The annual St. Anthony’s feast in Kachatheevu will be held today with the participation of over 9,000 pilgrims from Sri Lanka and India. The shores of the Kachchativu islet on the Palk strait will be open to Indian fisherman enabling them to attend the two day church festival the Navy said.
While the feast will be held at the shrine built recently by the Sri Lanka Navy and bestowed on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna on December 23 last year, they have also made necessary provisions for the required facilities and security for devotees attending the religious festival.
As the main facilitator of the event the Navy will also provide accommodation, clean drinking water and meals for both Sri Lankan and Indian devotees.
The Navy also recently declared open the Delft and Katchatheevu jetties built by them to provide travel ease to devotees attending the event.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Court on Friday refused to pass an order permitting Indian fisherman using country boats attached with motors from travelling to Kachchativu for the annual feast.
High Court refused to allow fisherman to mechanised boats after the court was informed that it was not safe to travel about 25 nautical miles in country boats, Indian media reported.
According to Rev. L. Sagayaraj, Verkodu parish priest and chief coordinator of the Indian pilgrimage, a record number of 4,991 Indian pilgrims have confirmed their participation in the feast this year. - MB