Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 27 (ANI): The annual festival of St. Anthony's Church at Katchatheevu commenced on Friday with the ceremonial hoisting of the flag, as thousands of devotees from Tamil Nadu began their journey to the island shrine.

A total of 3,996 pilgrims set off by sea to attend the festival at Katchatheevu, an islet located between India and Sri Lanka. The devotees departed from the Rameswaram port after completing mandatory checks by the police, revenue department, citizenship department, and customs authorities.

Officials oversaw the verification process to ensure smooth travel arrangements for the pilgrims heading to the church festival, which draws participants from the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu every year.

Earlier, Pongal celebrations were observed with enthusiasm across different parts of Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, festivities were visible in several neighbourhoods, including KK Nagar, where police personnel celebrated the harvest festival with their families outside the station premises. The personnel at the KK Nagar Police Station cooked the traditional Pongal dish in a cauldron and marked the occasion together.

At St Matthias Catholic Church in Chennai, devotees also celebrated Pongal by preparing the traditional dish and exchanging greetings. The church premises witnessed people coming together in a spirit of harmony and thanksgiving. In Madurai, the traditional Jallikattu event was held at Avaniyapuram as part of the Pongal festivities. The bull-taming sport attracted large crowds, with at least 960 bull-tamers permitted to participate in the event, making it one of the key cultural highlights of the harvest festival. (ANI)