By Dinasena Rathugamage
The Navy is making preparations for the Katchatheevu festival, scheduled to be held on 14 and 15 March, at St. Anthony’s shrine.
The Navy will provide drinking water, sanitation facilities, medical assistance, and food to the pilgrims. However, this year’s festival is expected to see a decrease in the number of devotees.
Boat services for pilgrims would operate from the Kurikadduwan Jetty in Jaffna and Delft Island until the evening of 13 March. The fare for one-way journey will be Rs. 1,300 per person from Kurikadduwan and Rs. 1,000 from Delft.
The Katchatheevu festival, held during Lent, will feature a series of sacred rituals, including a flag hoisting ceremony on 14 March, followed by the Way of the Cross and a chariot procession around the island. Celebrations will culminate with a mass on 15 March.
