A preparatory meeting for the annual festival at St. Anthony’s shrine on Kachchatheevu Island was held on 8 January, at the Jaffna District Secretariat, chaired by District Secretary M. Pradeepan Maruthalingam.
Sri Lankan and Indian officials at the meeting discussed various activities to ensure smooth preparations.
More than 8,000 devotees from Sri Lanka and India are expected to participate as pilgrims later this month.
The festival, one of the region’s most significant Catholic pilgrimages, is scheduled for 27 and 28 February.
Officials reviewed plans to ensure accommodation, security, sanitation, transport and food supplies for the large number of pilgrims who will travel to the small, uninhabited island for the event. Among those attending were the Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese, Rev. Fr. Jebaratnam, Northern Naval Commander Rear Admiral Buddhika Liyanagamage, Indian Deputy Consular Officer Nagarajan, as well as senior police, health, customs and local government officials.
Representatives from the Neduntheevu Pradeshiya Sabha, island administrative divisions of Neduntheevu, Velanai and Kayts, and officials from the navy, health services, and transport authorities also took part, alongside representatives of the boat owners’ associations who will be responsible for ferrying pilgrims to the island.
The meeting focused on crowd management and safety, given the growing popularity of the pilgrimage in recent years.Authorities discussed the deployment of security forces, emergency medical teams, waste management services and the regulation of sea transport to prevent overcrowding and accidents.