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States » SouthPosted at: Mar 14 2025 2:06PM


TN: Indian pilgrims set sail to Katchatheevu Islet to take part in St Antony’s Church fete

Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Mar 14 (UNI) Pilgrims from India set sail to the Katchatheevu Islet in the Palk Bay to attend the annual two-day ‘St. Antony’s Church’ festival on Friday.
Official sources said as many as 3,464 pilgrims, including 652 women and 92 children from various parts of Tamil Nadu had registered with the Ramanathapuram district administration for a pilgrimage to the Katchatheevu Island to participate in the festival in 78 mechanized fishing boats and 22 country boats fitted with outboard engines.
The pilgrims have started sailing to the Katchatheevu Islet from Rameswaram fishing jetty in several batches, after the mandatory security clearance, since this morning and all of them were expected to reach the Islet before this evening.
Though there was no need for visa and passport for the pilgrimage, the Indian authorities followed customs and immigration procedures.
The hovercrafts and patrol vessels of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) were escorting the Indian pilgrims up to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) from where the pilgrims will be taken to the Katchatheevu Islet by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The festival would begin with the hoisting of the holy flag atop the 35-foot-high flag mast, this evening followed by ‘Thiru Jabamalai’ (Way of the Cross) ritual and special prayers.
On the second day of the festival to be held on Saturday, a procession would be held, followed by a Holy Mass.
Priests from Sri Lanka and India would preside over the ceremonies.
Around 4,000 pilgrims from Sri Lanka were also expected to attend the festival.
The festival will wind up by Saturday afternoon and Indian pilgrims will return to Rameswaram in the evening.
The Sri Lankan Navy had arranged food, drinking water and other basic amenities for the pilgrims.
Ramanathapuram Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said various departments like, police, customs, immigration, ICG, Indian Navy and fisheries were involved in the arrangements for the festival.
The 275-acre uninhabited Katchatheevu Island, located 14-nautical miles away from India was ceded to Sri Lanka by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1974 as a goodwill gesture. As per the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement, fishermen of both countries were allowed to fish near the Katchatheevu Island, dry their fishing nets and offer prayers in St.Antony’s church.
The Lankan government banned entry of Indians citizens to participate in Antony’s church festival and also denied permission to the Indian fishermen to fish around the Island in the year 1982 after the outbreak of civil war.
The Sri Lankan government lifted the ban on Indian pilgrims in 2010 after the end of decades-long civil war.
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