What is "oriyur"

Oriyur ( Tamil: ஓரியூர்) is a small village located in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is 35 kilometers from Devakottai, Sivagangai(Dt).

It is a Christian pilgrim center, as it is home to the martyrdom of St. John de Britto, a Portuguese Jesuit better known as ‘Arulanandar’ in Tamil. It was in this place that John de Britto was beheaded in 1693 and the sand dune is said to have turned red, stained by the blood of the saint.

There are references about Oriyur in Tamil Literature. So its history can be traced back long before the advent of the missionary.