Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu): The two-day annual festival of St.Antony’s Church began with a ceremonial flag hoisting at the Katchatheevu Islet in Sri Lanka on Friday evening.
Official sources said after the holy flag hoisting event, the ‘Thiru Jabamalai’ (Way of the Cross) ritual and special prayers were performed by Christian priests from Sri Lanka and India.
A grand procession would be held on Saturday morning, followed by a Holy Mass.
Over 4,000 pilgrims from Sri Lanka and 3,464 pilgrims, including 652 women and 92 children, in India were taking part in the festival.
Earlier, the Indian pilgrims were ferried to Katchatheevu Islet by 78 mechanized fishing boats and 22 country boats fitted with outboard engines.
The pilgrims have started sailing to the Katchatheevu Islet from the Rameswaram fishing jetty in several batches, after the mandatory security clearance, this morning.
Though there was no need for a visa and passport for the pilgrimage, the Indian authorities followed customs and immigration procedures.
The hovercrafts and patrol vessels of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) escorted the Indian pilgrims up to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) from where the pilgrims were taken to the Katchatheevu by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The festival will wind up by Saturday afternoon after which the Indian pilgrims will return to Rameswaram in the evening.
The Sri Lankan Navy has established infrastructure and other facilities, including sanitation and drinking water, temporary shelters, roads, jetties and electricity supply for the convenience of the visiting pilgrims.
