
NAGAPATTINAM: A raft, suspected to have been set adrift from Myanmar as part of a Buddhist ritual, washed ashore some 2,500 km away near Nagapattinam on Friday evening.
The raft was spotted on the shores of Prathabaramapuram in Keelaiyur block around 6 pm. Upon receiving the information, Coastal Security Group (CSG) officials inspected the shrine-like structure, which was about 20 feet in length and width, and 12 feet in height. The base was made of wood and was fenced on all four sides. The raft was supported by around 20 100-litre drums, sources said.
“We believe that the Myanmarese set the raft afloat in the sea as part of prayers for someone who passed away recently. The raft might have drifted for days before landing near Nagapattinam,” an official said.
Unlike in the past, CSG authorities noted that religious items such as idols, which are usually found in such shrine-like structures, were missing this time. “The locals may have taken them from the ‘shrine’ before we inspected the raft,” the official added.