Madu festival comes to an end on a positive note.15.08.2009 ITN News Sri Lanka

Five hundred thousand devotees participated in the Madhu festival which ended on a positive note today.
Due to LTTE terrorism that lasted for more than three decades, not only the Tamil civilians but the entire population faced immense difficulties in visiting the shrine. During the last 30 years, the devotees had to pay ransoms to the LTTE terrorists to visit the shrine. In the humanitarian operation that was launched on 1st September 2007 at Silavathura in Mannar, the security forces released the premises of the Madhu Church. The annual feast which was held this morning was conducted by Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Malcolm Ranjith. A large number of Tamil devotees who had arrived from the North and the East as well as the Sinhalese from the South participated in the mass last evening. The prevailing drought conditions came to an end with heavy showers. Former Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Oswald Gomis, Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph and Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam were also present.

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