Tens of thousands gather at Sri Lanka’s Catholic shrine
August 15th, 2009 - 6:39 pm ICT by IANSColombo, Aug 15 (Xinhua) Over 400,000 devotees have gathered in Sri Lanka’s northern Mannar district Saturday to participate in an annual religious festival, military officials said.
The festivities at the Madhu Church, the holiest shrine for the island’s Catholic minority, ends Sunday.
This was the first large gathering at the church since government troops liberated the northern and eastern provinces from the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Its location in the heart of the former conflict zone saw the centuries old church coming under extensive shelling blamed on both sides to the conflict.
“We have provided ample security for pilgrims around the area,” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
Though it was declared a peace zone during the festival held there in August every year, the area was never completely safe.
But with the military’s complete crushing of the rebels last May, this was the first year in more than three decades that complete peace had prevailed in the area.
The ritual of parading of the Holy Mary statue is to take place Sunday, signaling the end of the festivities.
- Six soldiers, 26 rebels killed in Sri Lanka - Mar 28, 2009
- Senior LTTE leader killed, says Sri Lankan military - May 10, 2009
- More civilians flee Tamil rebel zone in Sri Lanka - Apr 22, 2009
- 400-year Mary statue moved from war hit shrine in Lanka - Apr 04, 2008
- 15 Tamil Tiger rebels killed in Sri Lanka - Apr 05, 2008
- Troops enter Mullaitivu, LTTE's last bastion (Second Lead) - Jan 25, 2009
- Sri Lanka troops capture rebels' defence barrier - May 03, 2009
- LTTE asks Norway to halt Sri Lankan military operation - Apr 08, 2008
- Prabhakaran's father dies in military custody - Jan 07, 2010
- Two LTTE leaders surrender, 95,000 flee war zone (Lead) - Apr 22, 2009
- Over 13,000 civilians flee LTTE-held areas, 17 die in blast (Second Lead) - Apr 20, 2009
- Statue of Our Lady of Madhu brought to Bishops House in Sri Lanka - Jul 24, 2008
- Ban welcomes escape of Sri Lankans from conflict zone - Apr 21, 2009
- Prabhakaran's father to be cremated Sunday - Jan 09, 2010
- 30,000 civilians flee LTTE-held areas, 17 killed in blasts (Third Lead) - Apr 20, 2009
Tags: brigadier, catholic shrine, conflict zone, devotees, eastern provinces, festivities, government troops, holy mary, liberation tigers of tamil eelam, liberation tigers of tamil eelam ltte, madhu church, mannar district, military officials, military spokesman, more than three decades, nanayakkara, peace zone, religious festival, udaya, xinhua
