2009-07-30 16:26:26

500,000 pilgrims expected to visit Madhu Marian shrine


(July 30,2009):-The Sri Lankan government has declared "no limits" on the number of pilgrims allowed to visit the revered Madhu shrine for the August feast of the Assumption on Aug.15.. Around 500,000 are expected to travel to the 400-year-old Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Mannar diocese, 220 kilometers to the north of Colombo. The shrine lies in a jungle area, where government and Tamil rebel forces fought several battles during the 25-year civil war . The government has vowed to finish clearing land mines near the site, and says it has started construction work on the main road leading to the shrine. Highways Minister T.B. Ekanayake told the media, "The roads within the Madhu shrine will also be reconstructed, and cost of the construction is 157 million rupees (US$1.4 million)."
The administrator of the shrine, Father Barnabas Fred Desmond Culas, made a plea for pilgrims to prepare well and bring sufficient food, firewood, drinking water and tents for their visit. Wells and ponds in the area are being tested for contamination, and a special medical team will be on duty at Madhu hospital, the priest reported. Street lamps around the shrine will be turned on after years of darkness, he added.








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