Around 100 Indian pilgrims attend annual festival at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kachchateevu

PTI, Mar 13, 2022, 11:30 AM IST

Colombo: Around 100 Indian pilgrims, mainly fishermen and priests, participated in the annual festival at the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kachchateevu in Jaffna, the Indian High Commission said here.

The two-day festival, which underlines deep people to people linkages between India and Sri Lanka as well as enduring cultural ties, was held on March 11-12.

”Close to 100 Indian pilgrims, mainly fishermen and priests, took part in the annual Festival at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kachchateevu on 11-12 March 2022,” the High Commission said in a statement on Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda greeted the pilgrims on their arrival at the Island.

According to the statement, the annual festival witnesses enthusiastic participation of Indian pilgrims every year.

”More than 3,000 pilgrims from India participated in 2020. These Indian pilgrims are extended consular and other forms of assistance by the Consulate General of India, Jaffna,” the statement added.

A late evening mass was held on the same day after special Prayers for the pilgrims to mark the Festival.

”A special Mass dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of Fishermen was conducted by priests from India and Sri Lanka on March 12. This was followed by the traditional feast,” the statement said.

The festival underlines deep people to people linkages between India and Sri Lanka as well as enduring cultural ties.

”Participation of fishermen from the two countries paves way for close interaction between them and provides an opportunity to know each other and their problems better. The mainstay of the centuries-old connection has been such interactions and close bonds between the peoples of the two close maritime neighbours”, the statement said. Consul General of India in Jaffna, Raakesh Natraj and other officials of the Consulate were special invitees, it added.