Navy facilitates Four Thousand (4000) devotees at the St.Anthony’s Feast of Kachchativu

The Annual Feast of St.Anthony’s church, at the Kachchatiivu Island which is situated close to Indo-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Northern seas of Sri Lanka, was commenced yesterday(27th February 2010).It has been scheduled for two days.
The coordination of the festival was done by the Sri Lanka Navy.The specialty of this festival is the participation of both Indian and Sri Lankan devotees after a long period taking the advantage of the dawn of Peace.

 Three thousand  three hundred and eighty seven (3387) devotees on board Hundred and fourteen (114) boats left Rameshvaram yesterday morning accompanied by Indian Coast Guard  and  were handed over to the Sri Lanka Navy at the IMBL. Subsequently they arrived in the Island escorted by SL Naval vessels. The local devotees numbering Eight hundred and twenty four (824)  accompanied  by SL Navy participate in the Holy occasion.
In addition to providing security for the festival, water and sanitary facilities for the devotees too have been arranged by the SL Navy. To and from the Island and the anchored vessels over the coral barriers are facilitated by the Naval Crafts.

The festival concluded today (28th February 2010) with the Mass held in the presence of the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Commander of Northern Naval Area Rear Admiral Susith Weerasekara ,Security Forces Commander-Jaffna Major General Mahinda Hathurisinghe, Air Force Base Commander-Palali Group Captain Nishane Abesinghe and the other officers of Tri Forces and the Police.

The Anthoniyar Church was established in 1905 in Kachchativu. According to the 1974 Treaty between India and Sri Lanka the Island was ceded to Sri Lankan government ensuring the free access for the pilgrimages from India. The practice of long lasting arrival of Indian devotees, which was interfered by the War  times for past years, has been enhanced by the Peaceful situation in Sri Lanka.