Pallottine Institute · Lay Leadership

Rooted in Faith,
Rising in Leadership

Pallotti Institute of Lay Leadership Animation and Research (PILLAR). One Calling, Many Pillars.

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Pillar Campus

Where Learning
Meets Stillness

Garden courtyards, quiet walks and a sacred grove, a campus designed for reflection and renewal.

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Pillar Outreach

Leadership That
Serves the Last

Education for children, empowerment for women and upliftment for rural and nomadic communities.

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Ernst Leuninger Library

A Library for
Lifelong Seekers

Books, research and reading rooms for scholars, animators and community leaders.

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  • Leadership
  • Animation
  • Research
  • Community

Welcome to PILLAR Centre

A house of formation in a living forest

Pillar Centre is a unique institution dedicated to residential training and formation programmes. It was founded by Fr. Emmanuel Savariaradimai, a Pallottine priest, in 1999. Ever since its establishment it has become a sought-after institution by the State, Churches, and NGOs for a wide range of programmes, including training sessions, ongoing formation, chapters, retreats, seminars, workshops, and courses.

  • Training sessions
  • Ongoing formation
  • Chapters
  • Retreats
  • Seminars
  • Workshops
  • Courses

Pillar Centre offers well-equipped conference halls, comfortable guest rooms, spacious and airy corridors adorned with inspiring paintings, and a well-stocked library containing books, journals, and documentation on a wide range of social and contemporary themes.

The Centre is particularly known for its serene and refreshing ambience. Thousands of trees provide a lush green cover, while several kilometres of pathways invite visitors to walk, reflect, and reconnect with nature. Amidst this tranquil, forest-like setting is a sacred grove featuring a tall prayer rock, a grotto with a Tamilised statue of Mary, a Meditation Hall, and other spaces conducive to prayer, contemplation, and spiritual renewal.

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Conference Halls

Well-equipped halls for training sessions, chapters, seminars and workshops.

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25+Years of service
10,000+Programmes conducted
1,00,000+Visitors welcomed

Our Facilities

Spaces for stillness, study and fellowship

Rooms, halls and quiet corners, all set within the green calm of Pillar Centre.

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Events & Stories

Moments of formation, service and community

Training programmes, retreats and stories from the people and places Pillar serves.

Education to Nomadic Tribes

Pillar in Press

Pallotti School - Quality Education for the Poor

Elisabeth Sanna Women Empowerment Centre

Seminar on Social and Contemporary Themes

Rural Upliftment Programme

Prayer and Meditation at the Sacred Grove

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Pillar Vicinity

Hills, caves and stories carved in stone

Pillar Institute is nestled amid picturesque hillocks and the Nagamalai mountain range. Within walking distance are ancient Jain caves, stone beds, bas-reliefs, Brahmi-Tamil inscriptions, sculptures, and water springs associated with Jain monks, dating back to around 300 B.C.

  • Nagamalai range
  • Jain caves
  • c. 300 B.C.
  • Walking distance

Visitors can also explore remarkable natural rock formations that resemble human and animal figures, offering a fascinating glimpse into the region's natural and cultural heritage.

Hike to such places can offer you invaluable adventure experience and fascination for nature.
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Ancient Jain Caves

c. 300 B.C.

Stone Beds

c. 300 B.C.

Brahmi-Tamil Inscriptions

c. 300 B.C.

Bas-Reliefs & Sculptures

c. 300 B.C.

Natural Rock Formations

Shaped over ages

Hike into the Nagamalai Hills

Within walking distance