.