Colombo, July 24 (ANI): The sacred statue of Our Lady of Madhu has reached the Bishop House in Mannar District of Sri Lanka until its safe enough for the statue to be reinstalled into the Madhu Church.

The statue was moved to Saint Saviour’’s Church at Vellankulam in Thevanpiddi on April 4, following heavy clashes between the security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The statue will be reinstated in the Madhu church, only after the area is declared safe, Mannar Bishop, Reverend Rayappu Joseph said.

The Madhu statue was brought into the Government-controlled area through the Omanthai Entry or Exit point around by an ambulance.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine in Mannar district of Sri Lanka.

With a history of over 400 years, this shrine acts as a center for pilgrimage and worship for Sri Lankan Catholics. The site is considered as the holiest Catholic shrine in the island and is a well-known place of devotion for both Tamil and Sinhalese Catholics alike.

The Madhu church has been a symbol of unity not just between Tamils and Sinhalese, but also between people of different religions, including Buddhists, Hindus and Protestants. (ANI)