After a break of three years, thousands of people travelled to Mannar to attend the annual festival to mark Feast of Our Lady of Madhu this week.
The festival, which was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, usually attracts large crowds of devotees every year.
On Monday, thousands were in attendance for the service, with the statue of Our Lady of Madhu brought out for all to see.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Mannar has long been considered the holiest place of Roman Catholic worship on the island, with a history of over 400 years.
The site, however, has previously been targeted by the Sri Lankan military, such as the 1999 army shelling of the church which saw 37 Tamil civilians killed and 64 wounded. The shrine itself has had to be repeatedly moved and taken to shelter elsewhere due to repeated military offensives.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
