Close to 2,500 Indian pilgrims comprising mainly fishermen and clergy as well as around 3,000 Sri Lankan pilgrims participated in the annual St. Anthony’s Festival in Kachchatheevu on March 03 – 04.

Minister of Fisheries – Douglas Devananda, greeted the pilgrims on their arrival at the Island on March 03. Special Prayers and a late evening mass were held on the same day to mark the Festival. A special Mass dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of Fishermen was jointly conducted by priests from India and Sri Lanka on March 04, followed by the traditional feast.

Stalls displaying and selling artisanal works of both Indian and Sri Lankan pilgrims were set up, adding further color to the festivities.

The Government of India is providing financial assistance for the organization of the festivities this year. Consul General of India in Jaffna – Raakesh Natraj and other officials of the Consulate were special invitees at the Festival.

The annual Festival, which witnesses enthusiastic participation pilgrims every year, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years. The festival underscores strong people to people ties between India and Sri Lanka while also paving way for close interaction between fishing communities of the two neighbouring nations.

The Deputy General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and former Central Province Chief Minister – Sarath Ekanayake has been appointed as the Acting General Secretary of the party.

SLFP Chairman and former President Maithripala Sirisena has made this appointment.

Ekanayake has been appointed to the post as the incumbent SLFP General Secretary – MP Dayasiri Jayasekara traveling overseas.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been injured on the sets of his film Project K while shooting in Hyderabad.

In his recent blog post, the actor wrote that his rib cartilage broke and he suffered a “muscle tear to the right rib cage”.

While he is at his Jalsa home recovering from the injury, experts revealed how a torn rib cartilage can be painful even when a person is breathing or coughing.

In the blog, the actor wrote that while the strapping has been done, he has to rest due to severe pain. “Strapping has been done and rest been advocated, yes painful, on movement and breathing, will take some weeks they say before some normalisation will occur. Some medication is on also for pain. So, all work that was to be done has been suspended and cancelled, dropped or postponed for the moment until healing occurs,” he wrote.