Barring a boat driver who fractured his left hand while anchoring the boat at the fishing jetty here, all the 1,919 pilgrims, including 334 women and 54 children, returned safely on Saturday from the two-day annual St. Antony’s Church festival in Katchatheevu. They were escorted to the fishing jetty here by the Coast Guard and the marine police of the Coastal Security Group.
The first boat carrying 30 pilgrims reached the jetty at 12.30 p.m. and the last and 60th boat at 5.20 p.m., officials said.
No untoward incident was reported, said Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena. The pilgrims had left for Katchatheevu on Friday morning. “Everything went off well and the Jaffna Diocese, which organised the festival, made good arrangements for the Indian pilgrims,” Father A. Antonysamy, Rameswaram-Verkodu parish priest and chief coordinator of the pilgrimage, who accompanied the pilgrims, said.
