Chennai, Mar 11 (IANS): A total of 76 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram have travelled to Sri Lanka's Katchatheevu island to participate in the annual festival of St Antony's Church, which began on Friday evening and will continue overnight.

The pilgrims were granted permission to travel following the intervention of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The organisers of the pilgrimage had earlier denied permission to the pilgrims from India due to the Covid pandemic.

The permission was granted after Stalin took up the matter with the External Affairs Ministry and through senior party leaders with the Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister. The Sri Lankan government had earlier given permission for 50 people to participate in the festival but later raised it to 100 as it is a reunion between families in two countries who have not met for several years. Before the pandemic, 2,000 to 5,000 people from Rameswaram participated in the pilgrimage.

Sri Lankan Minister Douglas Devananda met the fishermen association leaders from Rameswaram at Katchatheevu and listened to the woes of the fishermen in Tamil Nadu while fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Many fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Talking to IANS, All Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association President P. Jesuraj said: "This is an annual festival and is important for the fishermen community of both the countries. I do thank the Central government and state government for the initiative to make this pilgrimage possible."