Over 4,000 Indian pilgrims set sail for the Katchatheevu islet to take part in the annual two-day festival at the St Antony's Church. The ceremonies will start at 4 pm today with a flag-hoisting ceremony.
'Way of the Cross' procession and a late-night chariot festival will also take place. Notably, the statue of the patron saint will be carried around the shrine by Sri Lankan Navy personnel.
On Saturday morning, a Special High Mass will be conducted by the Bishops of Jaffna and Colombo in both Tamil and Sinhala.
The festival will conclude with the lowering of the flag, following which the Indian pilgrims will return.
It is believed that in 1913, fishermen established the St. Anthony’s Church in a thatched hut in Katchatheevu to seek blessings for an abundant catch and protection from storms, before heading to sea.
The first batch of devotees was flagged off from the Rameswaram fishing harbour at 6 am by Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon.
3,996 registered pilgrims, consisting of 3,033 men, 726 women, and 150 kids, are crossing the Palk Strait in 118 boats, including 92 mechanised trawlers and 26 country boats.
The Indian Coast Guard and the Customs department are conducting a three-tier verification process at the Rameswaram jetty. All pilgrims are required to produce their Aadhaar cards and Police No Objection Certificate (NOC), mandatorily.
Carrying plastic items, alcohol, huge quantity of jewellery during the journey is prohibited.
All boats carrying pilgrims are equipped with life jackets and are being escorted by Coast Guard hovercrafts until the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
In order to facilitate the smooth conduct of the event, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department has also enforced a total fishing ban in the region until March 1. Almost 1,000 local boats are moored at the docks to ensure clear passage.
Significantly, this 100+ years old tradition marks shared cultural and religious heritage between India and Sri Lanka, despite dark memories of the Eelam wars.
The Katchatheevu islet was ceded to Sri Lanka by India through two agreements in the 1970s, and no visa is required for pilgrims to visit the place.