St Antony’s Shrine Festival in Katchatheevu Island
More than 3,000 devotees were transported to the Katchatheevu Island of Sri Lanka for the annual St Antony’s Shrine Festival.
The Katchatheevu Island
The Katchatheevu Island is located in the Palk Strait. It is located between Rameswaram of Tamil Nadu and Neduntheevu of Sri Lanka. It is an uninhabited island under the administration of Sri Lanka. It has an area of about 1.15 sq.km.
Katchatheevu Island in India- Sri Lanka Relation
The island was originally a part of the Kingdom of Ramnad which was based in the present Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu. It later became a part of the Madras Presidency during the British rule in India. The island was a source of dispute between Sri Lanka and India till 1974. The island was handed over to Sri Lanka by the 1974 and 1976 agreements.
St Antony’s Shrine
St Antony’s Shrine is a Catholic church located in the Katchatheevu Island of Sri Lanka. It is the only structure on the island. The church is named after St Antony, the patron saint of seafarers. The structure was built in early 20th century.
