Over 50,000 Hindu pilgrims from the North and East are preparing for the Esala Festival at the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya, which will commence on July 29.
Devotees could not attend the Kataragama Esala Festival since 2018
The terrorist activities of the Saharan in 2019 did not allow the pilgrims to attend due to the corona pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The Basnayake of the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya said that the number of devotees from the North and East could be around 50,000 for the 2022 Esala Festival, which will be held three years later. Basnayake Nilame Dishan Gunasekara said that the Festival will be held from July 29 to August 11. After the cup planting at the Kataragama Devalaya on July15, the first Pada Pilgrimage groups will start their journey from the Nallur Kovil in Jaffna in the last week of June.
This time many scholars such as doctors and professors are ready to share their experiences.
Some of these visitors will arrive on foot at the Kumana Okanda Devalaya in groups and arrive at the Kumanaga Kumbukkanbayaga Yala No. 2 Zone via the Pettanaga Menik Ganga Yala Zone No. 1 via the Katagamuwa Sacred Area.
Various organisations are already working on rice dansals in the cities as well as in the forest areas to provide free food and drink to the pilgrims,.
In July 2018, when the last pilgrimage was held, 26,867 devotees came from the North and East on pilgrimage.
Employees of the Thiruthanni Kataragama Kovil in India are also join the pilgrimage to Sri Lanka this year.
Basnayake Nilame Gunasekera said that infrastructure facilities will be provided to the devotees as they will be staying in the Kataragama Sacred Area after their arrival.
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