RAMANATHAPURAM: The annual St Antony’s Church festival at Katchatheevu begins on Friday with the flag hoisting ceremony. Over 3,500 devotees are travelling from Rameswaram in 101 boats to take part in the two-day event.
The festival commences at 5 pm with the hoisting of the flag bearing the image of St Antony at the church premises. Parish priest Pathinathan of Neduntheevu hoisted the flag. The parish priest of Rameswaram Verkodu led the first-day Holy Mass and Way of the Cross.
At 8 pm, a car procession carrying the statue of St Antony will be taken around the church, with Sri Lankan Navy personnel carrying the car on their shoulders.
On the second day, the festival Mass will be held at 7 am. The Mass will be conducted first in Tamil and then in Sinhala. The Bishop of Jaffna Diocese, priests and nuns from both countries, and devotees are expected to participate. Around 6,000 devotees are likely to attend the Mass. The festival will conclude with the lowering of the flag at 9 am.
From 7 am on Thursday, devotees began departing from Rameswaram harbour in mechanised boats after document verification and security checks by police. Devotees have been instructed not to carry banned items, including liquor, plastic materials, excess cash and jewellery.
Apart from devotees travelling from Rameswaram, over 3,000 devotees from Neduntheevu, Mannar, Jaffna and other parts of Sri Lanka are also expected.
In view of the festival, security has been intensified along the Indian maritime boundary from Dhanushkodi to Rameswaram, Mandapam and Thondi. Two Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels from Chennai are engaged in surveillance. In addition, three hovercraft and two fast patrol vessels of the Coast Guard stationed at Mandapam are on patrol. Two helicopters from the naval air station at Uchipuli are also deployed. The Rameswaram sea area has been brought under a security cover.